E3 2003: After the Show

We conclude our E3 coverage with a special report on the show that offered unprecedented sequelitis, but also industry reassurance with titles of undeniably high quality. Photos and vids included.

E3, the biggest gaming event of the year, is over. When we were there, our focus was intense as a laser. Each new experience is filtered through mood, personal bias, and circumstance before burning itself into memory. At the end of each day you reflect on what you saw; you enthusiastically talk up what you enjoyed and deride what you didn't with equal intensity.

"It's been two weeks, the high has subsided - so let's take a broad look at what this E3 meant."

When it's all over, your view of the show broadens. You take in details of what you missed and try to put the major events and announcements in perspective. First, second, and third-hand information give you a composite of the show. Who had the best showing? Which titles were the most promising? Most of the media make an honest effort to stay objective, but hype is contagious, and opinions can never be completely eliminated from the equation.

It's been about two weeks now. The high has definitely had time to subside. I've had time to leaf through the product catalogs I picked up, filter through the noise, and think about where the industry is and why it interests me so much. The window is open as wide as it'll ever be, and soon the effect of the mighty expo will begin to fade. So before that happens, let's take a broad and reasonably fresh look at what this E3 meant.

The Killer Apps

Every year there are announcements and games that are almost impossible to miss. They'll enjoy the limelight until they're released upon the public. If you didn't know that Sony and Nokia are entering the handheld market with the "PSP" and "N-Gage" respectively, you'll make a note of this sentence and form some sort of opinion. Though honestly, I wouldn't bother making room for Nokia's new device in long-term memory. But that's just my little prediction for the three-hundred-dollar, abominable cell-gaming handheld.

If you haven't seen footage of Halo 2, Half-Life 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, or Gran Turismo 4, and you fancy yourself a gaming aficionado, you're off your game.

"Games have always surpassed movies in sheer sequel power, but this year things are different."

Remedy the situation by hitting any major news site (preferably this one of course) and you'll be up to your ears in screens, movies, and impressions. You may want to check out some of the other major but less expo-rocking titles as well, like Doom 3, Thief III, and Onimusha 3. Capcom fans will also want to check out Dino Crisis 3, Mega Man X7, and the new Resident Evil, Namco junkies could compete in domestic versions of exquisite Soul Calibur 2. Konami lovers could revel in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence and the more hardcore could salivate over Gradius V. Last but by no means least, Sega die-hards were spoilt with four new Sonic titles including the psomising Sonic Heroes, along with the refreshingly enjoyable Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, and several other strong titles.

Year of the Super-Sequel

Notice the familiar names and conspicuous numerals clinging to the end of the titles and you'll have realized one of the defining trends of the show, if not the defining trend. Granted, games have always surpassed movies in sheer sequel power, but this year things are different, even for Final Fantasy, which recently broke into the double-digits and now awaits its twelfth installment. Although each sequential Final Fantasy game is more of a reinvention rather than a direct sequel so, this year Square, is unleashing a true sequel to the tenth title to bear the brand dubbed Final Fantasy X-2.

The fine purveyor of J-style RPGs also represents the trend to merge, rearranging itself like a transforming robot and joining with fellow RPGiant Enix to form the mighty "Square Enix", which taken with Sega's search for a partner and official, if vague plans to collaborate with EA, is another sign of tough times in the industry.

Still About the Games

Even with what seems to be an uncontrollable outbreak of aggravated sequelitis, one has to realize that behind the names stand games of incredible quality, and that there are still plenty of original titles and lovingly crafted revivals (Prince of Persia is not to be ignored) that make gaming one of the most exciting and worthwhile hobbies ever conceived by man. Maybe it's the lack of a new system-launch that makes these trends seem so evident. And just maybe, the lack of a new system launch at the show reflects more closely what our beloved hobby is all about.

"Behind the sequelitis stand games of incredible quality, with lovingly crafted, original titles."

With every control device my hands touched having some degree of familiarity (and more germs than I care to think about), and so many games being shown off across several platforms, I was hardly conscious of what console was powering what software as I went to new kiosks like a slightly confused but quite industrious (or just pollen-crazed) bee buzzing flower to flower. Were I a staunch advocate of a single platform or an avid tech-head able to spot and identify advanced graphical effects (or the lack thereof) at twenty paces, this might have been impossible, but as it was I was able to focus solely on each experience.

Connectivity Desu

There were of course some notable exceptions that broke me out of my trance-like gaming state, especially with Nintendo. Bumping into life-sized Pokémon and playing the enthralling Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, where multiplayer requires you to glance down at your status or fiddle with your inventory stored within your connected Game Boy Advance. There's also a protective relic that must be carried and passed around to ensure the party stays within a protective bubble, and constant real-life communication with your comrades is necessary to ensure nobody dies.

The game is easily one of the most notable and potentially the most irritating illustrations of Nintendo's connectivity strategy. Cool because of the unique cooperative play it facilitates, and infuriating because a GBA may be requisite for each person involved in a multiplayer game.

Gamut of Galvanized Gunplay

While the new Half Life and Doom look spectacular on video, they weren't playable. Of the two mega-sequels, Half Life 2 showed more skin (as it were) and was easily the more impressive of the two. This year's exposition of everything electronic featured an incredible array of shooters in the first person. I avoided games featuring "bullet time", "flash time", and gratuitous "matrix-inspired" slo-mo effects for my own mental health, a certain pair of first-person shooters tickled my fancy until I was in danger of losing bladder control.

"I avoided games featuring 'bullet time' slow-mo effects for my own mental health."

Ubi Soft's XIII, hitting every next-gen platform out there, is an amazing cel-shaded FPS that brilliantly radiates style. When you peg a man in the head with a throwing knife, you'll see a zoomed in version of the scene played out at the top of the screen in three successive panels, perhaps accompanied by a dying threat encompassed in a white speech bubble or scrawled across the screen in agonized red lettering. It's like a gritty, violent comic book of political intrigue come to life, and it's drop-dead cool. The effect is also used to clue the player in to dropped keys or other actions/conversations in your general area.

Also in the general area was Crytek's impressive Far Cry, which combines obscenely detailed graphics and physics with super-smart AI. The actions of your enemies have to be seen to be believed, and even then you can't help but wonder if it's scripted. Rest assured, it's not. Even with their tactical know-how, the game still lets you have the feeling of being a one-man army and incorporates some very cool extreme range combat. So far, you'll need a PC before you can cry this far.

Some worthy third-person shooters appeared at the show as well, and the PS2 titles Cy Girls and Kill.Switch really captured my attention. The latter title by Namco provided the most intense firefight that I witnessed at the show, with streams of hot lead flying from as many as five directions at once. As a generic looking white army guy you can lay down the decidedly non-generic "blind fire" from behind cover to buy yourself some time and hopefully take out an enemy. Almost everything can be used for cover: pillars, crumbled walls, cars, corners, etc. Quite an intense experience.

Cy Girls provides not only gunplay, but some wall-running ninja action too. Developed by Konami and based on fully articulated, completely sexy Japanese action figures (well, sexy as far as action figure go), the game's double pistol-packing heroine Ice can perform tight acrobatic evasive moves and fires her deadly duo directly behind herself as she retreats, from cover, or even while laying prone. The ninja girl has no guns, but of course has the slick ninja moves to make up for it.

The World Online

World of Warcraft shows off the skill of Blizzard's art department, Final Fantasy XI weighs in with a powerful RPG pedigree, and Star Wars Galaxies does a lot to push the bounds of online role-playing. However, is the growing population of online gamers destined to play nothing but MMORPGs, the newest RTS, and endless variants on the first person shooter forever?

Not if developers like Capcom can help it. Blessed with a disturbing but very artistic intro, Resident Evil Outbreak for the PS2 lets players meet online to make a harrowing escape from Raccoon City. Eschewing voice communication for ad-libbed speech (the game decides what's appropriate for a character to say, maintaining atmosphere and seriousness), the title mixes human controlled with computer controlled players. The most terrifying thing about the game? No, it's not the fixed camera angles. Or the control. Lay off it people. Capcom plans to let players bat (or rather bite) for the zombie team should they meet an untimely end.

Another Capcom title unfortunately blandly branded with the title Monster Hunter was shown in video form only. It appears to be a cooperative action game where low-tech tribes of armored humans wield massive cleaving swords and very-heavy crossbows to combat truly menacing looking dragons that gobble up livestock, humans, and generally make survival difficult. Specifics are scarce, but more info on the slightly different PS2 title should surface in the near future.

RPG & Strategy in Your Hand

While the GBA was informed that he would be in for a little competition, neither opponent dared to show their face yet. So for another year the undefeated portable powerhouse was able to strut its stuff for the world to see. Nintendo's main mascot didn't make his expected appearance on the cube, but both brothers appear in Mario and Luigi (as if you couldn't tell by the name) in what appears to be a spiritual successor to Mario RPG.

"Ubi Soft's XIII is an amazing cel-shaded FPS that brilliantly radiates style."

The GBA also showcased potent strategy on a small scale with the tactical titles Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising and Fire Emblem. By all accounts, Advance Wars 2 changes little but remains solid, sound, and addictive. Fire Emblem is a strategy RPG that's gathered quite a following in Japan but is only now seeing release in foreign territory. It's a full-featured, well-balanced game that like the Advance Wars series features an integrated tutorial and four-player multiplayer support.

Did You Miss This?

The last section of this piece will highlight a few titles that gamers might have missed during the deluge of E3 news, but shouldn't have.

Geist (GameCube) - Billed as a standard first-person shooter in Nintendo's press conference, this title is actually something more. You're something of a supernatural soldier, able to possess the bodies of enemies involved in a covert war. What makes things interesting is that a victim must be wounded or terrified before you can possess them. The most interesting part of the demo allowed you to rough up a medical officer's desk, flinging folders, slamming shut her laptop, basically going poltergeist on her ass.

Drakengard (PS2) - Actually, an action RPG. The first title to be released by Square-Enix features a man and dragon pair in aerial and ground combat. While riding your dragon, lock-on system lets you destroy targets in the stratosphere. You'll also be able to rain down death from above when engaging hundreds of ground units before hopping off and going at it with a large selection of melee weapons and spells. It's definitely in its early stages, but its ambition and strong story seem to carry a certain amount of promise.

Beyond Good And Evil (Multi) - Conceived by the man who created Rayman, this French project has a lot of gamers anticipating the next great adventure. The philosophy behind the game aims to give the players great gameplay variety while integrating the experience as much as possible and allowing the player the freedom to flow smoothly from one objective to another. An ambitious story and strong design don't hurt either.

Full Spectrum Warrior (Xbox) - It's the real time strategy title that many have dreamed of. Affiliated with the US Army, and to be used as something of a training tool for soldiers, the game models realistic squad level tactics with competent AI you'd expect from trained soldiers. No need to hold these manly, war-hardened hands though battle.

"Will online always be endless MMORPG, RTS, and FPS variants? Not if developers like Capcom can help it."

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2) - Fans of Strategy RPGs, take note. This title, developed by Nippon Ichi, has sold over a million units in Japan and is being brought to North America by the competent hand of Atlus USA. Starring a prepubescent anti-hero with a dangerously large ego and destructive nether-worldly powers, the game takes a dark, comedic tone and gives its deep tactical gameplay a shot in the arm with ridiculously over the top attacks and unique concepts. For example, you can throw friendly and enemy units around the map, and a congressional body known as the "Dark Assembly" passes laws that affect the world.

Until Next Year...

So that's E3 over and done with for 2003. What will next year have in store? By then, we expect some solid news from Nintendo on their next machine at the very least, although playable hardware at the show would probably be asking too much. Satoru Iwata, in the driving seat at NCL, has made quite clear he won't waste any time in bringing the next GameCube to market. Playable PSP titles are almost a certainty, while in reality, the status of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 2 this time next year is anyone's guess. But in the absence of new hardware and serious convergence, the overall quality of titles this year indicates the industry is headed in the right direction - and to that end, next year's show will be a lot more interesting. See you there.

Justin Speer
Contributor, Kikizo Games

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E3 2003: After the Show

We conclude our E3 coverage with a special report on the show that offered unprecedented sequelitis, but also industry reassurance with titles of undeniably high quality. Photos and vids included.

Kikizo:

Kikizo Classic:

Entertainment:

E3 2003: After the Show

We conclude our E3 coverage with a special report on the show that offered unprecedented sequelitis, but also industry reassurance with titles of undeniably high quality. Photos and vids included.

Kikizo:

Kikizo Classic:

Entertainment:

Archive Highlights

Satoru Iwata Video Interview - the late Nintendo president spoke with Kikizo in 2004 as 'Nintendo Revolution' loomed.

Kaz Hirai Video Interview - the first of Kikizo's interviews with the man who went on to become global head of Sony.

Ed Fries Video Interview - one of Xbox's founders discusses an epic journey from Excel to Xbox.

Yu Suzuki, the Kikizo Interview - we spend time with one of gaming's most revered creators.

Tetris - The Making of an Icon: Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers reveal the fascinating story behind Tetris

Rare founders, Chris and Tim Stamper - their only interview? Genuinely 'rare' sit down with founders of the legendary studio.

The History of First-Person Shooters - a retrospective, from Maze War to Modern Warfare