by Ken Gagne

Sony's buses whisked reporters from the Biltmore Hotel site of Nintendo's conference, to a sound stage a few blocks away. There, after a happy buffet of delicious vegetarian and chicken foods, we were herded into the conference hall, equipped with Sony writing pads and three-color pens. We settled in for what would prove to be a long and fairly uneventful press conference.

A variety of Sony speakers took their turns at the lectern. First off were SCEA's refutations of PS2 launch myths, such as the wild ideas that it was unsuccessful or that they had production issues. Then they went right into the software. There are already 80 PS2 titles available, with 100 to debut at E3. Over 280 titles will be available by Christmas. Here are some specifics.

Dark Cloud, an RPG, is due on May 29th, followed on June 19th by Twisted Metal: Black… neither of which were demoed at the conference. Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec was shown, mostly FMV and replay mode. This updated racer will launch on July 10th, and can also be purchased in a PS2 bundle for $330.

Naughty Dog, the development studio that created Crash Bandicoot, demonstrated Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. This 3D platformer features a dashing protagonist with a furry friend on his shoulder, and what Andy Gavin of Naughty Dag called "rigid body physics" and real-time effects with millions of polygons. Though pretty, J&D appeared neither original nor innovative; in fact, the two-part hero and the beach level we saw reminded me strongly of Banjo-Kazooie.

John Schappert of Electronic Arts' Tiburon Studio demonstrated Madden 2002, which graphically looked at least as good as Sega's NFL 2K series. Also showcased was the "EA Sports BIG" line of games, including SSX Tricky snowboarding, NBA Street urban basketball, and Sled Storm 2.

A portion of the show was given for Square to present their material — which was only Final Fantasy. FFX's graphics are an excellent example of the PS2's power. Unfortunately, what we were shown was almost entirely FMV, and very, very little gameplay. Even the type of world in which FFX is set — steampunk or fantasy — is difficult to discern. A movie trailer for FF: The Spirits Within movie was also shown.

Shinja Mikami, creator of Capcom's Resident Evil games, next took the mic to speak of his new game, Devil May Cry. This 3D action game pits the half-human, half-demon warrior, Dante, against a host of demonic creatures. Dante's repertoire features one move in which his katana dashes enemies into the air, where he pumps them full of lead with his dual guns; when you execute this move, as Mikami said, "it makes you feel so good."

With a smooth segue from demonic to horrific, Gozo Kitao of Konami rolled a tape of Silent Hill 2. Though a year old, it looked better than the gameplay a tester showed us. Yet in either case, the creepy environment which made the original Silent Hill such a hit is one best conducted through gameplay, not audience viewing. This revisit to the paranormal resort town of Silent Hill is sure to draw many players along with it.

Konami then handed the stage to Hideo Kojima and Metal Gear Solid 2. More of the plot was revealed, and hardly any of the gameplay.

Games such as Final Fantasy X, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid 2, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2, and Virtua Fighter 4 will be PS2 exclusives for at least a year.

Various PlayStation peripherals will also be available this year. An LCD screen for the PSOne will cost $129, or $149 with extra features. Expect to see colored DualShock controllers for $25 in August.

Finally, Kaz Hirai elaborated on Sony's commitment to put their newest console on the online frontier. The full hardware suite will prove an extensive and expensive package. Online gaming will occur by this November, when a dual 56K modem/broadband adaptor is released for $39.95. A keyboard, mouse, LCD screen, and 40 gigabyte hard drive will also be available, all by Christmas 2001.

Online software will also make the PlayStation 2 a powerful online tool. Several partnerships have been formed to help ensure Sony's success on the 'net. Netscape will provide the web browser, while a version of the America Online client will also be available. This is a smart move on SCEA's part, since Sega omitted a large audience by neglecting AOL connectivity from their Dreamcast plans. Cisco will provide the protocol stack, with more software coming from Macromedia (Flash) and Real Software (RealPlayer).

There was so much focus on the hardware and software necessary to create an online experience for the PS2, little time was given to online gaming. SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals was one unveiled online title, as was Twisted Metal Online, but gaming definitely seemed to take a backseat to Sony's plans to establish the PS2 as the center of fulfilling the household's electronic needs.

The overall focus of Sony's press conference was on sequels and graphics. Maybe I had been biased by Nintendo declaring these "negative industry trends," but I was unimpressed by the lack of originality demonstrated at this press conference. The speakers, who would have been lost without teleprompters and PowerPoint, droned on and on, often accompanied by halting and inaccurate translations. Neither the content nor the organization of this presentation left me feeling excited about the future of gaming on the PlayStation.

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This article is copyright (c) 2001, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Gamebits, 16-May-01

Tags: 2001, E3, Electronic Entertainment Expo, ESA, IDSA, Sony