Electronic Entertainment Expo 2001 Coverage:

• General Coverage & Highlights
  
• Nintendo Press Conference
  
• Sony Press Conference
  

by Ken Gagne

This holiday season, don't waste time playing games, wading through choices and making guesses. With so many gifts available, it's important to choose the right one. 

When it comes to video games, your choices are plenty. Hundreds of new games are released annually, each competing for a spot under the Christmas tree. It may not be easy to tell the Street Fighters from the Syphon Filters, or to distinguish such shape-inspired names as Xbox, GameCube, and Squaresoft. 

But with the following highlights from the 2001 gaming lineup, chances are there's something to please you or the gamer close to your heart. 

A vast amount of electronic entertainment software is occupied by popular, non-violent sports games, of which there are many for all systems. But few publishers offer the variety and quality of the Sega Sports line. NBA 2K2, World Series Baseball 2K2, and football games NFL 2K2 and NCAA 2K2 are all not only affordably priced, but are the only sports games this Christmas to feature online Internet play. For great graphics and a global selection of opponents, the Sega Dreamcast system is the way to go. 

An online Dreamcast offers more than sports to play with. Phantasy Star Online is the first ever online console role-playing game (RPG). Gamers can create heroic personas with which to explore a futuristic world of science and fantasy. Other adventurers are also online gamers, with whom to talk, exchange tips and equipment, partner for a dangerous mission, or kill time with a round of soccer. Numerous offline missions give the single player plenty to do while developing her character. 

If you prefer your RPGs a bit more whimsical, try Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64. Princess Peach has been kidnapped, and it's up to the world's most famous plumber, Mario, to save the day. This game adds a new dimension to storytelling by making its figures completely flat, and placing them in a world of pop-up storybook quality. Such graphical gimmickry combines with a fresh take on a familiar character to make an RPG that's fun for all ages. 

The last recommended RPG is Dragon Warrior III, for Game Boy Color. Publisher Enix brings the "Legend of Loto" trilogy to a close with this final installment of games that first appeared on the original Nintendo system a decade ago. Gamers can create their own adventuring party, consisting of fighters, thieves, merchants, and jesters, before setting off to find the world-threatening Demon Lord who defeated the hero's father years ago. Gameplay is executed with simplicity and finesse, making Dragon Warrior III a winner. 

Another popular series continues on the Game Boy Advance with Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, from Konami. The portentously-named Nathan Graves is the latest to take up the whip in the battle against the vampire Dracula. Like all good Castlevania games, Circle of the Moon is a side-scrolling action game, with some role-playing elements. Nathan can explore Dracula's castle freely, but he'll need to find certain items to acquire the ability to reach new areas and defeat monstrous henchmen. Magical cards can be collected and combined for special effects. Again, classic gameplay and new features blend together in this great title. 

Castlevania may be gothic, but it's not horrific. If you enjoy unpleasant things, then try Silent Hill 2, also from Konami. James Sunderland receives a letter from his wife, inviting him to the resort town of Silent Hill… even though his wife died three years ago. Our confused protagonist is quickly mired in shifting realities and strange happenings, where only insanity is a given. Violence and mature themes make Silent Hill 2 not for kids. This survival horror game is available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. 

The mysterious machinations are more political, but no less deadly, in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, for PlayStation 2. Terrorist forces have acquired the plans for the nuclear tank known as Metal Gear, and only soldier-spy Solid Snake can stop them. Old enemies with new secrets return to taunt the lethal loner. Stealth and action complement an intriguing storyline, creating a cinematic gameplay experience for mature audiences. 

The PlayStation 2 propagates another franchise with Gran Turismo 3. This simulation racer allows players to compete with cars they could never otherwise afford, from makers such as Ford, Dodge, and Shelby. These high-powered machines come with an appropriate price tag, requiring gamers to work their way up through smaller races, earning the cash to purchase and customize better cars. GT3 features some of the best graphics of any racing title with gameplay that's largely unchanged since the first Gran Turismo. 

Too realistic for you? Add some vehicular weaponry and mission-based gameplay to get Midway's Spy Hunter, also for PlayStation 2. The G-6155 Interceptor vehicle, with its oil slicks and missile launchers, is the only tool equipped to stop the Nostra crime syndicate from plunging the world into darkness. This game only slightly resembles its 1983 predecessor of the same name, but is a lot of fun in its own right. 

It may seem like the PlayStation 2 has most of the good games — but that's about to be challenged by two new video game systems that launched just in time for Christmas. Though lacking the extensive software library of retail veterans PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast, the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube still have some excellent games from which to choose. 

Nintendo's software includes their gallery of popular characters. In Luigi's Mansion, Mario is the one in need of saving by his brother, who's equipped with a vacuum in the role of ghostbuster. It's a lighthearted romp through a spooky manor in the GameCube flagship title. 

If you'd rather engage something more solid than spirits, grab three friends and duke it out in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Starring practically the entire Nintendo lineup, including Mario, Pikachu, Donkey Kong, and Link, Super Smash Bros. features a simple control scheme that anyone can master without practicing for hours. 

The Microsoft Xbox also has its share of exclusive titles. Dead or Alive 3 by Tecmo is a gorgeous 3D fighting game. Incredibly detailed, interactive environments and a smooth fighting system make DOA3 one of the first reasons to own an Xbox. 

Halo is the long-awaited first-person shooter by Bungie. Set on a distant planet where humanity fights for survival against the Covenant alien race, Halo combines the best elements of action games such as Quake and Rainbow Six. 

There will be plenty of game manufacturers fighting for survival this Christmas as well, but gamers need not go hungry. Nintendo, Sony, Sega, and Microsoft have provided holiday shoppers with ample choices that will suit all tastes and gamers, young and old.

---

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

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 03-Dec-01

by Ken Gagne

Every five years or so, the video game market sheds its skin and asks consumers to evolve with it. In exchange, gamers can play the latest video games with better graphics, more involving plots, and longer replay value. 

With so many new systems available, it's important to choose the right one for you. 

For the first time ever, the war of the consoles will not be fought on some abstract battlefield of pixels and polygons. Our four competitors this Christmas — the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Xbox, and Sega Dreamcast — are all powered by 128-bit processors, making them nearly each other's match. And with four equal fronts on which to program, video game publishers are releasing their most popular titles, such as Madden NFL and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, for many or all of the above systems. 

The strengths of each system will be found in what exclusive software and extra hardware they can offer. 

For example, Sony's PlayStation 2, a $299 piece of hardware, is the only system that plays DVD movies out of the box. It is also compatible with the vast library of PlayStation One software that began in 1995, giving the PS2 a software library in the hundreds, if not thousands. 

With this backward compatibility, the PS2 is home to an astonishing number of quality games. Players can engage in high tales of sword and sorcery in Final Fantasy X or Dragon Warrior VII, the latest installments in the most popular role-playing game series ever. Take to the track in the real-life dream car of your choice in Gran Turismo 3, or realize your worst nightmares in the horrific Silent Hill 2. 

The original 32-bit PlayStation One is still available for $99, but support for this system will end in 2002 as developers fully transition to the more powerful PS2. 

Meanwhile, the Sega Dreamcast may be the best deal in the history of video games. Priced at a mere $49, it features some of the best software to come out of Sega in years, much of it priced at $20. 

The downside to the Dreamcast is that it has been abandoned by practically all publishers. Sega has exited the hardware business and will not be producing more Dreamcast units, nor any future systems. The company is now solely a software publisher, with signature titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Shenmue arriving soon on what were once competing platforms, including Nintendo and Microsoft. 

But in its short life, the Dreamcast accomplished much, and has many excellent titles from which to choose. 

The Dreamcast is also the only console to have a built-in 56K modem, by which users can connect to the Internet over standard phone lines. Though this brings email and the World Wide Web to the gamer's fingertips, the more exciting opportunities lie in online gaming. Through Sega's worldwide network, opponents can be found in the entire line of Sega Sports games, from NFL 2K2 to NBA 2K2 and World Series Baseball 2K2. Players are also invited to share the world of Phantasy Star Online, the first online console role-playing game. 

The Dreamcast is an affordable choice with no future. On the other end of the spectrum is the PlayStation 2, a known quantity with a bright future. Somewhere in the middle are two new competitors: the Nintendo GameCube and the Microsoft Xbox, both to be released in mid-November. 

Microsoft, the software giant best known for the Windows computer operating system (and related court battles), will enjoy its first Christmas as a console developer. Like the Dreamcast, the $299 Xbox has some additional hardware features: a built-in eight gigabyte hard drive, and a broadband adaptor. The adaptor can be used for Internet connectivity, but only by the minority of people equipped with high-speed cable or DSL modems, and only once Microsoft's online network is established sometime in 2002. With the purchase of a separate movie kit, the Xbox can also play DVD movies. 

Microsoft's system is accompanied by many exclusive titles. Players travel across an alien vista solving puzzles to free slaves in Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, a game that doesn't move as fast as the slick Project Gotham Racing. 

Despite this new contender, don't forget about the once-champ of the gaming ring, Nintendo, who's moving to reclaim the title with the launch of the GameCube. This system eschews the fancy movie and hardware features of its competitors, allowing it the relatively low price tag of $199. Unlike the versatile PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the GameCube has only one function, and is advertised as being the best at what it does: games. 

Nintendo has traditionally carried an immature image, publishing games appropriate only for young audiences. True or not, Nintendo hopes to capitalize on that market while also appealing to the key young adult gamers. 

The GameCube will be Nintendo's first console to use discs — a proprietary DVD format — which will allow for more advanced games and better publisher support than Nintendo's earlier, cartridge-based consoles. Software publisher Capcom has already devoted their existing and future line of Resident Evil survival-horror games as GameCube exclusives, a move sure to please fans of the mature games. 

Nintendo's popular icons will also appear solely on GameCube. Their flagship title is Luigi's Mansion, putting Mario's brother in the role of ghostbuster. Players can also take to the beach in Wave Race Blue Storm, or explore a mysterious dinosaur planet in Starfox Adventures. Nintendo's entire cast of characters can be found engaging in hand-to-hand combat in the highly-anticipated Super Smash Bros. Melee, a fighting game with a simple control system that lets anyone play. 

When considering what console to put in your living room, don't forget that idle hands can be equally satisfied with handheld games. The newest and only contestant in this market is the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, a 32-bit system. Despite a screen that is dark and difficult to view, the $99 portable is a monumental upgrade from its Game Boy Color predecessor, while retaining compatibility with all previous Game Boy games. 

Advance games can cost anywhere from $25 to $45. Whereas earlier Game Boy games required each player to have his own copy of a game, up to four players can connect their Game Boy Advances and play with only one game cartridge. 

The Game Boy Advance is receiving reissues of older games, such as Street Fighter II and Super Mario World. New games in familiar series, including Castlevania and Pokemon, are also sure to please. 

The previous generation of video game consoles has fallen to the wayside. While old games can still be fun games, gamers wishing to enjoy the industry's latest and future offerings will need to choose one (or several) of the above systems.

---

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

Original publication: Quincy Patriot Ledger, 01-Dec-01

by Ken Gagne

Whoever spoke of the lull before the storm, has never attended E3.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, held last week in Los Angeles, is the video game industry's annual opportunity to showcase its wares in an event open to the media, retailers, developers, and other trade members. The products that debut at E3 are a glimpse of the future of a $6 billion industry which comprises a growing portion of America. "The fact is, not only are games everywhere, but gamers are everyone," observed Doug Lowenstein, president of E3's host, the Interactive Digital Software Association.

This year's show heralded an incoming generation of game consoles. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, not content to wait for the holiday season, did everything in their power to convince the world that their 128-bit, DVD-based console would be the wave of the future.

Sony has a head start on the competition, their PlayStation 2 having launched in 2000 and three million consoles sold in North America since. Despite strong sales, the PS2 is often criticized for lacking "killer apps" — games that make the console worth purchasing. Sony intends to remedy that situation with several important releases this year.

Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec is Sony's most realistic racing games ever, and will be available separately or bundled with the PS2 for $329 when the game launches in July.

Other games will also capitalize on popular PlayStation franchises, such as Final Fantasy X, a groundbreaking role-playing game from Square; Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, a spy game from Konami; and Silent Hill 2, a cinematic horror game, also from Konami.

Even with a strong lineup of games, Sony is determined to expand the PS2 into more than a gaming console. By year's end, an LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse, hard drive, and combination modem/broadband adaptor will be available, giving the PS2 almost as much functionality and Internet connectivity as a home computer.

Another multimedia conglomerate, Microsoft, is ready to enter the video game industry for the first time. Their Xbox console will launch on November 8th with a pricetag of $300. The hardware includes a hard drive and broadband adaptor — essential pieces of technology for a system to connect to the Internet.

Just as Sony's E3 showing lacked in online titles, Microsoft was missing a strong, unique library of game titles. Halo, a shooter from Bungie Studios, stands out strongly, as do exclusives such as Dead or Alive 3. The rest of their lineup consists primarily of computer games, or updated versions of other consoles' games. Though Microsoft stands to have a hardware juggernaut this Christmas, it may not sell without games people want to play.

One company with few, if any, online strategies is Nintendo. Unlike their competitors, Nintendo is solely an entertainment company. They will draw on their vast gallery of popular icons and other successes when they launch two new systems this year.

The Game Boy Advance will be on store shelves next month, and is the first true upgrade to the most popular handheld ever since its initial launch a dozen years ago. Accompanying its release will be new entries in well-known game series: Super Mario Bros. Advance, Mario Kart Advance, F-Zero, and Street Fighter II.

With the high success rate of both the original Game Boy and its flagship Pokemon titles, the Game Boy Advance is practically guaranteed high market penetration, paving the way for the Nintendo GameCube home console, to which the GBA can connect.

The GameCube launches on November 5th, beating Microsoft's Xbox by mere days. No pricing was announced, but for a system that does not play CDs or DVD movies nor has built-in Internet components, $200 is a likely upper limit for the GameCube.

Again, Nintendo will launch a new system with familiar characters. In Luigi's Mansion, Mario's brother must clear a haunted manor of spirits, ala Ghostbusters.

The GameCube is not without its innovations, either. Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Donkey Kong, is hard at work on Pikmin, a Lemmings-like game in which players organize plantlike insects to overcome obstacles. Eternal Darkness is an insanity-inducing, Resident Evil-like game that spans from the Roman Empire to the modern age.

After the poor market performance of the Nintendo 64, Nintendo will need to apply what they call "the Nintendo difference": innovation, quality, franchises, and world-famous game development. Only these qualities give Nintendo a chance at re-entering the console wars.

The game market has traditionally been unable to sustain more than two game systems. The first casualty of this survival of the fittest was Sega, who in January announced that they will cease production of their Dreamcast system and begin developing games for other consoles.

The first fruits of these labors were shown at E3. Both of Nintendo's new systems will benefit from Sega's platform-agnostic business model. Sonic the Hedgehog will appear as a launch title for the Game Boy Advance, as will the puzzle games ChuChu Rocket and Columns.

Sega's massive multiplayer role-playing game, Phantasy Star Online, will make its way to the GameCube, along with Monkey Ball, an original puzzle game.

Various signature and original Sega games will also be available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Though these releases may include online games, Sega's responsibility ends with the content; it is up to Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will need to develop and implement methods for their consoles, and the games, to connect to the Internet.

With a vast history of games to tap and multiple systems for which to develop, Sega stands poised to meet their goal of being the world's top publisher by 2003.

Sega's not giving up on its own system just yet, though. The Dreamcast will receive six entries in the Sega Sports lineup, including World Series Baseball, NCAA Football, and Virtua Tennis; all six games will feature online play. And in June, Sega will celebrate the tenth anniversary of their hip hedgehog with Sonic Adventure 2.

This year's E3 introduced a lot of new hardware, and many, many pieces of software — some original, some not. Kazuo Hirai, president and COO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, pointed out, "Pretty graphics are just the ante to get into this business." There's no question that the systems competing for places under this year's Christmas tree can produce pretty graphics. For the first generation ever, all the consoles are on the same level of 128-bit processing power. The industry will thrive, but which console will have the software that allows 145 million American gamers to thrive as well, only time will tell. 

---

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

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 21-May-01

by Ken Gagne

Ah, Nintendo. Microsoft spurned my attempts at journalistic infiltration, so the first event of E3 2001 I attended was the Nintendo Press Conference. Standing amid the throngs of gamers pressing their bodies and each other through tight gates, I could imagine how rockers are crushed to death at concerts. Fortunately we made our way downstairs without fatalities — "we" being CompuServe staffers Will White, Jon Sohn, Kevin Young, T.J. Falls, and Joe Talladira, Joe's friend Eddy Wysoki, and former VGC staffers Ian Johnston and Lee Rogers — found our seats, and awaited the conference.

Peter Main appeared, aware we were anxious to see the debut of the Nintendo GameCube, so he was quick to speak on the Game Boy Advance. The 32-bit handheld launched in Japan on March 21st, selling 1.6 million units in the first five weeks, and will launch on June 11th in America with about 20 games. 200,000 of the 500,000 units available on launch day are preordered; another 500K will be available two weeks after launch, with a goal of 24 million units sold in 12 months.

Main then invited Satori Awata of the NCL Board of Directors to talk about what will make the GameCube unique among the next generation of consoles — what Awata called "the Nintendo difference." Today's industry trends of multi-platform game releases, repetitive sequels, and focus on graphics have preached mistrust and boredom to the gaming community, and has made the console a generic commodity. "The Nintendo difference" is innovation, quality, characters, and heritage. Nintendo has these attributes in spades, since, unlike large electronics corporations, entertainment is their speciality. As Awata put it, "We are only an entertainment company, but we are working to become the best entertainment company anywhere" — as demonstrated by the first GameCube demo: Super Smash Bros. Melee.

The new Smash Bros. game has favorites Mario, Yoshi, Princess Peach, Captain Falcon, Kirby, Pikachu, Fox, Donkey Kong, and Ness, and new characters Shiek (from Zelda: Ocarina of Time) and Ice Climber (now there's an old game!). The gameplay looks similar to the original game, but the graphics are all new, with changing camera perspectives. Seeing Nintendo's icons together in one GameCube game was really an experience. This game will be playable on the show floor tomorrow, as will Luigi's Mansion.

Mansion is the latest Mario game, but is more akin to Ghostbusters. Luigi explores an abandoned manor, capturing ghosts and coins with his vacuum. If he can vacate the house of spirits, he'll save his brother, Mario.

The next game is the brainchild of Shigeru Miyamoto. In Pikmin, players control swarms of plantlike insects to tear down walls, collect items, and defeat larger insects. Odd, cute, Lemmings-like.

Nintendo briefly showed on video their entire lineup in development:

Super Smash Bros. Melee                      Pikmin
Starfox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet          Luigi's Mansion
Rogue Squadron II                            Animal Forest
Raven Blade                                  Metroid Prime
Wave Race Blue Storm                         Mario Kart
NBA Courtside 2002 Starring Kobe Bryant      Eternal Darkness
Disney's Mickey                              Kameo
Donkey Kong Racing                           Zelda

Plenty of third-party titles will be coming, according to Nintendo, because the GameCube is developer-friendly. Though the Nintendo 64 created new genres of games, the GameCube will give developers the freedom to realize the worlds they've imagined without scaling it down to the system's capabilities. This is due in part to Nintendo's partnership with several engineering firms, including IBM and Panasonic. The latter, known in Japan as Masushita, will release in that country a GameCube-compatible machine with extended capabilities, including CD and DVD functionality.

The GameCube controller will have built-in force feedback, and the WaveBird, a wireless controller, will also be available at launch time. The Game Boy Advance can be used as a GameCube controller, too.

The Nintendo GameCube will launch in Japan on September 14th, and in the USA on November 5th. This announcement came hours after Microsoft announced the November 8th launch of their $300 Xbox. A price for the GameCube will be announced on May 24th.

Nintendo not only had a well-organized presentation, they demonstrated an uncanny sense for what their audience wanted. Though Luigi's Mansion was not entirely what we expected, and nobody knew what to think of Pikmin, there was a surprising lack of Pokemon (such as Crystal for Game Boy Color) coverage or of Game Boy Advance titles, which we'll be seeing on store shelves soon enough anyway. The speakers were interesting and intelligible, yet brief and to-the-point.

Yup… I love Nintendo. 

---

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

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.

---

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