Talk about a high score: A record-breaking 70,000 attendees caught arcade fever at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The latest rendition of the sinfully splashy trade show--a three-day, 5,000-plus product homage to the $10 billion videogame industry--wrapped Friday and, unlike recent installments, the focus was clearly more on style than substance.
Sure, there was the usual sound and fury, along with hordes of tank-topped and Spandex-clad booth babes, who turned out in unprecedented numbers to make the joystick jocks hyperventilate like Halo 2. And yes, various degrees of celebrity put in appearances, including the Wayans Brothers, Evel Knievel, Elijah Wood, Ashlee Simpson, Traci Lords, Maroon 5, the Killers, Camp Freddy and Jimmy Eat World. But Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's next-generation systems were the real draw.
Despite offering hands-on time with titles, the Xbox 360, due this holiday season, generated only minor buzz, given its incrementally better, if admittedly striking, performance over current set-top systems. Microsoft's thunder, however, was outright swiped by Sony. The PlayStation 3, arriving spring 2006, turned out to be E3's true prom queen, thanks to eye-opening graphics and superior processing power--even if showings were confined to rolling video footage and technology demos.
As for Nintendo's Revolution, a diminutive gizmo that promises unique play experiences when it arrives next year, vaguely worded promises were all corporate spokesmen could offer. Well, that and Game Boy Micro, a cell-phone-sized remake of the world's most popular handheld, whose predecessors have already sold a combined 170 million units.
With all systems due in stores by next year, the future is anyone's game: Each device is online-enabled, features wireless connectivity, offers mind-blowing audiovisuals and boasts backwards compatibility with software for today's leading machines.
But one big winner in the console wars is already emerging: Hollywood, whose infatuation with digital diversions is once again in full bloom.
Memories of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial for Atari 2600--nearly 5 million unsold copies of which were dumped in a desert landfill circa 1983--are fast fading. Instead, big-screen spinoffs like Electronic Arts' Batman Begins, UbiSoft's King Kong and Vivendi Universal's Scarface, all featuring the films' A-list talent voicing key characters, are the norm.
And the term "straight to video" will be taking on new meaning in the coming months as directors like John Woo, Clive Barker, George Romero, and John Singleton queue up for a shot at software stardom.
Consider ditching that DVD player, too. While chatter was surprisingly minimal surrounding the Sony's recently launched PlayStation Portable, rival studios, including Fox, MGM and Paramount, announced their support of the PSP's Universal Media Disc format, with titles like I, Robot, Napoleon Dynamite, Predator, SpongeBob SquarePants, South Park, Sahara, Chappelle's Show and Beauty Shop available this summer.
Among the dozens of multimillion-dollar games based on Tinseltown tie-ins exhibited at E3, here are few of our favorites, playing soon in a living room near you.
50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi, PS2/Xbox)--Blast your way through the criminal underworld as the silver-tongued (and platinum-drenched) rapper. The Godfather (Electronic Arts, PC/PS2/Xbox/Xbox 360)--An offer you can't refuse; make like a Mafioso and smack, shoot or shake down rivals. Features the voices of Marlon Brando, James Caan and Robert Duvall. James Bond 007: From Russia with Love (Electronic Arts, GC/PS2/Xbox)--Sean Connery stars as the original 007 in a caper flush with stunning shootouts and reflex-intensive challenges. The Matrix: Path of Neo (Atari, PC/PS2/Xbox)--Finally, a chance to play Keanu...and all the greatest action scenes from the famed film trilogy. Taxi Driver (Majesco, PS2/Xbox)--Reprise De Niro's performance as psychotic cabbie Travis Bickle in an original third-person action/adventure. The Warriors (Rockstar, PS2/Xbox)--A remake of the 1979 cult classic; hit the mean streets and brawl your way through hostile gangs. Jaws (Majesco, PC/PS2/Xbox)--Surprise...you're the shark! Gobble up helpless humans, fishing boats and sea creatures alike. Don't forget to chew before swallowing...the more you do, the better the bloody visuals. The Apprentice (Legacy, PC/Xbox)--Tackle corporate-sponsored challenges and schmooze competitors while vying for the Donald's attention. Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos, PC/PS2/Xbox/Xbox 360)--Leading lady Lara Croft gets an extreme makeover, and a new adventure finally worth of her charms. Evil Dead: Regeneration (THQ, PC/PS2/Xbox)--As antihero Ash, butcher undead adversaries using shotgun and chainsaw with the help of a new supernatural sidekick. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow (Bethesa Softworks, PC/PS2/Xbox)--Thar be gold in a swashbuckling tale that incorporates elements of seafaring and swordplay. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Buena Vista, GC/PC/PS2/Xbox)--As siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, explore an otherworldly realm battling the White Witch and the mythical monstrosities she commands. Star Wars: Empire at War (LucasArts, PC)--Controlling the Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire, wage war across Hoth, Dagobah and Tatooine in a stunning strategic romp. LucasArts also showed off the Han Solo-cool console-based Star Wars Battlefront II, a sequel to the game that lets fans play the best scenes from the entire franchise. Shrek Superslam (Activision, GC/PS2/Xbox)--A free-for-all fighting game where up to four can scrap as Donkey, Princess Fiona, Puss-in-Boots and other fractured fairy-tale creatures. Black (Electronic Arts, PS2)--Shown behind the scenes at EA's booth, this is a genuinely cinematic first-person shooter that will satisfy even the biggest adrenaline junkies. 24: The Game (2K Games, PS2)--Keifer Sutherland's anti-terrorist alter ego Jack Bauer headlines an all-new interactive episode of the serial thriller. Chases, gunfights, puzzle-solving...the action's a grab bag of gameplay styles.