Game Gallery Amusements

NEIL DAVIDSON, CP
2005-06-06 02:59:45

Each year, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) fills the cavernous Los Angeles Convention Center, diagonally across from the Staples Centre, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and Kings.
The convention is closed to the public, but is still brimming with people. More than 70,000 people from 79 countries attended this year's show.
Delegates range from the media to industry observers and buyers from retail outlets planning their Christmas shopping.
There's plenty to see. The convention's organizers say approximately 400 exhibitors took up more than 50,000 square metres of space to show off more than 5,000 computer and video game products.
Approximately 770,000 kilograms of equipment was hung from the ceiling -- roughly the equivalent of 500 automobiles or 250 elephants.
The convention floor is like a giant open mall, with industry giants such as Sony (PlayStation), Microsoft (Xbox) and Nintendo (GameCube) dominating the skyline.
While exhibitors looked to create a buzz via the media --reviews appear on the Internet almost instantly -- exhibitors also spend time with key retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Future Shop, Best Buy and EB Games.
Top publishers like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Vivendi Universal, Square Enix, Konami, Activision and THQ have their own headquarters. Away from the hubbub of the convention floor, deals are struck and interviews are conducted in small private rooms.
Often, small theatres are used to show quick samples of upcoming games. Demonstrations of Ubisoft's King Kong drew long lineups at this year's show.
Video terminals show off new games, often with game designers on hand available for a hands-on demo. Getting your hands on a controller is easier said than done, however. There are lineups everywhere.
Giant video screens hung high overhead show clips from games. The noise level can be deafening; some people wear ear plugs.
While nothing is for sale at the show, many delegates leave with full shopping bags. The swag can be everything from a free T-shirt to an autographed Evel Knievel photo.
And it's worth watching where you go. Take a wrong turn and you can walk into the business end of a giant plastic sword being wielded by a man dressed up as a futuristic warrior at a game booth.
Models in miniskirts can be found smiling at other booths, posing for photographs with delegates.
Many of those who attend the show have more than business on their mind -- they are avid gamers.
Prior to the doors opening at the start of this year's show, a huge crowd waited to get in --as if they were waiting for a concert venue to open. When 10 a.m. finally came, cheers rose and the line snaked inside.
NEW SOFTWARE
Some upcoming games worth keeping an eye on:
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
The Tomb Raider series went off the rails last time out, but a new developer, Crystal Dynamics, looks to have the franchise firmly back on track for Eidos. The new Tomb Raider is due out by the end of this year for PS2, Xbox and PC.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Nintendo Canada president Ron Bertram hopes to sell more than 250,000 copies of the new Zelda game, which should make it the best-selling game of the year in Canada. Footage shown at E3 depicted a darker, more adult adventure. Link has definitely grown up since the Wind Waker.
Nintendogs
This Nintendo DS title was a sleeper going into E3. But it quickly became a buzz item. Already a hit in Japan, Nintendogs puts you in charge of training and feeding your own pooch. Gamers can use the DS microphone to issue instructions and can touch base with other Nintendog owners by wi-fi, in the so-called bark mode. Nintendogs is due out Aug. 23.
Star Wars: Empire at War
A stunning PC title from Las Vegas developer Petroglyph Games, Empire at War is a real-time strategy game set a few years before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope. Empire at War looks phenomenal -- and it's hard to resist a game that allows you to use the Deathstar to blow up planets. It's due out in the spring of 2006.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Timed for release this fall, along with the movie, this game allows you to play four characters -- Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy -- while battling the White Witch. It will be available on all platforms.
NEW HARDWARE
A look at the next-generation video game consoles (no word on price yet):
Sony PlayStation 3
Billed by Sony as the most powerful new machine on the market, the PS3 is due out in spring 2006. Sony boasts that its new "Cell" microprocessor has super-computer-like power. It will play music, movies, hook up nicely with your new high-definition TV and, unlike the Xbox 360, the PS3 can surf the Internet. It can also handle seven wireless controllers, compared to the 360's four. And it's backward-compatible, meaning you can still play your old games on it.
Microsoft Xbox 360
The first of the new consoles to come out, with a launch date of November or December, the 360 will also play games, music and movies -- and will also go nicely with a high-definition TV if you're lucky enough to have one. The new Xbox will allow you to download new game content but will only play top titles from the original Xbox at this stage.
Nintendo Revolution
The Revolution has far fewer frills and focuses more on gaming. But it will play movies -- with an accessory -- and you can use it to surf the Net. Nintendo says you will be able to use it to download 20 years of Nintendo titles. And it will be small -- the size of three stacked DVD boxes. Nintendo says the Revolution will hit stores some time in 2006. Revolution will play older Nintendo games.