E3 has come and gone and the video game world is still working through its hangover this week. While I missed out on E3 this year I have done a lot of research about what I missed and I have found many highlights that I want to talk about.
We all know that the Electronics Entertainment Expo is about video games. However, it also is a place to show case new technology in the industry, both hardware and software. While I did love the movies I saw of Half-Life 2 (get it from fileplanet.com ) I was also amazed at the new technology involved with the Unreal engine. If you are at all interested in what is under the hood of a video game (obviously this is what MasTequila and I live for) I would recommend you check out this short movie, which is also available from fileplanet. I just found it fascinating how they can do so much with such a low polygon count and simple mesh. I have done a lot with CAD and other design software (remember I am an engineer, not an artist) and I just thought it was amazing. So now that I expressed my seriously dorky side I am going to get to the good stuff, like what games I am looking forward too most.
There are so many great looking games coming out that it is hard to make a decent list that isn't over ten games long. Considering I am not a millionaire I can only buy a few games a year I am very picky about which ones I choose. Also if you are like me and don't have a huge videogame budget make sure you put in the time to research the games and figure out what games are worth your dough. I would recommend reading some reviews (be careful because some reviews can be bias), and I would also tell you that it is worth it to rent the game or play a demo before you shell out the fifty bucks. Anyway, when I am deciding on what game is right for me I go through a process. I make sure first of all; that I can actually play the game on my computer (while I do buy console games I have different criteria for them I can talk about that later). Then I look into what I like in a game. While first person shooters are great fun I don't find myself getting into them as much anymore, they all just seem to be the same with a new set of weapons and cookie cutter story. That is not to say that I won't buy Half-Life 2 and Halo 2 but I guess I figured that was sort of a given. I like innovative games, not just pretty ones. I am looking forward to Guild Wars because it is going to test the current normal for its genre. It looks to like it might bring many new and exciting aspects to MMORPGs. I am also looking forward to World of WarCraft because I am very interested to see what Blizzard has been working on for so long. Blizzard is sort of a brand name in itself to me because of the high polish they put on every game they make. Not to mention I like to see the return of Leisure Suit Larry and other racy games like Playboy: The Mansion . While I doubt I will even buy or play these games it is nice to see that video games are testing the limits, I just hope the ESRB is ready for all the heat. I would also say I am looking forward to the new games coming out in the Star Wars Universe. I loved KOTOR and while I am a little nervous that Bioware is not developing the sequel, I think it still may be an excellent game. Also both Star Wars Battlefront and Star Wars Republic Commando look to be a tempting pre-order. I like the ideas behind both however, they are really just Battlefield: 1942 and Rainbow Six in the Star Wars Universe, so I am interested to see what new spice Lucasarts is going to add to the mix. And to top off my list of games I am looking forward too I would have to say that Spiderman 2 and Rome: Total War are also looking to be entertaining games. As information on these games become more available I will go into more detail about which ones I am planning to buy and why. You can get more info on E3 from any of these sites:
- Seth (19-May-2004)
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