Best thing
Scariest thing
- The admission made by Doug Lowenstein (IDSA), that the game
audience is "graying".
Re-discovered
- Thief 3 (Eidos) - the main character is never allowed
to kill anyone and must accomplish his missions through stealth and ingenuity
Quoted
- To accommodate the wider audience needed to recoup the high
cost of top games Doug Lowenstein said,
- It means focusing more on character development and storylines.
Interesting kid games
- Boktai (Konami) - Sunlight on your GBA weakens the
vampires
- Gregory Horror Show (CAPCOM) - Can collage characters be scary?
- Bombastic (CAPCOM) - Slickery animated dice - addicting
- School Tycoon (The Learning Company) - Kids rule - parents and teacher take note.
- Spy Kids (BVG) on the GBA and PC will use 3D glasses.
Save them - they will work with the movie too.
Not your run of the mill games
- Thief (Eidos) - the main character is never allowed
to kill anyone and must accomplish his missions through stealth and ingenuity
- Psychonauts (Microsoft) - Psychic
secret agents - enter mind-worlds to reveal hidden personalities- and maybe
insanity.
- Republic - The Revolution (Eidos) - a primer on how
to take over a government using stealth, money lies or force.
- Black 9 (Majesco) - Who do you serve - the tea drinkers,
the eco-terrorists - or one of seven other power groups bent on world
domination?
- Syberia II - Kate and her companion, a polite automaton,
continue their journey. Finally - a woman without a gun.
- URU (Ubisoft) - The new Myst - Create you own world, collect your own library of linking books.)
With on-line option - it never has to end.
Never thought it would happen
- A Barbie game on the Xbox.
Things are a changing
- Industry veterans recognize that the hardcore gamer no
longer makes up the majority of players.
Could be a trend
- Morality and the consequence of choice - in line with a
Matrix/Platonic questioning of what is and what is not.
Depressing observation
- At E3 it was hard to tell if the demo was the movie or the
game - The Matrix, The Hulk, The Italian Connection, Pirates of the
Caribbean, Finding Nemo, Charlie's Angels.
Maximizing assets trumps creativity and originality.
Sign of the times
- Identity Theft Protector (Broderbund); a step by step
primer to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
I predict
- URU, Rand Miller's new Myst sequel will
finally give on-line gaming the boost its been waiting for.
- Cyber Stories - more plot; more character. (see Scariest thing above)
- Geezer Games - with large print game manuals.
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