eneration neXP
The gaming consoles of the future are here. Well, almost. lain Davidson checks out the major players.
3. the computer game industry's most important tradeshow. is the
catalyst for lots of breathless PR. The week leading up to it is
always packed with press conferences as the heavyweights battle it out to snatch the headlines from their rivals. But this year the attention seeking went off the scale. with all three console manufacturers proudly displaying their next generation machines.
First up was the XBox 360 (pictured. above right). Microsoft‘s next step on the road to world domination. It would seem that punters have been listened to because gone are all the chunky. utilitarian aspects of the original. replaced by a stylish. attractive and pleasantly functional design that would bless any living room. The concave shape and replaceable front houses a mean piece of kit too. including a top-notch graphics card and a removable 4()—gigabyte hard disk. But Microsoft is keen to stress the entire 360 experience rather than just the tech specs. From the open. honest developer support to the centralised online player gateway for convenient access. the XBox 360 has been created with simplicity and ease-of—use in mind. And because it will be released first. perhaps even in time for Christmas this year. the only thing that could hold it back is the ubiquitous mistrust for Bill Gates.
Next came Sony‘s presentation of the PS3 (above. left). boasting a slightly softer version of the PS2 design but hiding a more powerful system. I‘ts built with multimedia. connectivity and the intemet in mind. and Sony is touting it as a complete entertainment device for the home. playing games. music and movies while linking the user to the world through its broadband connection. Whether Sony can do the previously impossible and achieve
convergence (the gathering of many media devices into one piece of
hardware) remains to be seen. For gamers. who will be by far the biggest purchasers. the PS3 is an irresistible progression in power and perfonnance.
Last comes Nintendo‘s Revolution. Smaller and funkier. the Revolution is currently the furthest from the sales shelf. Nintendo talked excitedly about how the Revolution will change how we play games. mentioning its new wireless controller but clarifying no further. We will have to wait a little longer for more concrete information on the Nintendo next-gen dream.
So who won the opening exchanges? Well. thanks to the XBox 360 only being six months away. it had the most detailed information and stole most of the headlines. Sony has by far the biggest share of the market and it would take a spectacular launch by the 360 to change that. And it is hard to shake the feeling that the Revolution is only ever going to be as popular as the GameCube. So Round One goes to Microsoft. with Sony doing enough to calm any PS-lovers‘ nerves. Roll on Christmas.
THE WEB
PLAY
Reviews
PS2 HAUNTING GROUND (Capcom) «Co
It‘s nice to see Capcom — which pretty much invented the survival horror genre — adding a twist to the format. There is the typical ‘wake up trapped in a castle not knowing what‘s going on“ beginning fOr heroine Fiona. but things quickly take a different tack. You see. Fiona doesn't wield a gun or any other weapon. so as the enemies approach her panic levels rise. the screen whites out. she becomes harder to control and the Dual Shock thumps with an ever increasing heartbeat. It‘s a game of cat and mouse. finding appropriate hiding places and waiting Out the danger. And then there's Hewie. your white Alsatian. who you can command to a degree (you'll have to train him up). attacking your pursuers or retrieving unreachable objects. The puzzles are nicely paced and never too frustrating. and the stOry evolves into a rich. gothic horror tale.
This game is gorgeous and you‘ll marvel at the lush graphics. In fact. it has to be one of the most graphically
impressive games on the P82 yet (and bodes well for Capcom's FieSIdent Evil 4 P82 port). Creepy thrills. (Henry NOrthmore)
GBA WARIOWARE: TWISTED (Nintendo) 00”
The incredible delight that the Wari'oware titles engender is a difficult thing to explain. The simple act of playing so many basic games shouldn't work. particularly when the words 'playing' and
‘games' overstate the sub-five second one- button press bouts of silliness. But it does work and it works very. very well. Well. now they've added a gyroscope to the cartridge. meaning that button pressing is not all yOu have to handle. The challenges require yOu to tilt and spin the console. twisting your wrists as well as yOLir melon. This added dimension only improves the already infectious gameplay and makes WarioWare: Twrsted a must have for all GBA owners. And soon you‘ll be carrying it everywhere. desperate to share with others through action rather than explanation. It's much easier that way. (lain Davidson)
&
XBOX
FORZA MOTORSPORT (Microsoft) 0000
First up. the bad bits. Forza suffers from the usual malady of dodgy Al. some races providing a challenge. others feeling terribly unfair, while the lengthy solo campaign mode IS as depressingly
predictable as an episode of EastE/iders. But thanks to the Superb production on every other aspect. Forza emerges as a serious contender to Gran Turisnio's driwng simulator crown. With or without the driving aids. the handling is excellent and shaVing seconds off each lap time becOmes a compelling contest. There is a beWildering number of cars. parts and set-ups to keep the tinkernien happy. Wllll a large online presence to allow swapping. buying and laughing at the skills of others. Even those who dislike drivnig are catered for With a glorious tamagotchi-like driver training game in which your results in a series of tests are transposed to an Al driver or Drivatar. who you
guide through race after race. Forza Motorspon is an absolute belter.
(lain DaVidsonl
j STATISTICS
Here’s a staggering selection of world . stats constantly updated to give accurate details of population. deaths. births. energy. food. production and much more. Amaze your friends and colleagues with your knowledge of bicycle production and soil erosion figures around the globe. www.wor|dometers.info
KITTENS
The web world has embraced one thing to its heart more than any other (OK. apart form hardcore porn) and that's kittens. Ridiculously huge selection of cats are put into a battle of cuteness. Like Big Brother but fluffy: who wins yOu decide. www.kittenwar.com
S) 9‘48 tllll‘ ‘Ji‘i‘fi THE LIST 1 17