Larry's columns appear on CBSNews.com
and are available for syndication to newspapers and other websitesE3: Sampling the Video Game Buffet
by Larry Magid
May 20, 2005When it comes to video games, millions of people "get it" and millions more don't. After spending much of last week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, I think I'm somewhere in the middle.
What I don't get is the time or patience to spend countless hours in front of a game console or PC, competing against the machine or human online opponents to reach that elusive next level. It's not that my time is any more valuable than the millions of people who engage in such activities, it's just that I have other things I prefer to do with my leisure time.
Still, after looking at some of these games and the next generation of consoles that they will run on, I can see why video games have become a $10 billion industry, surpassing movie box office sales though less than the total take of Hollywood when you count video rentals and merchandizing.
I used to think video games were addictive and, for some, that's probably true, but they are also be compelling not just for kids but for adults as well. In fact, we're now on the second generation of electronic game players. Parents who grew up with Nintendo and other game consoles are still playing electronic games, only now they have to compete with their children for access to the console.
At E3, I met with an executive of a children's book publishing company who told me that her company is developing children's games especially for the market of parents who buy consoles for themselves but are looking for software appropriate for their children.
Of course not all games are appropriate for kids. Grand Theft Auto has been widely criticized for its violence. Some police organizations have complained about its glorification of murdering cops but at E3, I met a Los Angeles Police officer who had a different take. The uniformed officer, who was taking a break from guarding the Sony PS/3, had a gun on his belt and a PlayStation portable in his hand.
I asked him what he thinks of Grand Theft Auto and he said, '"You know, I've played all the [Grand Theft Auto games] and I was a little bit bothered by the 'San Andreas' because it took place in L.A. and these are the digital version of my fellow officers being shot, but - you know - you can kill a thousand digital cops, but that does not mean you'd ever harm a real one."
The best of the games appeal on several levels including stunning graphics, incredible sound and a great storyline. In short, the qualities that make up a good movie. But they have something more. They also have interactivity.
Avid game players I know tell me that they not only thrill to the challenge of "beating the game" and their competitors but also come to identify with the onscreen characters. As gaming platforms get better, that experience can only improve, especially once the next generation of players now emerging begins to add true cinematic quality to the game experience.
Future versions of Grand Theft Auto and other games will be even more vivid.
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have all announced gaming consoles that, among other things, will display games in high definition on compatible HD TVs. That means you'll truly see the sweat on a warrior's brow or the expressions in a heroine's eyes and blood and guts will be more realistic than ever.
If the final products turn out anything like demos I saw at E3, playing a game on a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360 will be like sitting in a movie theater with a joy stick in your hand, controlling what the actors will do on the screen.
I spent some time looking at prototypes of both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 and was amazed by the graphic capabilities of each device. Both companies have struck deals with leading graphic processor companies to insure that they have the technology needed to quickly render real-time graphics in cinematic quality.
The graphic processing unit (GPU) for the Sony PlayStation 3 comes from Nvida. The "RSX" processor contains the equivalent of 300 million transistors to deliver 35 times the graphics power of the chip on the PS/2. Nvidia CEO Jen Hsun-Huang called the PS3 "the most important digital device to be built this decade."
Microsoft turned to ATI for its processor which, according to the company, has 512 megabytes of memory capable of supporting 720 p high definition output. Nintendo didn't provide many details about its upcoming Revolution game console.
While the next generation hardware specs are truly amazing, the range of games of the floor of E3 was what really got people's attention. Sure, people stood in line to see hardware prototypes, but spent far more time queued up to get some hands-on time with the thousands of games on display.
While there were plenty of shoot-em-up action games, but there was also a software side at E3. The Nintendo booth sported a long line of attendees anxious to play with Nintendogs, a dog simulation game that lets you play with and train you own virtual puppy and, if you're connected to the Internet, your dog can play with other dogs. I couldn't determine whether Nintendo was offering a virtual spay and neutering program or whether we'll wind up with millions of cyber-pups.
One of the people in line to play with Nintendogs was Jennifer Gray. Gray represents a group of women gamers called "The PMS Clan" (pmsclan.com) whose goal, she said, is that "there are girl gamers out there that can kick as much butt as a guy can." PMS, by the way, stands for "psychotic men slayers."
