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Well, the 2002 Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) officially starts later this week in Los Angeles, but the news is rolling in now already.
- Effective Tuesday May 21st, the Nintendo Gamecube will be $149US. The Xbox and PS2 are currently $199US.
- Three new first and second party Xbox games have been leaked. 2 of them seem to be targetting a Nintendo-type audience.
The first game is called Blinx: The Time Sweeper, and is created by the same team that made Sonic games. (Screenshot)
The second game is called TaoFeng, and is a "realistic" fighter game complete with in-battle blood, wounds, and clothing ripping, etc. (Screenshot)
The third game is called Tork, which looks like Banjo Kazooie or something. (Screenshot)
- Tomorrow @ 5pm PDT, Microsoft is holding the first news conference. Then tuesday morning, Sony has its conference, followed by Nintendo. Wednesday the expo starts.
- It also has come out that Microsoft is spending $1B US on Xbox Live, including huge server farms in Tokyo, London, and Seattle, and plans to unveil the service tomorrow. The New York Times reports that it will be $9.95/mo for unlimited Xbox Online games, or $49/year (which includes the voice headset [Picture])
The following is what we already know about Xbox Live:
- Rumored Xbox games to be announced and shown at E3 include Halo 2, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, Grand Theft Auto (either 3, 3: Miami, or 4, or a combination), Brute Force, Project Ego, Knights of the Old Republic, Splinter Cell, LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring, ToeJam and Earl III, Deathrow, Crazy Taxi 3, MechAssault, Duality, House of the Dead 3, Sega GT 2002, Yager, and a slew of unannounced titles.
More as E3 develops.
The first game is called Blinx: The Time Sweeper, and is created by the same team that made Sonic games. (Screenshot)
The second game is called TaoFeng, and is a "realistic" fighter game complete with in-battle blood, wounds, and clothing ripping, etc. (Screenshot)
The third game is called Tork, which looks like Banjo Kazooie or something. (Screenshot)
The following is what we already know about Xbox Live:
* Stats tracking across all games. Uses of this will be bragging rights, and even the ability to challenge someone around your skill level to a certain game.
* Consistent interfaces and features across all online games. ig, mandatory support of the voice headset (players can use it optionally, and if they use it they can use the built in voice morphing software and mute players they don't want to hear.)
* Ability to keep a buddy list of people you enjoy playing with, showing online/offline status and to talk to them.
* Ability to challenge other users to play even a completely different game than you've got in the machine. The Xbox actually supports you challenging people to a different game, at which point you swap the DVD while it keeps you connected and you boot up into the other game and immediately play with those people.
* Ability to pay a flat fee and play unlimited games online for that month/year. Nintendo and Sony opted for a route where developers can charge per game played, or what have you.
* Consistent interfaces and features across all online games. ig, mandatory support of the voice headset (players can use it optionally, and if they use it they can use the built in voice morphing software and mute players they don't want to hear.)
* Ability to keep a buddy list of people you enjoy playing with, showing online/offline status and to talk to them.
* Ability to challenge other users to play even a completely different game than you've got in the machine. The Xbox actually supports you challenging people to a different game, at which point you swap the DVD while it keeps you connected and you boot up into the other game and immediately play with those people.
* Ability to pay a flat fee and play unlimited games online for that month/year. Nintendo and Sony opted for a route where developers can charge per game played, or what have you.
More as E3 develops.
Sony's really making some money here...
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