E3 Expo 2006 Editorial

Well, another year of E3 bliss has come and gone. This year saw the anticipated launch of not one, but two major consoles: Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo's Wii (formerly, Revolution). Microsoft also was there showing off its next gen Xbox 360 system and games. So, you're all perhaps wondering what was the best thing at E3 this year? Was it the new consoles, the anticipated titles, the free goodies given out? In my opinion, it was none of these things. The best thing about E3 2006 was the people I met. The gaming industry is perhaps the most complicated, expensive, and expansive entertainment industry we have today. It takes a lot of dedicated people to see this industry grow and thrive. I would like to give credit to these various individuals.

First and foremost, I would like to thank all those at Nintendo who went out of their way to accommodate those disabled gamers who attended the show. The Nintendo staff understood the stress and strain that it takes out of the disabled to wait in the 3 hour lines that were required to view the new Wii system. Nintendo went out of their way to help us gain priority access to their showroom floor the last two days. Additionally, they were friendly and helpful beyond the call of duty.

Clearly, Nintendo is not as interested in market share, price points, processing power, graphics enhancement, or the next installment in their stellar franchises as they were in the gamers who love and support their products. As one Nintendo staff person rightly stated, Nintendo is one big family. Whether the disabled gamers were in wheelchairs, canes, or crutches, Nintendo went out of their way to accommodate them and make them feel right at home. They were very interested in working with us to see how their new and innovative controller system helped those with mobility issues to better utilize these controllers to have a more satisfying gaming experience.

Square-Enix also accommodated the disabled by providing a plasma screen on the first floor to their second floor stairs-only access theater. There, those in wheelchairs could see firsthand the new titles slated for the PlayStation 3 including Final Fantasy XIII. Square-Enix was extremely friendly and helpful to everyone and went out of their way to make us feel right at home. For seven years now, Phoenix Genesis has been maintaining the Squaresoft database and Final Fantasy video game scripts to accommodate blind gamers. Thanks Square for all your support.

I would also like to thank all the friendly individuals from the various booths. Konami, Namco, and Natsume took a lot of time to answer questions and to provide us with a very pleasant E3 experience. Although the gaming experience is about pushing the envelope in technology, it is mostly about having fun. Natsume has proven with its successful Harvest Moon games that you don't have to lock and load your weapon to have a great gaming experience. Some gamers enjoy a farming sim over Halo 2, Resident Evil, Metroid Prime, or Half-Life. Retro gamers will be able to enjoy the Namco classics such as Pac-Man and Pole Position on their cell phones while the Square-Enix crowd will be able to play their favorite Final Fantasy games on cell phones and the Nintendo GBA and DS handheld systems. Konami is committed to the non-violent fun factor with the Dance Dance Revolution and Frogger franchises.

Additionally, Konami is committed to ever expanding their Metal Gear Solid franchise with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Gamers should expect more political and philosophical themes in their PS3 title that they loved in the groundbreaking PS2 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater game. I respect Konami for having a very mature Snake as their main character. As gamers mature, it is nice to see someone saving the world that is over the age of 16. Additionally, it is important to have older role model characters for younger gamers as well. At any age, Snake is a character we've all grown to love and admire. Hideo Kojima is a man of immense storytelling capacity and I hope he continues to enlighten us with more compelling stories in the future, whether in the Metal Gear franchise or otherwise.

I also thank the developer of Heavenly Sword for the time he took to provide us with information about this very impressive game. Although not slated as an immediate launch title, it will fall within the launch window period. Hands down, it appeared to be much better than Genji 2.

I want to thank all those game design and development students from various schools who took their time to provide us with truthful information about the pros and cons of their various programs and curriculum. With many new game schools popping up on the map, it will be hard for future game designers, artists, programmers, and developers to find the right school to attend. We will be doing more in-depth coverage of these various programs in a future article.

Furthermore, I want to thank all the gamers who took their time to provide feedback on their E3 experience. I was able to interview many gamers who were lined up to access the showroom floor this morning. Unanimously, the must see booth of choice this year was Nintendo's. We even caught some Microsoft and Sony people waiting in line to view Nintendo's new Wii system. Although this is a competitive industry, we can all learn from each other and cooperation will breed innovation.

Lastly, it is important to give credit for the man who helps make E3 possible: Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). As his wife stated, this man is truly a "visionary." To me, his press conference is truly the highlight of each E3 Expo. His concern for not only the overall financial health of our industry, but for his commitment to have developers band together to provide content that help us provide games with strong moral themes and social values is a must to reflect our industry in a favorable light given the constant attacks and regulations imposed from outside sources.

Mr. Lowenstein is not only interested in how game developers will be shaping our industry, but in the game development students and schools that will be teaching future gamers. Last year, he stressed the importance of branching out our industry to encompass new genres and to push the envelope of how games will shape the overall American psyche. We were fortunate to talk to his wife at length about how the game industry should encompass the needs of gamers from all ages and walks of life. We couldn't have a better president at the helm and I look forward to his valuable input in years to come.

So, next year, in your rush to try out the new games and systems, to grab your free goodies, and to stand in line for your autographs, take some time out to meet other people at the show: to network, make friends, and learn from one and another. After all, gaming is first and foremost a social experience rather than a virtual one.

This is Phoenix Genesis's eighth year covering E3 Expo.

Links

• More Video Game Reviews by PG Editor
• Go to Dave's Gaming Domain
• Go to Dave's Slaves
• E3 Expo 2006 Index
• Phoenix Genesis Online Game News
• More E3 2006 Photos