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X-8: Xbox at E3

The power cords have been unplugged, the games have been packed away, and (sadly) all the hot booth babes have gone home. The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2002 in Los Angeles is now officially history, and the Big Three home console hardware sellers Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo showed off their best as they battle it out in the most brutal and cutthroat console war in videogame history. With plenty at stake for each of the trio, this was the most highly competitive and crucial E3 in a while, especially for relative newcomer Microsoft and its Xbox. Besides the official announcement of Xbox Live, Microsoft's ambitious and risky foray into online console gaming, there was an overflow of great-looking Xbox titles exhibited, some for the first time. Here is a look at what Microsoft announced during E3, displayed for show attendees, and plans for the foreseeable future as its Xbox console fights the uphill battle to cut into the console sales-leading juggernaut that is the PS2 while trying to overpower Nintendo and its GameCube for second place.

PRICE DROP

After lowering the cost of the Xbox in Europe and Australia in April, it was rumored for a few weeks before E3 that Microsoft would announce a North American (U.S. and Canada) price drop on the Xbox at the show, followed closely by a Japanese reduction. But Sony tried to steal Microsoft’s thunder, announcing before the show that they would be dropping the PS2 price to $199. Microsoft naturally followed through with its own price drop the same day, and both were quickly joined by a $50 dollar GameCube price decrease, which is now going for $150. This price drop has been positive so far for all three consoles. The Xbox has seen a big increase in sales especially in Japan, where it had been failing miserably. Recent reported sales figures had the weekly Xbox units sold for the first time higher than both the PSOne and the GameCube, which had both been outselling it on a regular basis. Sony still is dominating the Japanese market, though. It has sold 1.7 million PS2s in Japan since its launch, ten times more than the number of Xboxes sold in Japan to date.

The biggest winners of the price drops of course are all of us gamers, who don’t have to shell out as much cash to get our game grooves on anymore. One big sticking point concerning the Xbox price drop has been the dissatisfaction of Xbox owners who bought their systems at launch a mere six months ago. In Europe and Australia, Microsoft rewarded those who bought systems at those countries’ respective launches by providing a loyalty refund, which came in the shape of three FREE Xbox games. North American gamers seemingly won’t be getting the same type of deal, which has started some rumbling in the Xbox gaming community.

XBOX LIVE

Each of the Big Three has distinctly different plans for their online gaming operations. Nintendo made significant strides towards strengthening their online strategy by signing a deal with GameSpy to host GameCube title servers. Sony is letting PS2 game publishers handle each title’s online availability without a basic monthly charge and has Electronic Arts and Activision supporting its PS2 online plans. Microsoft, meanwhile, rolled out its Xbox Live online approach at E3, which is radically different from either Nintendo or Sony. First and foremost, Xbox Live will only allow broadband connectivity, while Nintendo and Sony have 56k options.

And in direct contrast to Sony’s planned service, you WILL pay to have Xbox Live gameplay. What’s not clear as Microsoft starts the Xbox Live beta test is if game publishers will add an additional charge on top of the monthly fee. It looks like there may be the possibility of some additional costs incurred for certain downloadable files for games, like updated rosters or new characters or game levels. In the fall, Xbox Live will officially launch. Besides naturally signing up with a provider for broadband service, you will have to buy the Xbox Live starter kit for $50 dollars. You will get a one-year subscription to Xbox Live, the Xbox Live Communicator headset, and one online title. The Xbox Communicator will allow for real-time voice communication during games. Another not-known-at-this-point detail is what Xbox Live will cost after the one-year subscription is up, but most estimates have been at a $10-dollar-a-month fee.

There are some potential problems with Microsoft’s online plans, however. One is that although broadband will allow for the smoothest possible online gaming, not as many areas of the United States have access to broadband connectivity as they do to 56.k-compatible Internet service. Broadband service is significantly more expensive, too. Microsoft’s own MSN broadband service has a 10-hour-a-month limit before additional connection charges ($1.50 an hour) are tacked onto your bill. Based on my own monthly gaming time, I would probably put in more than ten hours of Xbox Live gameplay each month, and I’m sure the wife wouldn’t be too happy with the monthly MSN bill I would certainly build up.

GAMES

Nintendo wowed the crowds with their first-party lineup of what will turn out to be mega-sellers for the GameCube in 2002: Metroid Prime, Mario Sunshine, Star Fox Adventures, and the Legend of Zelda starring, the controversial new-look, Link. Based on most information floating around gaming Web sites and publications, while having a “safe” lineup of titles exhibited, Sony revealed not one game that was considered a sure-fire “A-game” in their E3 display. While GameCube shined bright and Sony fell somewhat flat, Microsoft made a much stronger title impression this E3 compared to last. They were a solid second to Nintendo’s first-party lineup with a strong batch of their own development house stable of games and a few sure-fire Xbox-exclusive third-party entries. Microsoft is proclaiming that there will be over 200 new games hitting the Xbox lineup by the end of the year. Here’s a partial list of the Xbox games planned for release by the end of 2002:

From Microsoft first-party developers, you can expect these titles: NFL Fever 2003; NBA Inside Drive 2003; Steel Battalion, the game with the massively HUGE controller; the incredibly impressive Blinx, the Xbox’s answer to Mario Sunshine; Shenmue 2; Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller; Brute Force; Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge; MechAssault; and Tork. Glaringly missing was even a glimpse of a possible Halo sequel. It was announced, however, that a Halo Xbox Live version was currently being developed.

The third-party exclusively Xbox lineup looks even better. Check out these titles: Panzer Dragoon Orta; ToeJam & Earl III: All Funked Up; House of the Dead 3; Unreal Championship; Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring; Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic; Star Wars Galaxies; Pyschonauts; the resurrection of the Ninja Gaiden franchise; Dead or Alive Xtreme Volleyball starring the scantily clad female characters of the DOA franchise, which caused a lot of show-floor drooling with its – AHEM – impressive visuals; and one of the most remarkable games for any system, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, that looks like a better-than-Metal Gear Solid 2 (MSG2)-type action game. Speaking of MGS2, the Xbox will be getting a updated version of the game, Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance first before it heads to the PS2 and the GameCube. One of E3’s most highly anticipated Xbox titles shown (which will take a little longer than expected to be available) was Peter Molyneux's Project Ego. He also offered a non-playable demo of B.C., his next aptly named caveman character-based God game project.

And there is a ton of third-party multi-console titles that will also be headed the Xbox’s way: State of Emergency; an updated Sega Soccer Slam; Serious Sam; Timesplitters 2; Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4; Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb; 007: NightFire; Robotech: Battlecry; Sega’s NFL/NBA/NHL/NCAA College Football 2K3 series, EA Sports’ Madden/NHL/NBA Live/NASCAR Thunder 2003 series, Sega GT 2002, Terminator: Dawn of Fate; and Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 & 2. Without a doubt, this is a great lineup slated for the Xbox and was topped at E3 only by the first-party Nintendo titles.

One red-hot series that will NOT be coming to the Xbox is Grand Theft Auto, because Sony signed an exclusivity deal with Take2 not allowing both GTAIII and its sequel, GTA: Vice City from appearing on a competing console until 2004. But Microsoft did announce a partnership with Tremor Games to produce exclusive Xbox games, and if Tremor Games staff’s past work is any indication, it could turn out to be a shrewd move on Microsoft’s part. Tremor Games developmental creative workforce includes members who have worked on past huge PC Blizzard hits Starcraft, Diablo, and Warcraft.

While many titles that will also show up on the PS2 and GameCube are planned for the Xbox, in Microsoft’s favor is the fact that one aspect of multi-console titles released so far is that many to date have performed and looked best on the Xbox. Counting the first-party and third-party exclusives, Microsoft should be provided with a very impressive 2002 title list.

THAT'S A WRAP

From all indications, Microsoft made a much better E3 showing in 2002 than it did last year. Just look at the great lineup planned for the Xbox. And Xbox Live, while facing a tough sell to the gaming public, is the most solidified console online gaming plan out of the Big Three. But does that mean that it has enough momentum to eventually springboard into the neighborhood of the PS2’s lofty sales stratosphere and hold off the GameCube? Maybe. Right now it isn’t happening. But for the above-mentioned to occur, top-notch games like Blinx, Project Ego, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Unreal Championship, Splinter Cell and others have to live up to expectations and become big sellers. And more importantly, Xbox Live MUST be rolled out effortlessly and efficiently to attract gamers to the Xbox name brand. Based on the Dreamcast’s SegaNet service, many industry pundits including EA and Activision doubt that consoles and their owners are ready to flock in massive numbers to online gaming in this console generation. Microsoft is banking on the exact opposite. Make no bones about it, the Xbox has a long way to go to match Sony and even Nintendo’s success. But if the 2002 E3 is any indication, they are headed in the right direction. After this Christmas, when most of what was shown at E3 will be on store shelves, we will be able to perform a true litmus test of how much of a console future the Xbox has.

- Lee Cieniawa

lcieniawa@armchairempire.com

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