E3 2003: 5 Things That Make You Go Wow...

Written by Adam Woolcott on May 22, 2003

E3 2003: 5 Things That Make You Go Wow...: And we're not even talking about the scantily clad booth babes

This year's E3 wasn't one of major surprises, really Ц just a solid lineup of new games that will eventually become large sellers. Of all the shows, Sony seemed to make the most announcements, and actually can lay claim to the biggest surprise of the show Ц though it's a surprise that won't come to fruition for a while. Perhaps not as eventful as past E3 shows, 2003's showing from Sony was solid and interesting, and these are 5 things that really stuck out from their showing in Los Angeles.

Sony Announces New PlayStation 2 Model, Price Drop To $179
This wasn't a big surprise, really, as Japan recently had this model release in that country. This new PS2 has a couple nice, but generally just bonus accessories, but one big one that does cut a significant price out of other PS2 hardware. The new model will support DVD-R and RW discs, it removed the firewire port that nobody bothered to use, and now comes with a DVD remote (that now can be used to power on and off the system) and the receiver built into the console itself, freeing up a controller port, and memory card space to boot, if you have an older PS2 model before the release of the original DVD remote in 2001. What's important here is the new bundling of the Network Adaptor Ц now, getting online is truly out of the box for the PS2, giving them a slight leg up on the Xbox, which still requires the purchase of an add-on with the Xbox Live Starter Kit. It evens out though, as the HDD isn't bundled in Ц though it's really not necessary to actually play the various PS2 online games.

The standard PS2 model also had a quiet drop in price, to $179. The Xbox countered, which essentially forces Sony to keep the new bundle priced at $179, so it doesn't appear to be the most expensive console, despite the NA being bundled with the system now. Either way, this new model will hopefully get more people online with PS2, and perhaps will set the tone for developers to make more online games for the system, as anyone who buys this model, from June of this year until the PS3 comes out, can play online out of the box, as long as they have the Internet access required.

Sony Announces PlayStation Pocket
There had been numerous rumors about Sony going into the handheld sector, to further slice away at Nintendo's market share. At E3, it finally came to pass, with the announcement of the PSP, or PlayStation Pocket. The device isn't going to be released until 2004. The PSP is promising a backlit screen, a built in battery a la the Game Boy Advance SP, and will play a special mini-disc format on hardware that will be comparable to the PlayStation. Rumors are also abound that it will play MP3's, DivX video (not that ridiculous Circuit City thing, the video format), to go along with games. This of course means that price might be a factor, as Sony must keep the PSP price competitive with the GBA to actually compete Ц as power means nothing compared to value when it comes to a game system.

Does Sony really have a chance? Absolutely. When the PSX was first announced, people thought Sony was crazy and that Nintendo and Sega would walk all over them and it would be just another 3DO. And look what happened there Ц ever since, Nintendo has struggled to find their audience besides the hardcore Nintendo fans, and Sega is struggling (unfortunately) to build a name for themselves again in the 3rd party sector, after 2 PlayStation models throttled their final 2 consoles. It can happen Ц but Sony has to be the one to make it happen, and this means the console needs support, be it PSX remakes and brand new games. We'll see if that happens, as right now, PSP is pure vaporware.

Sony Hard Drive To Be Bundled With Final Fantasy XI In 2004
It's aboutЕtwo years late, but the oft-delayed 40 GB hard drive will finally release in early 2004, packed in with Final Fantasy XI, Square's anticipated MMORPG (massively multiplayer online RPG, if you're unsure of such a strange and incohesive acronym). No word on a price, but rumors suggest a price of $80, which would be a great deal for the combo package. This is legitimately possible, as MMORPG's make their money not on game sales, but people paying the monthly fee to maintain the worlds they inhabit (see the deals Sony was pushing to get Everquest Online Adventures into homes). This will finally let Sony usher in their strategy of downloading stuff from the Internet, and surf the web, like a computer (the thing that Microsoft feared so much, they created the Xbox to counter).

However, it might be too late Ц given that the PS3 will probably release in 2005, and will almost certainly come with a hard drive and net access out of the box, this seems like a last-ditch effort to preview what the PS3 might bring. It's a necessary evil for playing FFXI online, but for most people, it won't be a required tool, simply because developers won't take advantage of it since not everyone will own it (see the Xbox theory about taking advantage of the HD for their content). At the least though, this game and hardware bundle will finally appease FFXI fans who have been anticipating this game longer than Duke Nukem Forever. Well, perhaps not that long, but pretty long.

Konami Announces Metal Gear Solid 3, Exclusively For PlayStation 2
The week before E3, a trailer was leaked onto the СNet that was titled Metal Gear Solid 3 Ц Snake Eater. This caused PS2 fans to stop and look, be it at the jungle setting that is reminiscent of the earlier Metal Gear games, or the unusual subtitle for the game. At the very least, it proved that a new MGS game was on the way Ц though it could have been a hoax. A well, well programmed hoax.

However, the trailer was the real deal, and at E3, the full trailer was revealed for Snake Eater, and also announced that MGS 3 was exclusive to the PS2, in the same form as MGS 2 was. Either way, Metal Gear Solid 3, which probably won't come out until late 2004 if we can go by the MGS timeline history (MGS 1 trailer shown at E3 1997, game releases late 1998, MGS 2 trailer shown at E3 2K, game releases late 2001), but will be highly anticipated until then. Producer and deity-game designer extraordinaire Hideo Kojima is promising more action this time around, to mix in with the epic story, as well as brand new gameplay elements such as dealing with food, broken body parts, etc. It seems the emergence of Splinter Cell has convinced Kojima to go the extra mile, as MGS 3 looks to keep their claim on the Tactical Stealth Action throne.

Konami Announces Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Exclusively For PlayStation 2
For most Castlevania fans, the PlayStation is the console that carried the best CV game conceived Ц the oft-underappreciated Symphony of the Night. Since then, Konami has tried to move the Castlevania series into 3D, but failing with the average to bad Castlevania N64 games, that might have been decent games, but a shame to the classic Castlevania series. Here and now, Konami is giving it a shot again, with the beautiful Lament of Innocence, the first PS2 Castlevania title, which also will only see the PS2 console, for the time being.

I once said that Devil May Cry was Castlevania in 3D, and from the looks of Lament of Innocence, I was just about right, given the game structure. Going far, far back in the Castlevania timeline, to the 1100's, it will set the stage for previous entries in the series, and from what's seen, will finally take the series to 3D in style. The best part is, the game is releasing in late 2003, so we'll get our grubby hands on it before Christmas. Konami really hit it big at E3 this year, thanks to MGS 3, Castlevania, and also the revival of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Between Castlevania and MGS, I'm pretty pleased with their showing, and these are 2 of my more anticipated releases of the future for the PS2.

Closing Thoughts
This year's E3 was all about software Ц sequels, yes, but software. Sony had a banner year for solid game announcements, if they were still mostly sequels like MGS 3, Gran Turismo 4, Jak II, Ratchet & Clank 2, and such. However, these were my 5 favorite moments from their E3 showing, and reason enough to see that the PlayStation 2 isn't going anywhere for a while Ц even if they didn't show a new Grand Theft Auto game. The future is bright for Sony, as we head into the latter stages of the PS2's life cycle, and prepare for the PlayStation 3 in just a couple years.