LIFE AS A BUNNY

i'm back after my rather lengthy absence -- one that was mostly caused by the hectic nature of e3 and its planning phases -- and i'm ready to talk again. i hope some people are still around and ready to listen.

though it was completely draining, e3 was actually quite fulfilling this year... definitely moreso than the last few, anyways. if asked to quickly list off the best things at the show, i believe i'd give really standard answers: Half-Life 2, PSP, & Nintendo DS. If you happened upon my e3 blog at gamespy -- or you've hit fileplanet recently -- then you've probably gotten wind of the new half-life 2 demo movie we posted. if you're a fan of PC gaming, or gaming in general really, you should try to check it out. if the filesize or the fact that it's on fileplanet bother you, Half-Life2.net should have a list of bittorrent links and probably even more compressed versions of my trailer.

it really is quite wonderful. though i realize that it'll be a rare occurance to a game with the overall quality, polish, and detail of half-life 2 anytime soon. valve, with their unlimited time and resources, have the ability to fine-tune the game to absolute perfection. the quality shows in every aspect of the game. (that's been shown so far) even the art direction is completely memorable and lovely. it seems impossible. oh, and the character interaction and emotional connections built with NPCs are truly ground-breaking, next-level stuff. i have no doubt i'll be giving a large chunk of my life to that game... then i'll finish the single-player and move to multiplayer. and before i know it, a year will have passed. it happened once before during my first year of college when its predecessor was released.

as much as i love hl2, i think that the most important product shown this year at the show was the psp. carlos and i have spent the days since its announcement -- or really, since the prototype hardware images were released -- brainstorming about the possiblities that sony's handheld will offer consumers. we knew it would be an important social device. as important as the cell phone? no. but if it takes care of enough non-gaming related, personal computing tasks on the go, then it could (and will likely) be hugely popular and successful. the fact that the thing plays movies and music is very important. it really needs a web browser and a stylus to be complete, and it appears that sony is already looking forward as such a peripheral was on display at the show floor. but the real reason that it's going to be so well-received is because it's a ridiculously sexy machine with the sony name on it. in the past few days i've referred to the psp as the sexiest piece of gaming hardware ever created. and i don't really see myself backing down from that statement. and beyond simple asthetics, the device is still extremely well-crafted. the buttons and d-pad are very similar to those on dual shock controllers; the analog stick slides pretty nicely as well, but it is unique from those you've used in the past; and the screen is absolutely beautiful, end of story. largely, though, the psp will function as a wireless game device. i had dreamed of playing multiplayer wipeout or soul calibur at a movie theater while ignoring "the twenty." and soon, that will be a reality... well, all except the part that namco has to take care of. get on the ball!

nintendo's ds is actually equally entertaining to me, though i know it won't have the same social impact. it rules not because it has two screens, but rather because one of them is touch sensitive and can be used with a stylus. the pictochat software on display at the show was highly amusing as it allowed users to chat wirelessly... but instead of typing or speaking, you simply draw on the screen. so cool. the new version of warioware and pacpix were clever, innovative, and fun. but it was metroid prime: hunters that really sold me on the the ds. most of the stuff i've read about it since the show seems to imply that while the game looks amazing, it's very difficult to play. i did not find this to be the case at all. in fact, i'd say that the stylus control they've implemented is a much better alternative to keyboard and mouse control than what a controller is capable of. though i admit that it could be improved. that said, i had nothing but fun with the four-player, wireless, handheld, stylus-controlled, metroid prime deathmatch. isn't that incredible? it seems impossible... but i didn't want to stop playing... i have no idea why, other than that it was really fun and i happen to be pretty good at it.

there was plenty of other great stuff at the show. i suppose i could list off stuff quickly -- jade empire, mechassault 2: lone wolf, (this came outta nowhere -- and it destroys) starcraft: ghost, metroid prime 2:echoes, final fantasy xii, metal gear solid 3: snake eater, god of war, paper mario 2, unreal championship 2, fable -- i'm sure there's more but that's the stuff that just came to mind. so yeah, the show was actually pretty ok, even if i was really tired the whole time.

and now i'm back home, taking it easy for a little while... the drive to and from LA can be rather draining. i've spent the weekend with vib ribbon and my recently modded ps2. goddamn is that game ever perfect. i've been going through my music collection trying to find which tracks make the most difficult levels. the winner so far: my bloody valentine's "blown a wish." jesus god is it ever complex. and yet, "to here knows when" is easy... hmm, crazy. Posted by ryan at May 17, 2004 11:31 AM