E³ EXPO 2001 COVERAGE

For those of who have never heard of this annual event surrounding the world of computer games then let me expound. E3 is the name of a trade show convention which is held in the United States. Almost every major PC and console gaming company is represented. This years e3 is bigger than most. This year we see the beginnings of an all out war between the major gaming console companies: Nintendo, Sony and new this year Microsoft.

You may remember last Christmas when every kid in America was asking their moms and dads for a Sony PlayStation 2 only to find out that there were none to be found. Well since then, Nintendo and Microsoft have been working on their GameCube and XBOX systems, respectfully, in an effort to become king of gaming world.

For the first time in recent memory, all of the competing consoles systems are all on par with each other from a graphical point of view. In other words, all of the systems will be able to produce the same kinds of looks and sounds as the rest of the field. This means more realistic cars, people, sports arenas, and blood. Yes blood. 2001 and 2002 promises to produce more blood and gore than ever before. This is nothing new. What IS new is the realism. These new systems pack enough fire power to show 20 fully animated people on one screen with full frame rate while at the same time being gunned down by a high power machine gun. Some games go as far to show close up facial reactions. Or for that matter another game we saw allows the player to choose which body part he or she wants to chop off.

In this report from the world's largest annual gaming show on the planet, I will try to let you the readers know what is coming down the pipe in games concerning this next generation. I will deliver an article on each system:

• Microsoft Xbox
• Sony Playstation
• PC,
• the Nintendo GameBoy, and
• the Nintendo GameCube

Each hopefully will reflect the contrasts and comparisons of each system's games in terms of violence and sexuality so that parents and potential buyers can gear their piggy banks (or hide for that matter) and to mobilize if need be.

The remainder of this year as well as the next will prove to have some of the most horrific games ever seen by man. Although many of them are not here or even conceived as of yet, there are trends that I already see forming, which I have expounded upon in the articles linked above.

Christian Spotlight Guide2Games is part of Christian Answers. Copyright © Films for Christ. • “Christian Spotlight’s Guide to Games” and “Guide2Games” are service marks of Films for Christ.