One of the digital-software industry's favorite memes is the oft-repeated belief that as a US$7.7 billion industry, interactive entertainment brings in more money than yearly Hollywood box-office returns. This year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, it looks like they aren't just looking to match Hollywood revenues: The whole industry is starting to emulate the movies, from content to production to effects.
Walking down to the E3 showroom floor in Atlanta is like stepping into an apocalyptic Disneyland. The rooms are aglow with immense structures the size of small buildings, loaded with oversized screens depicting ass-kicking action heroes and eye-catching landscapes. Half-naked women in bondage gear roam the floor next to furry mascots; the blasting music and announcers incite instantaneous headaches. More than 35,000 people are wandering dazedly through the cavernous rooms, testing out more than 1,500 new titles. If you don't feel like gaming, you can get your picture taken as James Bond, meet a baseball star, or appear on a mock TV show.
As Doug Lowenstein, president of the International Digital Software Association, pointed out in a conference briefing, costs to develop killer games are rising rapidly, as are marketing costs and competition on retail shelves. Like Hollywood, the games industry is making fewer games for more money - according to a recent IDSA report, the average game now takes 18 months and costs $1.3 million to $2 million to develop.
To ensure success, developers are following the formulas of former hits. There are countless "Quake Killers" being touted at E3 (shooters like Acclaim's Forsaken, or Daikatana from Eidos Interactive), as well as "Command and Conquer Killers" (multiplayer strategy games like Activision's Dark Reign or Microsoft's Age of Empires). Not to mention the "new and improved" sequels: Final Fantasy VII, Hexen II, Quake II....
Even more prevalent are the cinematic special effects. Looking for realistic characters? Meet the new 3-D polygonal characters, grabbed by motion capture of authentic actors and sports stars and delivered to your screen. Concerned about sound? The new surround-sound games will let you hear that baseball fly by your ear. If you like lush landscapes, there's always Myst's sequel, Riven, with even grander graphics (that will oddly be available on PlayStation).
The progenitors of these "immersive cinematic sequence" games are, no surprise, immersed in Hollywood themselves. Disney Interactive, Virgin Interactive, Fox Interactive, and DreamWorks Interactive are all present in Atlanta, with mega-booths dedicated to faithful digital renditions of their TV and screen mega-hits. Virgin Interactive's Westwood Studios is creating a gorgeous photo-realistic version of Blade Runner for November release (sans Harrison Ford), intensely animated via motion-capture, so true to the movie imagery that it's difficult to discern the differences. DreamWorks, meanwhile, is showing pre-alpha renditions of Trespasser: Jurassic Park, also 3-D and highly realistic.
And if that's not Hollywood enough for you, you can always preview Activision's Apocalypse, and watch a digital Bruce Willis kick butt. Popcorn included.
Still, despite the millions being spent to lure gamers away from Hollywood in order to spend more time annihilating mutant aliens, the most common sentiment of show attendees was simple shell-shock. "What was the coolest thing here? Oh, I don't know, there's too much," said one Florida-based game developer. "How 'bout the padded carpets and the chicks?"
More on E3:
Tamagotchi Moves In on the Desktop
20.Jun.97
Attracts Gamers Like Magic
20.Jun.97
Before ... Click ... After
20.Jun.97
Pac-Man Leaves Flatland
19.Jun.97
