Gameware Studio Diary

Another May, another E3

Reflecting the ever growing popularity of gaming as a pass time (and money-spinner) this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo was bigger than ever, louder than ever and much more crowded than ever.

By virtue of the big announcements from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft about their next-generation consoles, it could also be argued it was more interesting than ever, and it�ll come as no surprise that PS3, X-box 360 and Revolution were the main talking points. More on that stuff in a moment.

Gameware had an excellent show. Our mobile 3D technology demos, which are built around our Infinite Scene engine, seemed to go down well in the mobile market. There was also continuing interest in what we are doing in bringing forward some of our Artificial Life technologies. Our experience in mixed reality through BAMZOOKi (usually referred to these days as �augmented reality� or �AR�) was also of significant interest � in fact, showing a few fragments from the series is generally a cue for amazement, which is always fun to see in an industry that generally takes graphics technology for granted.

Some of you may have noticed that there was an announcement made regarding a Mac version of Creatures Exodus and Creatures Village. That was made whilst we were away, so I wasn�t sure of the timing before, but rest assured that the press release is very real. Yes, Canada-based Kutoka are releasing both titles in North America and they will therefore be available for PC and Mac on a dual format disk in the Autumn/Fall. Long-standing supporters of the Mac, Kutoka are doing the conversion and development work themselves and have impressively fast progress - I saw both titles running on a Mac on their booth and they look just great! So, all you old-timers, get ready for some brand new visitors to the Hub later this year. I should note that compatibility with third-party add-ons is not a guarantee at this point and technical support for the Mac versions will have to go through Kutoka. We should be able to acquire some Mac stock ourselves too, so European fans will be able to purchase the titles through our store � as well as the more mainstream e-shop channels!

As for our main, undisclosed project, we were able to show the work in progress to our publisher and the feedback was exceptionally positive, however, I�m afraid we must remain tight-lipped as to what it is for some time yet!

Back in the mainstream hustle of the show, it was Microsoft how were making some of the biggest noises (launching 360 via an MTV Special and so on) and maybe they�ve got it rather more right this time round. The machine itself looks so much sleeker than XB1 for starters and they�re trying hard to gain �first mover advantage� with a planned release in time for the coming Christmas. It�s a very, very powerful machine too, make no mistake � the X360 games on show looked every bit as stunning as you could expect, with Dead or Alive 4 being my own favourite on view. Whether or not the machine will change the face of entertainment in the sitting room remains to be seen � and judging from the titles on offer so far, I�d have to say I rather doubt it.

Sony have an even nicer looking machine � that looks to be far more powerful too. It has 35 times more processing power than a PS2, redefining, yet again, what gamers can expect to enjoy so far as graphical wonders are concerned. Whilst software demos were all behind closed doors, it�s easy right now to find demo showreels on game sites like Gamespot. Sony�s PSP, already out in the USA and Japan, but not in Europe, was well represented with some great titles � and it was good to bump into erstwhile C-Labbers Piers Jackson and Mitch Phillips over there, showing off �Medievil Resurrected�. . Former Millennium man, and the creative force behind the original James Pond games, Chris Sorrell, along with Alex Sulman from Sony�s Cambridge studio were also there showing off the recently announced PS2 version of �24�, which looks to be shaping up nicely.

Meanwhile, Nintendo continue to plough their own increasingly unique furrow, concentrating on legendary brands (Pokemon, Zelda, Mario); hardware that may not compete with PS3 � but simply doesn�t have to (Nintendo DS and the brand new GameBoy Micro); and their traditional assortment of original gameplay and madcap products you�ve just got to love (Nintendogs, Electroplankton etc). Revolution was nowhere to be seen outside of their press conference and no hardware specs were released � but, still, it would be a brave man to count Nintendo out of making a significant splash with it in due course.

And what of the PC? Well, to hear some pundits talk you�d almost think its days are numbered. Software sales have declined over the last three years, it�s true, but US dollar value of PC game sales in North America alone is still over $1.1 billion per annum. And some of the biggest game franchises on the planet wouldn�t exist without it, like The Sims, Doom, Half-Life, Civilisation and co. And whilst the console makers are full of the talk about connectivity and multiplayer gaming, the PC is still truly the only game in town when it comes to MMOGs of any flavour, from Everquest and World of Warcraft through to Second Life or Cambridge-based NiCE�s Time of Defiance. Although Will Wright�s Spore was nowhere to be seen, that�ll no doubt be another great advert for the PC as a viable platform into the future � it�s just that most publishers don�t see it as a priority, and I don�t see that changing in the face of the next, next-gen boom.

Over in mobile phone land, the main game in town was Nokia. Given that they�re the only phone manufacturer with a dedicated gaming platform (n-Gage) this isn�t too surprising. They have some impressive stuff on offer already, including a number of fully 3D titles, and announced that they�re going to be rolling games out across more and more phones in their Series 60 range, rather than sticking solely to n-Gage as their delivery platform for gamers (Java games aside). For developers like Gameware, who have been focusing on mobile entertainment as an increasingly significant vehicle for game content, this can only be a good thing.

So here ends this quick E3 wrap-up from my perspective. It was definitely worth the trip and, as ever, provided plentiful food for thought and a great chance to catch up with a few old friends too. Now there�s work to be done� time to get on with the follow-ups. Have a good Summer everyone!