1997 Electronic Entertainment Expo Report
Online gaming has arrived.
by Bill Sweetman, June 1997
The defining moment of the third annual Electronic
Entertainment Expo (E3) was that there was no defining moment. E3, the annual focal point
of the computer and video game software industry, was held June 19 to 21 in Atlanta,
Georgia. More than 400 companies from around the world unveiled approximately 1,500 new
titles on 35 football fields of exhibit space.
The recent hype surrounding Digital Video Disc (DVD) led many attendees to expect an
onslaught of new titles this year supporting this emerging technology. When the dust had
settled, however, DVD titles were few and far between. Still, a number of patterns and
trends did emerge from this year's show.
Last year's show hinted at the potential (or threat) of the Internet to turn the industry
upside down. This year the Internet lived up to that potential; most of the major players
launched (or re-launched) massive online gaming networks at the show. This move makes a
lot of sense for both large and small game publishers. By providing online access to their
games, publishers avoid many of the enormous costs associated with traditional publishing,
distribution, and marketing. Software piracy is all but eliminated, and the revenue model
changes from single unit sales to pay-per-play. Most important of all, online gaming
satisfies the increasing demand for multi-player gaming, which many believe to be the Holy
Grail of the interactive entertainment industry.
Even "old fashioned" CD-ROM releases, and there were still plenty of them to be
found in Atlanta, now feature some kind of Internet functionality, extending the relevance
and value of the title to the user.
Another trend this year was what I call the Barbie Factor. 
Many of
the big players in the interactive industry are now jumping on the girls software
bandwagon thanks to the phenomenal success of last year's Barbie Fashion Designer CD-ROM
which appears to have 'legitimized' the girls market in the eyes of many companies. Up
until that point the prevailing wisdom was that girls don't play videogames. Watch for an
avalanche of titles for girls of all ages now that the powers that be have clued into the
fact that girls will indeed play videogames if you design with them in mind.
It's always been difficult for software publishers to make their products stand out from
the crowd, and this year companies were attempting to do this by extending the gaming
experience beyond the computer screen. A number of titles come bundled with collectable
dolls, playing cards, stickers, audio cassettes, even books! Some of the software for
girls even has their own line of jewelry and clothing.
Also popular this year is the use of artificial intelligence, with the result being games
that really do grow on you. 
Some games, such as Mindscape's Creatures,
feature characters that have a life of their own. Motion
Factory even introduced the Intelligent Digital Actor System, which allows
game developers to create and direct artificial actors. Once given the appropriate
'motivation' these virtual thespians are capable of responding intelligently to their
environment. No word yet on who gets the residuals!
Riven, the long-awaited sequel to Myst, was previewed at a surprisingly low key
press conference. 
Myst is a legend in
the interactive industry; it was produced outside of the mainstream industry for a tiny
budget by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller. Since its 1993 release, this lushly illustrated
and very cryptic puzzler has become the best-selling computer game of all time. The
Millers have been secretly toiling away on the sequel for nearly four years: "We're
very perfectionist about things," admitted Robyn Miller in what has to be the
understatement of the year. Everyone in the industry is anxiously awaiting Riven's
fall release to find out if there is still a place for enigmatic, non-violent games. If
looks are anything to go on, I'd say the answer is yes.
Several companies launched products resembling interactive movies, the most impressive of
which is SouthPeak Interactive's Temujin,
a supernatural mystery. 
Temujin
was filmed in 35mm on lavish sets using SouthPeak's proprietary Video Reality technology, which
combines motion picture sequences with freedom of movement to deliver a completely
immersive experience. This CD-ROM's marriage of feature film production values and
groundbreaking technology puts it a notch above any other interactive movie made to date.
Brilliant Digital Entertainment's Cyberswine
is a tongue-in-cheek science fiction adventure featuring a "part machine, part cop,
and full boar hero." This interactive B movie (which runs about the same length as a
feature film) allows you to control the direction of the narrative at key stages by
influencing the mood of the lead characters.
Also noteworthy, although not really an interactive movie, is Westwood Studios' CD-ROM adaptation of Ridley Scott's Blade
Runner. The jury is still out on the gameplay, but this CD-ROM's computer-generated
imagery looks almost exactly like the film, a remarkable accomplishment when you consider
how dazzling the feature film is.
Canada's always made its presence known at E3 via hardware and software superstars like
Alias, Softimage, and Matrox. This year, Canada's multimedia developers were also in the
spotlight, with over 15 companies exhibiting and countless others cruising the trade show
floor.
I. Hoffmann + Associates took a "go big or go
home" approach this year by renting a large booth in a prime location where they
showcased 11 promising new CD-ROM titles including an atmospheric 3D role playing game
called Mortalus.
Malofilm Interactive also created a stir with the
introduction of Jersey Devil, a whimsical action game for the Sony PlayStation. 
Designed by Megatoon Studios in Quebec City, this $1.5 million
production about a devilish little superhero features wacky art direction and
state-of-the-art 3D graphics.
Interactive industry veterans Microforum had an
eclectic range of new titles on display as well as Game Empire, a series of
value-priced CD-ROMs. In addition, Microforum hopes to capitalize on the recent popularity
of techno music by re-launching New Beat Trancemission, its best-selling and
critically-acclaimed dance music creation CD-ROM.
Edmonton's Axion Spatial Imaging demonstrated Axion 3D World Atlas, an
educational CD-ROM that allows users to interactively explore our planet. Sure to be a big
hit in schools, this slick title features a wealth of detailed satellite imagery.
A recent report by the Interactive Digital Software Association forecasts that computer
and video game software industry sales will grow from $3.7 billion U.S. in 1996 to $5.8
billion U.S. in 1997. This year's E3 demonstrated that Canada's multimedia developers have
the talent and potential to share in this growth.
Bill Sweetman is MultiMediator's Founder.
(An abridged version of this article originally appeared in Playback.)
