The "tram" to E3 madness!

The years roll by so quickly, especially if you're a hardcore gamer or a gaming journalist. It's seems like only yesterday we've been admiring Valve's jaw-dropping presentation of Half-Life 2 which was definitely last year's highlight. This year, however, promises to be a smash.

The past few months have seen an increase in pre-E3 activity. The tension mounts as many pre-show reports begin to accumulate, and new titles are being unveiled even as we speak. Additional info on games like Empire Earth 2, Call of Duty: United Offensive and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Sith Lords has already hit the web. What surprises us the most is how Half-Life 2 still manages to grab the most attention even after all the crap we've had to endure due to the alleged code theft. Granted, the festivities haven't even begun yet. All you can find at this time is but a handful of reports on a small number of forthcoming games.

So, apart from some preliminary reports, we'll be taking you in for a closer inspection on what you can expect during the following week. Believe or not, reports of a new playable build of Half-Life 2 are already rolling in. Our recent updated preview corroborates a few new elements, but as the E3 show unfolds more details are now available to the media. One of the first things we were able to find out is that Half-Life 2 opens with Gordon Freeman riding on a tram as it passes through "City 17" - obviously a tribute to the unforgettable introduction sequence of the original, as Gordon enters the Black Mesa Research Facility. The ambiance of "City 17" resembles a heavily guarded police state, as unpleasant and unfriendly baton-wielding guards urge the citizens to stay in line. So far, Vivendi's keeping a tight lid on a great deal of the content and specific plot issues are still being kept secret (yeah, we all know how good they are at keeping secrets, right?).

Another interesting bit about Half-Life 2 that was revealed today is the use of AI and some of the possibilities of the Source engine. First of all, the areas in HL2 were designed with great care and are huge which leaves players with plenty of opportunity to test the enemy's intelligence. Any area infested with enemy soldiers can be approached from various sides, and each time troops will react differently to your actions. Such advanced AI routines truly enhance the experience and are reminiscent of games like Far Cry. Valve is repeating over and over again that there's still plenty of reason to be hyped about this game and that players won't regret they've waited an extra year (at least).

Hello, they're off and running!

Everyone's favorite franchise grinder, Electronic Arts, comes forth this year with a most impressive line-up (of sequels). Here's a slice of what EA plans to showcase:

• Armies of Exigo (PC)
• Battlefield 2 (PC)
• Battlefield: Modern Combat (PS2)
• Black & White 2 (PC)
• Catwoman (Cube, GBA, PC, PS2, Xbox)
• FIFA Soccer 2005 (Cube, GBA, PC, PS1, PS2, Xbox)
• GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (Cube, PS2, Xbox)
• Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (Cube, GBA, PC, PS2, Xbox)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth (PC)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Cube, GBA, PS2, Xbox)
• Madden NFL 2005 (Cube, GBA, PC, PS1, PS2, Xbox)
• Medal of Honor Pacific Assault (PC)
• NBA LIVE 2005 (Cube, PC, PS2, Xbox)
• NASCAR 2005 (Cube, PS2, Xbox)
• NCAA Football 2005 (Cube, PS2, Xbox)
• NHL 2005 (Cube, PC, PS2, Xbox)
• The Sims 2 (PC)
• The URBZ: Sims in the City (Cube, GBA, PS2, Xbox)

Certain titles show serious potential, particularly games like The Sims 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, Battlefield 2, and MoH: Pacific Assault. Speaking of LoTR: The Battle for Middle-earth, a playable build of this cool-looking real-time strategy will finally be coming into view at the show. From what we've seen thus far, the polished and modified version of the C&C: Generals engine has done wonders for EA's new fantasy-themed RTS. A bundle of ground-breaking features is also expected with Battlefield 2, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for that one when the show starts.

Microsoft is making an appearance with a traditional line-up of high-profile PC and console games.

• Dungeon Siege 2 (PC)
• Fable (Xbox)
• Jade Empire (Xbox)
• Halo 2 (Xbox)
• Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict (Xbox)

Well, at long last we'll be able to see more of Halo 2 in action. Over the past year, Bungie has been hard at work tweaking the new engine code as well as incorporating improved AI, additional weapons and even larger levels. Overall visual perk ups were also noted, so you can be sure the game will look better than its predecessor.

Ubisoft is blessing us with their presence at the show with:

• Brothers in Arms (PC, PS2, Xbox),
• Far Cry Instincts (PS2, Xbox),
• Myst IV: Revelation (PC)
• Playboy: The Mansion (PC, PS2, Xbox)
• Prince of Persia 2 (Cube, PC, PS2, Xbox)
• Settlers 5 (PC, PS2, Xbox)
• Silent Hunter III (PC)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 (PC, PS2, Xbox)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Black Arrow (Xbox)

The company's most recent (and truly unexpected) announcement reveals that a brand new Splinter Cell game is already in the works and should be finished and out in U.S. stores by the end of 2004. Yep, come holiday 2004 you could very well be going on yet another chain of missions with Sam Fisher (don't forget to pack your toothbrush and new Sony Ericsson as well). Apparently, Ubisoft Montreal will be in charge of developing this one. At any rate, it will be interesting to see how this development crew will handle things in Splinter Cell 3, since they were responsible for creating the original.

Atari prepares to unleash its car-wrecking action title Driv3r (PS2, Xbox), along with Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 (PS2), RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (PC), Terminator 3: Redemption (PS2, Xbox) and Transformers (PS2). A modest line-up, but without a doubt Atari will surely put on a better show than last year when it released Enter the Matrix. We're hoping that this year Atari might treat us to something a bit more special. Rumor also has it that Atari will be revealing a super secret game project, and seeing how our editor Vince got a VIP pass to hang out with the folks at Atari, we'll be sure to know as soon as the announcement is made.

For some reason, Eidos Interactive has a fairly weak lineup this year with titles like Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood (PS2, Xbox), ShellShock: Nam '67 (PC, PS2, Xbox), Singles: Flirt Up Your Life and Thief: Deadly Shadows (PC, Xbox). At this point there's no mention of a new Tomb Raider game (bugger, no boobies this year!). Regardless, we're simply itching to try out Guerilla's gory Vietnam-based shooter ShellShock: Nam '67, so I guess you can say it's not all bad.

Activision, on the other hand, has plenty up its sleeve. Both console and PC gamers will get their fair share of the Call of Duty franchise with CoD: Finest Hour (PS2, Xbox) and Call of Duty: United Offensive (PC) scheduled to be on display at the E3. As we all know, this year Activision is about to debut the Xbox version of DOOM 3, sadly without any plans of unveiling more stuff regarding the highly anticipated PC version. Activision also quickened its pace this year delivering games in almost every existing genre:

• Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (Cube, PS2, Xbox)
• Rome: Total War (PC)
• Spider-Man 2 (Cube, PC, PS2, Xbox)
• The Movies (PC, PS2, Xbox) (Gaming legend Peter Molyneux will be at the show presenting the game to the members of the press.)
• X-Men Legends (Cube, PS2, Xbox)

Many have hailed Rome: Total War as one of the best-looking strategy games worthy of the elaborate Shogun series.

Bring on the consoles

On a general note, most major companies didn't reveal their entire E3 program ... yet. We still don't know if Sony or Microsoft will be giving out any details about their next-generation consoles. Although it still may be a bit too early to expect any tangible evidence of fully functional products, it's a safe bet both companies will be more accurate as to their future plans regarding the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 2. Naturally, the PSP, Sony's most recent handheld, is the centerpiece for this year's presentation. Analysts are also expecting an announcement for a price cut on the PlayStation 2, since Sony reported a decrease in shipment and sales which was about the same time MS reduced the Xbox price tag. An overall interest in Nintendo's projects significantly dropped this year, since many developers and publishers (LucasArts being one of the biggest), appeared to have terminated or delayed their GameCube projects. When it comes to the GameCube, the one thing on everybody's mind is the Metroid Prime sequel Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Still, the company is going to uncover more details about the Nintendo Dual Screen (DS), and the good news is that EA recently said they will support the platform with a bunch of titles.

Console and PC online gaming won't be left out this year and we'll be keeping our eyes open for all the hottest MMORPG titles: EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia, Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed, etc.

Well kids, that about wraps things up for the time being. Expect plenty of coverage in the next couple of days as our buddy Vince strides through the huge hallways of the L.A. Convention Centre. Make us look good, Vince! And wear pants this time!