E3 has gamers yearning for more
By Stephen Ryan
CNN Headline News
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(CNN) -- The Electronic Entertainment Expo is over. And that means so is the agonizing speculation about what exactly was featured there. After all, as the E3 Web site says, "E3 is a trade event and is not open to the general public. No one under the age of 18 will be admitted, including infants."
As we told you two weeks ago, PlayStation's PSP and Nintendo's Dual Screen were expected to debut. Well, they did. But that was just the tip of the gaming iceberg.
You want games? We got your stinkin' games. Some of the games previewed include SCEA's "Gran Turismo 4" for PlayStation 2, Microsoft's "Halo 2" for Xbox and Konami's "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater," also for PS2.
Another game in the "next of" mix -- and one of the top prospects, in my opinion -- Rockstar's "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" for PS2.
Other eye catchers for Xbox are Microsoft's "Fable" and Tecmo's "Dead or Alive Ultimate."
Celebrities often show up at E3 Expos. And they're showing up more and more in games as well. ESPN'S "NFL 2005" will have guest appearances by Funkmaster Flex, Jamie Kennedy, Carmen Electra and David Arquette. It will be available for both PS2 and Xbox.
Lots o' gadgets
Everyone loves gadgets. Especially gamers. And there were a lot of gaming gadgets at E3.
On-the-go? Nyko's Mobile Game Carrier lets you transport, install and power your PS2 in a car. For Xbox, the company unveiled its SpeakerCom. The controller-mounted device lets players communicate on Xbox Live without needing a headset.
You may never have to go home with Nokia's N-Gage QD. It has features similar to the N-Gage cell phone, but has a longer battery life, improved gaming controls and a brighter screen.
Now here's a treat just for all you PC gamers. Alienware offers a heck of a desktop when it comes to PC gaming, but you'll pay heftily for it. The company will soon begin production on another line of high-end computers, featuring components geared specifically for hard-core gaming, of course. The ALX line claims to have a system that increases graphics performance by 50 to 70 percent over previous Alienware packages.
Xbox and PS2 both play DVDs, but Apex Digital is releasing an interesting gadget that plays not only DVDs but also MP3s, CDs and even PC games. The "ApeXtreme" reads PC CD-ROMs and optimizes them for use on a television screen. It also utilizes a hard drive for game installation, similar to Xbox.
More than 400 exhibitors participated in this year's E3 in Los Angeles. That's certainly enough new wares to keep us contentedly gaming for now, right? Wrong! As it turns out, all that "agonizing speculation" mentioned at the top of this article isn't over. After all, there's always next year's E3.
