On the occasion of the 30th anniversary, and with the permission of the author of the original report, Mr. Mario Morele (the first Croatian journalist to visit E3), Virus.hr publishes the lost report from the E3 1996 fair in two parts.
From the airplane, Los Angeles looks like an endless sea of houses, warehouses, boulevards, and skyscrapers, stretching all the way to the horizon. As soon as I landed, I kissed the ground and told the natives and ranchers who welcomed me: "I declare this land to be the property of her royal highness, and myself the first sheriff of Los Angeles, who wants to be my deputy!?"
It was Friday, the second day of E3, the largest electronic entertainment fair in the world. So, I was already behind schedule, as the fair lasted three days, but even though I was there for a day and a half, I still managed to see almost all of it. I arrived at a hotel, full of Mexicans and blacks, who would kill you for $3 in your pocket, which is so "nice" that it has Russian televisions in the rooms! I quickly rushed out of the hotel and shouted "TAXI!!!", the taxi driver asked "Where to?", I said "Convention Center, fast!" E3 is a huge fair, consisting of three massive halls (north, south, west-halls), and several auxiliary ones. There were 25 different seminars at the fair! E3 is big business, over 350 companies were present from all over the world, everyone who has anything to do with computer games was there, whether they were distributors, publishers, sellers, or like me, writing about computer games.
Attractive girls are mostly Public Relations managers, who kindly show journalists the games that will mostly come out for Christmas 1996, and most of them only in 1997! Many games are delayed for a year, and there is a noticeable decrease in the number of titles that are supposed to be released, because all publishers are trying to release only absolute hits, as game production costs more and more, almost like some movies, and it is no longer worth it for anyone to release low-volume games, which is really a shame. Such logic will ruin small publishers who make excellent games, or force them to team up with large publishers for whom money is not a concern. Competition is fierce, so only the most polished games have a chance for success in the market. Many publishers are waiting for moves from other publishers, and when everyone releases similar games, they just add a few new details and immediately it is a "better" game. Also, some games are delayed, not because they are not finished, but because previous installments are still selling well, and the release of a new installment would automatically halve the sales of previous ones.
The author of this text is sorry, but for me, the painful truth is that out of several thousand games, I could count my favorites on one hand! Few games carried magic within them and new ideas, most games were craft-perfect games. Americans call it "passing entertainment," you buy it, play it, and forget about the game in 3 days. And I have the right to say that I don't like that! But, that is the law of the consumerist Western market: always maintain a hunger for new products, because they never have enough money! Without a constant influx of cash, none of those companies would last long in the market. Maybe I am too critical, but every criticism is the basis of healthy and logical thinking. Without further ado, here is a firsthand account of what will be played in 1996 and well into 1997, enjoy!
MicroProse/Spectrum HoloByte
Although Spectrum HoloByte is the owner of MicroProse, from now on all games will be released under the MicroProse logo. The reason: the MicroProse name is a hundred times more recognizable! At the fair, rumors were heard that Sid Meier is leaving MicroProse, and that MicroProse USA is on the verge of closing! Unabashedly, I can say that I predicted such a situation back in 1993. I knew that Spectrum HoloByte would eventually ruin MicroProse with its "MicroProse is our cash cow!" policy. By the way, when some people from MicroProse saw me at the booth, it was as if they had seen God! Maybe because I have been collaborating with MicroProse since 1989!
I spoke with a programmer from Sim-Tex, the company behind the new game Master of Orion II, which is coming out this fall. Falcon 4.0, the long-awaited combat simulation, is set to release for Christmas 1996, along with Vette: San Francisco Thrills, a car racing game on the authentic streets of San Francisco. At the booth, everyone was playing Magic: The Gathering, the card game, and the PC game of the same name (co-designer Sid Meier) is currently in testing and will soon ignite players worldwide!
European Air War is a new air combat simulation in Europe from 1943-1945. Up to 8 players will be able to play simultaneously over a LAN network, and players will be able to choose from 20 planes and three roles (America, England, and Germany). Agents of Justice, a new game from Sim-Tex, is an action-strategy game, and already a boring theme: I am you ten million.
Interactive Magic
Wild Bill Stealey, co-founder of MicroProse, has brilliantly recruited one of MicroProse's best designers: Arnold Hendrick. If I just mention that Arnold Hendrick helped Sid Meier in creating the legendary Pirates!, I've said it all! Arnold Hendrick's new project is M1A2 Abrams, the sequel to M1 Tank Platoon!!! Also, IM has introduced new simulations Hind (Mi-24), and F-16 (Digital Integration).
Westwood Studios
Red Alert (C&C II) is coming out in October, and the plot of the game is as follows. In an alternate scenario of World War II, a fictional battle situation between Stalin (the Russians) and the Allies (Allied forces). Germany is left out this time, i.e., in the game, Hitler never came to power!!! The main feature of the game, besides of course better graphics, is the greatly improved AI, i.e., the way the computer plays, in short, very dirty!
Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny will finally be released at the end of 1996. 360 degrees of freedom of movement, enhanced artificial intelligence, and 3D graphics like a dream, are just some of Westwood's promises, and the main thing is that "RPG games will never be the same after this game!!!"
The Blade Runner game is still kept under deep secrecy, and the reason is competition; it is only known that the game's production will cost "not quite like Waterworld, but close!" For now, it is known that the game will be a 3D rendered recreation of the futuristic Los Angeles seen in the film. Nostalgics of the cult film (including me!) will eagerly seek out this game somewhere in 1997.
7th Level
I am greatly intrigued by the upcoming release of the game Return to Krondor in September. The interesting thing about this game is that it will be released simultaneously with the official sequel to the game Betrayal at Krondor, from Dynamix (Betrayal at Antara); who is in agreement here, I do not know!
Return to Krondor will be an authentic game, created in close collaboration with Raymond E. Feist, the author of the famous Riftwar Saga. 50 actors will lend their voices, and top animators from 7th Level guarantee that this game will be a worthy sequel to Betrayal at Krondor.
Other announced games will 100% secure 7th Level's place among the top ten companies. Ace Ventura (based on the movie, action game), G-NOME (mech-robot battles), Dominion (in the style of C&C), Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail (the game was released in August and a description will follow very soon)
Simon & Schuster Interactive
Besides a bunch of nonsense that this company will soon release (which really isn't worth mentioning), one title caught my attention, which will make waves this Christmas, and that is: Tom Clancy's SSN: Adventure Runs Deep, putting you in the role of the commander of the most modern nuclear submarine, Los Angeles class. Created in collaboration with Tom Clancy, it aims to finally overshadow the fame of the famous Sid Meier's, Red Storm Rising (by the way, which was also created in collaboration with Tom Clancy). The images are very promising. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!
AZ Multimedia
A new company from Spain has presented its interactive game on 4 CDs, CyberXperience. The main star of this game is Dutch actress
Nikie, who will drop your jaw when you see her! In the game, you must teach Nikie all the pleasures of life and fun, since all her feelings have been genetically taken away (!!!!????). Hmmm, I talked to Nikie for about ten minutes, and I have a feeling she could teach me something before I could teach her!!!! Then it was just me and Nikie<CENSORED>
Microsoft
The big boss, Bill Gates, and the company that many mention when they cut themselves while shaving in the morning has entered the PC gaming market in a big way. To show that Bill is not
joking, the fact that 1000 people are employed in a specially built block in the huge Microsoft city-campus, known as the Microsoft Game Division, speaks volumes. My immense interest was piqued by the announcement of the game Age of Empires, which is set to release in early 1997. The game was designed by Bruce Shelley, known as the co-designer of games like Railroad Tycoon and Civilization.
Interplay Productions
According to the saying "if a game sells well, let's churn out a few more in the same style," Interplay serves us the game Descent to Undermountain, an RPG that uses the famous Descent engine. Waterworld is a game based on the infamous film debacle starring Kevin Costner, a clone of Warcraft. Interplay has also announced strategy games M.A.X. and Blood & Magic, and Shattered Steel, robot battles in the 22nd century.
Psygnosis
At this year's E3, Psygnosis had a huge booth, and the news is that the company has grown into the largest European game producer, truly a reason to say: BRAVO PSYGNOSIS!!!
From the pile of new games from Psygnosis, I would highlight: Ecstatica 2, a new ellipsoid 3D technique, and over 1000 camera angles, Pentium minimum, with the game set to release in early 1997.
Discworld 2 judging by the video and CD demo presentation, the game will be a true humorous cartoon, with the game set to release at the end of 1996.
The Island of Dr. Moreau is an exceptional adventure with real actors and 3D pre-rendered FMV backgrounds, set to release in early 1997.
Destruction Derby 2 will be released at the end of 1996, with new features in the sequel including: multiplayer option, pit-stop option, and of course audio-visual improvements...
Blue Ice will be released in October 1996, and it will be Psygnosis's answer to Myst, so another puzzle-adventure, with exceptional graphics and storyline....
Rocket Science
At the end of 1996, Rocket Science is preparing 4 exceptional games.
The Space Bar is a graphically outstanding bizarre adventure, and the task in the game is to catch the
thief before he leaves the planet, all through 75 puzzles and interactions with, to put it mildly, strange space species. It’s enough to say that the game was designed by Steve Meretzky ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy")...
Ganymede is a 3D shooter with ultra-realistic background topography.
Rocket Jockey is an extremely fun game, racing rocket vehicles, with a multiplayer option, where each vehicle has cables that you can use to pull your friend off his vehicle!
Obsidian is an adventure (4 CDs) in the Myst manner, the graphics are among the best I have seen so far, and the music for the game was done by the famous Thomas Dolby!!!
Scavenger
A new company from Los Angeles offers us a bunch of very high-quality games, which will help us remember this name (Scavenger translates to street sweeper!). I will mention only the new game designed exclusively for Pentium, Into the Shadows. What sets this game apart from others is SVGA fullscreen graphics, true 3D, and polygons moving at a speed of 25 frames per second. Not a PC to be thrown away, right!?
Powerhouse Entertainment
A new software house that kept its projects under wraps at E3. Only journalists could enter its stand, and even that was a struggle. Using all my James Bond-like tricks, I got into the stand and had the opportunity to talk to the designer of the new FMV shooter-racing game Collision. Collision could briefly be described as a Mad Max type of game. So, racing through various mazes, you must shoot cars before they shoot you. The fastest/highest quality video effects I have seen so far are commendable. A sure hit in America.
Mindscape / SSI
Mindscape is preparing for the upcoming season: Chessmaster 5000 and Megarace 2 - sequels to famous games, Startrader - a trading space strategy,
Silencer - you play as a mercenary....
SSI - will soon release Steel Panthers II, the game covers all modern wars from 1950 to Operation Desert Storm. Warwind is a new strategy set in SSI's fantasy world. Star General is the fourth game in the 5-star series, and briefly, it is Panzer General in space.
LucasArts
For Christmas 1996, LucasArts is preparing several sure hits for us: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, the story continues, young mercenary Kyle Katarn must learn the ways of the Jedi, and then he must stop seven Dark Jedi before they discover the secret Jedi graveyard. The famous lightsaber is finally included in the game along with a multiplayer option.
Outlaws is inspired by the famous Sergio Leone spaghetti western films, it is a multiplayer adventure and action, essentially a mix of several gaming genres.
X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter is a multiplayer game in SVGA graphics, supporting up to 16 players(!) who will be able to fight on either the side of the Empire or the Rebels. Like most other games, it will be a Win 95 native game, and only Pentium. This will be the standard for 1997, guaranteed.
End of the first part of the report. You can read the continuation here https://virus.hr/najave/e3-i-to-je-amerika-dio-ii.
Note: The report was originally supposed to be published in the computer magazine Bug in 1996.
