The Games of Summer

Every year at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) it's all about showcasing the new fall lineup of digital games. In past years, that's meant lots of action games and serious crowds of devoted gamers. This year, it's a much more subdued invitation-only event and the games are sort of different, too.

If you're a tradeshow buff, you can follow the daily news and in-fighting about the new show format, but here's a rundown of some of the newsmakers being introduced out there in LA this week.

The thinking out the box award goes to Electronic Arts (EA). It's women and children first in their lineup of games meant to appeal to a wider audience than the typical gamer. (The Titanic did women and children first, too.) The company announced a trivia game for the Wii that combines trivia with mini-participatory heart pumping games between rounds.

My bet for game of the year is Harmonix and MTV's Rock Band, which will be available through Electronic Arts. It's based on Guitar Hero, but on steroids. You use real peripherals like drums, bass, and guitar, and interact with live music that will be available every week. Steven Van Zandt, "Little Stevie" of Bruce Springsteen and The Sopranos fame, is chairing the advisory committee and The Who have already signed on to be first.

There's lots of buzz about Steven Spielberg's two new video games codenamed LMNO and PQRS. (ET watch out, the alphabet is nearly over.) One is supposed to make good on the promise that a video game can have a storyline so compelling that it can actually make you cry. One account of this adventure game/love story called it "North by Northwest meets E.T." Spielberg's second effort is a block building game played with the Wii.

In the noticeably missing department, EA's Spore, the much touted Will Wright video game that's currently in development, was not demoed at the show, but you can read up on its progress in this interview.

Wii seems to be stealing a lot of the show's thunder, and it's all about having fun with the mind/body balance. New peripherals, including a Wii Zapper shaped like a machine gun, a Wii wheel for racing games, and the Wii balance board (pictured here), can all be used for a number of forthcoming games. Crave Entertainment introduced Brunswick Pro Bowling. It's a realistic simulation of the bowling alley dynamic.

But it's not all Wii all the time. Konami's Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2 and Dance Dance Revolution Universe are out there foot-tapping away with more play options and more music. DDR was a pioneer in incorporating the body in the video game experience.

Every year there's a retro movement at these game expos. This year Sega is releasing an interesting twist on the retro theme with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. The two classic characters will be challenging each other on the Wii and Nintendo DS. Commodore (yes, they use the old Commodore logo and all) introduced a gaming PC with some wildly painted cases depicting favorite games.

Can't wait for Halo 15? Game companies have a habit of milking a strong selling game to death by releasing a new title with the same characters each year. According to IGN, a site that serves the gaming community, the most anticipated games for the fall are Halo 3, Madden NFL 08, and Grand Theft Auto IV. They'll account for 30 percent of all video game sales.

Konami is releasing Silent Hill 5 (yes, this is the fifth), a horror genre in which a war veteran comes home from overseas to investigate the mysterious death of his brother, Joshua. There are new versions of Virtua Fighter and others, too. According to IGN's survey, these action/shooter titles account for almost 50 percent of mindshare.

So far there doesn't seem to be too much news in the online department. Sony has an online trading card game based on Stargate Online Trading. You'll trade card-based characters online and off with tournaments, leagues, and worldwide standing.

The biggest disappointment for rabid fans? Microsoft rolled out its over-hyped Halo 3. So far, the fans report that they're disappointed. The one novel thing about the new Halo? It'll be released as a miniseries.