#135, 4/2004 EDGE

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The future of electronic entertainment •ssue#135

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The future of electronic entertainment

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don ·1 take '()110~' to such Mage-y t>ei'lg readoly avao ,tt:le for :ho co'lsurnotio" o' you1g. mprossionab o eyes. Far enough. We hope the pac>garne content. Clearly we are plaY'ng 1n a now ago where everyone wants a slice of the action, \'mether it's bored pens1oners who're looking beyond dominoes lor the r k•CkS or CI1Jdren who've grown t1red of Spyro and Crash and their happy-jolly worlds of bonkers expressions and silly-crazy 'bad' guys. But to those who've known the ResiCJent Evil senes since its nception. the people who've stuck by all of Its door· open ng load ng delays and logte·defylng •nventones. a new suMVal-hocTor game has no novelty value Or at least that was the theory when we first approached Capcom's newest eposode fully expecttng pertlQps a

frontend

Mobiles prepare for 3D revolution This year's 3GSM exhibition saw a range of 30 graphics processors competing to revolutionise mobile phone gaming. Where does a fractured industry go from here?

fter two years of Space Invaders clones and cute ptatforrners, it seems mobile phone gaming is finally set to emerge from ~s 2D chrysal s. This year's 3GSM exhibit1on- the mobile industl)''s packed Cannes gathering - saw no ess than five companies showcas ng 3Dacceleration soiJtions specifically deSigned for handsets. Others promiorocl just before the event, while a throng of m>ddleware has already grown up around the various compeung technolog es. Readers who remember the advent of 3D acceleration technology on the PC dunng the mid- '90s Will recogn1se the current srtuat100 - a crossfire of performance clams and counter-clams. With lttle actual hard evidence but plenty of 1ncredible promises. Lilg ots Acceleon graphocs technology at massmarket handsets

more OOt the 30 ca•d n theor macho·>e. "Moo• e pi' ones are q.;oto d Horcnt woth ne oss :han four rra,or OSes- Svm01anOS. Microsoft Smartpnone. PalmOS and Mob to lJnux - a1 vyorg for rnol"nS. ,.,. th many rrore smaJ prov cC's 'ndong pro' :aole OO>es than ~as oee~ ' he case on :-e ?C." 'v\~atever ·r:e ca~e. molM e gal"ll O!Ml.Opers .,... , "'Ol be eft to decipher the mess ot :cchnology aiOllC. Most desig-~s 01 hardware 3D so utons are ahgn ng thcrrsotvcs woth t"o creators of rnob lA 3D engines, to create a compete oeve oporer1t envrorment. ARM, ior example. s workong wrth UK corrpany Suoersr.ape. developor ot the Swe!Ve 30 eng ne, wo'ilo roxas

Instruments ists Crrtenon (Rendeoware Mobole). Ho Corp {Mascot Eng ne) and Fathammer (Xtorge 30) among its partners. TI1e onclustry os also grouping together to (le fine a selection of 3D graphiCS startdards.

The big wonner at the inaugural game BAFTAs, Grand Theft Auto: Vice Crty, narrowly m•ssed out on a clean sweep. Nom nated on SJX categones. rt lost out to Soul Calibur If in the Aro matoon and lntro sectoon. but took home gongs for Sound , Desogn and Best P$2, PC and Actoon Game as well as the ·Soo be creat ve in th1s arena. To me. though, the rnost boisterously entertau1u1g e~ample of ·critical garres· was the

this 1s stl()Cr((ngly PQ\verfu and as sophistiCated as the most :.re-graineo Chomskyan analys s. Sure. a lot of 7he :ime we want pure fantasy from our garnes. but a more sophishcated 'Tleans of dealing w(CS Back' where Darth Vader suddenly jumps to h1s death, for no appi!rent reason. Man, f never saw that coming' And there's that hilarious moment of slapstick in 'A New Hope', or whatever it's called these days. where Luke can't get through a door because Princess Leia and Hans Sclera are n his way. He just keeps running on the spot. and Haf's and Leia are walking on the spot. then Hans turns 90 degrees. and starts walking up aga nst a wal - for the rest of the filrn! Class1c stuff! Though generally considered to be the work of a great auteur-turned-swollen-capital•st-dog, even

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latest firstperson travesty to be given Mr LuC'.as·s beard of approval (as an aside, have you noticed I ,;cas no lo•1ge• has a discernable jaw-line? My thecry is that u·ere·s a neck there somewhere, but it's obscured by a 'oot of wry, grey oar. Perhaps he h des cakes in 1t. or i!Ction figure royalties). Apo.ogies f I'm s1,gt1t1y behind the tmes on this - I apprec:ate ·ha1 Jedi Academy is by no means a new title. The PC vers1on of the garne has been on sale for SOIT'C morths, and yet LucasArts has neglec1ed to use the opportunity to fix fundamental flaws wrth the Al. Oh. sure. there's probably some patch onl1ne that stops you• enemies committing su1cioe. but the average Jed1Academy owner - rnore I kely to be a 'Star Wars' fan than a hardcore gamer - IS unl kcly to be aware of rt . If Lucas can release special edit1ons of Ills films. whiCh, ahern, fix fun