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E3 2003: War games
written by Doug Flowe
War games dominate the show

Each year at E3 a lot is said by every first and third party developer, the console makers and the publishers and licensees individually. But to the keen eye and ear there is also a lot being said beneath it all, pronounced collectively by everyone involved. First, the design styles, thematic slants, sequels and genres of the games on the show floor speak volumes about which direction the game industry might be heading in. Furthermore, the response of the attendees, which booths are constantly packed, which games the attendants have to kick the most players off of and which type of swag fan boys are fighting over the most indicates what products are most anticipated. For if your booth is lacking the magnetism that keeps people coming you can toss a thousand T-shirts and free trinkets into the air and they'll simply fall to the carpet.

What was being said at this year's show by the collective whole? "First person shooters and online military tactics games are taking over the industry." Somehow Nintendo and Sony missed out on this important part of the show in their gigantic booths over in the West Hall. But Microsoft and PC developers are well aware of the significance of this genre. The shooters were out there in full force this year, linked up to Local Area Networks and besieged by lines of gamers waiting to take eachother on with a variety of weapons, gizmos and flashbang grenades. The shows highlights include Activisions Call of Duty (PC), Sierra's Men of Valor (PC/XBOX), Gotham Game's Conflict Desert Storm: Back to Baghdad (GCN/PS2/XBOX), Ghost Recon: Island Thunder (XBOX), Counter Strike: Condition Zero (XBOX/PC), Rainbow Six 3 (XBOX) and the Battlefield 1942 expansion pack (PC). Click through for full previews below.

Call of Duty
Activision (PC)


Medal of Honor dipped in nitrogen, plastered with plutonium, stuffed into a piped and smoked at 4 O'clock in the morning. Call of Duty is everything that first person shooter, historical war fans are looking for.




Conflict Desert Storm 2: Back to Baghdad
Gotham/Take 2 Interactive (XBOX/GCN/PS2)


In light of recent events in Iraq, it only makes sense that we go "Back to Baghdad" and reenact the return of American troops to the country. Whether you agree or disagree with the war in Iraq, there's no dispute that the CDS series is slapping its brand on the Gulf conflict and taking the combat to another level with a second trip to mesopotamia.


Men of Valor: Vietnam
Sierra (PC/XBOX)


A logical next step in the genre, Men of Valor recreates some of the most intense moments of the Vietnam war from chopper battles, to being shot down, on to duking it out in the rice paddies. Sierra's private showing of the game was intense and moving not to mention sharply realistic down to the blades of grass and smart A.I.


Counter Strike: Condition Zero
Sierra (XBOX/PC)


Counter Strike in the Microsoft booth was one of the hardest games to get your hands on at the show. But if you were patient you would get one of the eight joysticks hooked up to the LAN and go on an all out frag fest that typically lasted 2 or 3 minutes each round. Though there was only one level available Counter-Strike surely got its point across this year.


Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
Ubi Soft (PC/XBOX)


It's disappointing that many of the shortcomings that frustrated gamers in the past are still present but if you ever finished the first Ghost Recon you also learned to love it and Island Thunder will do nothing but feed your hunger.




Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
Ubi Soft (XBOX)


The Rainbow Six: Raven Shield kiosk on the edge of the Ubi Soft booth was never crowded but always full of spectators. With three consoles networked and two playing single player missions you could easily get a feel of the ingenuity of both modes of play. Considering the brilliant performance of Xbox Live, Raven Shield should be stealing many hours of sunlight from stealth/action shooter fans this Fall and Winter.






Posted: May 12, 2003


A nice sunny day to stay inside and play games.


Noticeably less crowded than the Xbox booth.


This year like last, Xbox had a seriously exciting booth packed with great games.


Gran Turismo 4 tournaments raged for the entire show.

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