These are exciting times in Japan, where Nintendo is launching its next-generation console, the Gamecube, next week. The Americans are also getting excited: Microsoft is launching the Xbox console in the US on November 8, and Nintendo plans to follow with a Gamecube launch on November 18. But as last weekend's European Computer Trade Show in London illustrated, things are deadly dull over here.
Sony and Nintendo didn't even turn up, and Microsoft's presence was so low-key it was almost invisible. According to Screen Digest, which researches the market, we are not actually in a trough. "Despite all the doom and gloom," the UK market is, it says, "value stable". Sales of leisure software grew by 1.5% last year to £934.4m - a record - and the total is predicted to fall by only 1.2% this year. However, this will leave annual sales roughly where they were in 1998.
The UK market is expected to warm up next year. Nintendo says "spring 2002" for the Gamecube launch, while Microsoft says "first quarter" for the Xbox, with insiders tipping March 29. But Nintendo has delayed the US launch of the Gamecube, and Microsoft has postponed the Japanese launch of the Xbox until next year, so even if we had dates, it would not be wise to bank on them. Unfortunately, this is what game development studios and publishers are obliged to do.
At least Nintendo gave the European trade - mainly dealers and journalists - a taster, taking over Westminster Central Hall on Saturday. There were dozens of Gamecubes to play with, and a string of games including Luigi's Mansion (think Ghostbusters), Wave-race Bluestorm, Super Smash Brothers Melee, Pikmin (weird), Eternal Darkness (a bit like Perfect Dark) and LucasArts' Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (see www.lucasarts.com/products/rogueleader/splash.htm).
The Gamecube in near-launch state turned out to be more impressive than I expected. This contrasts with Sony's PlayStation 2, which now looks less impressive than expected. Given that Nintendo could sell millions of machines if it made them out of cardboard and chewing gum - if you want a Super Mario or Pokémon game, you have no alternative - it should do well.
Nintendo's games business is now underpinned by massive sales of Pokémon-related Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance handhelds, and the company is planning to launch an even smaller device: the Pokémon Mini. This will measure 74mm by 58mm by 23mm and weigh only 70g. The first games will include Pokémon Party Mini, Pokémon Pinball Mini, Pokémon Zany Cards and the Pokémon Puzzle Collection. It will be launched next year.
In the absence of new console hardware at ECTS, the add-on manufacturers came to the fore. Products on show included a wonderfully realistic-looking range of guns, a fighting arena for beat-'em-up fans, and a stepper for fitness fanatics.
The Dreamgun range of wireless game controllers from Korea's GameBox has something for almost everyone, from a bow and arrow to an early German machine gun to the L85 Assault Rifle out of Starship Troopers. The sniper rifle, to take one example, is more than a metre long, weighs 3.5kg and has recoil. It is not at all like those cheap plastic handguns sold for shooting games. But you'd better be careful about playing with your Dreamgun out of doors.
Both the Thrustmaster Fighting Arena and Happy Diet stepper will help gamers work up a healthy sweat. The TFA has four sets of photo sensors on two poles to capture your movements. You do real kicks and punches to make your game character perform kicks and punches on the screen http://europe.thrustmaster.com/mediaroom/releases/0018.php.
The stepper is another way of controlling an on-screen character. But it is just a way of making indoor exercises a bit less boring. The stepper has already been launched in Japan with the Happy Diet game, and could reach the UK before Christmas.
The great thing about these new peripherals is their almost unlimited potential. For example, today you might be delighted to use XTecnologies' Ducati Corse II handlebars with their small but cute fairing, but tomorrow you might want to use Yamaha or Norton handlebars. As videogames become more realistic, the controllers will need to become more realistic too.
And the winners are:
Game of the Show: Denki Blocks (Rage) for Game Boy Advance
PC Game of the Show: Project Nomad (CDV)
Console Game of the Show: Universal Studios (Kemco) for Gamecube
Handheld Game of the Show: Denki Blocks (Rage) for Game Boy Advance
Multiplayer Game of the Show: Anarchy Online (Funcom)
A panel of European journalists voted for the Game of the Show awards, and presented them at ECTS
PC game of the year
Benelux: Black & White (EA)
Eastern Europe: Black & White (EA)
France: Giants (Interplay)
Germany: Black & White (EA)
Italy: Black & White (EA)
Russia: Baldur's Gate II (Interplay)
Scandinavia: Black & White (EA)
Spain: Black & White (EA)
Console game of the year
Benelux: Gran Turismo 3 (Sony)
Eastern Europe: Gran Turismo 3 (Sony)
France: ISS Pro Evolution 2 (Konami)
Germany: Gran Turismo 3 (Sony)
Italy: Shen Mue (Sega)
Spain: Gran Turismo 3 (Sony)
