Game1 is held in conjunction with AutoSalon, an enormous automotive and car exhibition. Occupying the largest portion of the floor space were all the pimped-up cars and vehicles imaginable. Down the back of Jeff's shed was a smaller area dedicated to Game1. The first thing that grabbed our attention was the masive inflatable Master Chief tent. The Microsoft contingent had decided to park their displays next to the tent, so the only thing occupying the space inside Master Chief's head was good old oxygen. On display were Halo 3, Project Gotham Racing 4, Viva Pinata: Party Animals and our personal favourite, Mass Effect. Unless you were accompanied by young children or had missed out on any of Microsoft's major releases over the last two months, Mass Effect was really the only title worth checking out.
They say there isn't much inside Master Chief’s helmet.
Indeed, BioWare's upcoming science fiction action-RPG will be worth every dollar you spend on it. The character creation process is extremely in-depth, allowing players to account for their personal background as well as their visual appearance. Rather then taking too long to create a detailed character, we quickly played around with a few of the settings before jumping straight into the game. After a brief rundown of the Mass Effect universe and getting acquainted with fellow team members, players are immediately thrust into the action on the planet Eden Prime. On this occasion, we played as a soldier, forgoing any of the force-like powers promised to those who assume other character classes. Combat takes a little while to get used too, as it is very tactical and dependent on character abilities. The dialogue plays out very smoothly and progresses via selection of various conversation options. Further, the class and equipment upgrade system is very similar to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Of all the games played at Game1, Mass Effect was definitely the highlight.
Over at the Activision stand, visitors were rocking out with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and shooting up terrorists in Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360. Also on offer was Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. While these titles (with the help of the Activision ladies) attracted many visitors, most of them were families, potential consumers or the casual observer. While publishers such as Activision are certainly aiming to draw of this sort of audience by showcasing their big Christmas guns, most dedicated gamers appeared to simply stand around watching.
A picture that's Kyrstal clear.
Electronic Arts had the biggest display area and the largest amount of consoles, being akin only to Microsoft. Games on exhibition included Need for Speed: ProStreet for the Xbox 360, The Simpsons Game, Skate and FIFA 08, all also on the Xbox 360. Plastered across a background billboard in scant garments was Big Brother contestant Krystal Forscutt, promoting EA's upcoming racing title Need for Speed: ProStreet. The game, which is out on November 22nd, looked extremely impressive on the high-definition displays and definitely attracted the majority of patrons. EA had employed some very lovely ladies to hand out posters for Need for Speed – again displaying the very attractive Krystal – that no visitor seemed to be without.
THQ had another racing title on display to rival Need for Speed – albeit slightly different. Posters and billboards for Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights were on display throughout (and above) the show floor, again with another scantily clad – but quite lovely – model on show. The drifting game occupied one console, with WWE Smackdown! v RAW 2008 hogging the other three. THQ's very successful wrestling simulator was abuzz with activity, with many keen to pit their skills against fellow competitors or the in-game AI. Anyone was also welcome to pick up a poster for the recently released Conan on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, although the game itself was no-where to be seen.
Ubisoft had a diverse range of games on display.
The exhibitors at Game1 certainly had a vast assortment of titles on display. Ubisoft was no exception, with Haze, Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja and Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii all on display. By the time we had the opportunity to get to the Ubisoft stand, all of the Haze posters were gone, but posters for all the other games were all still available. Ubisoft staff and girls from Zoo Magazine were enthusiastically handing out flyers alerting customers that they could get $20 off when they pre-order Haze and even enter a competition to win a souped-up Haze car. The exclusive PlayStation 3 shooter is due to be released shortly, so we jumped at the chance to play the game. Thankfully, for those of us with tired feet, Ubisoft has provided seats.
In Haze, players assume the identity of a soldier acting for a private military contractor. In the game, governments outsource their conflicts to contractors, who fight on their behalf. The game revolves around a rebel insurrection, and a drug – or 'nectar', as it is referred to in Haze – that gives players a distinct advantage in skirmishes by heightening their abilities. To be honest, the game felt a little like Far Cry, although the futuristic element certainly made things interesting. The gameplay is quite easily gotten used to and from my limited playtime seemed very linear. However, the biggest niggle with Haze was the graphics – the visuals seem only half a step up from Halo 2, even though the smoke, lighting and face models are all quite decent. However, the game on display was not the final code so the graphics will probably be somewhat better in the final retail version.
Cars weren't the only models in attendance.
Other displays at Game1 included hardware suppliers and mechanical driving simulators that visitors were given the opportunity to check out. On the centre stage, a troop of gorgeous ladies in swimwear performed at regular intervals, much to the excitement of the (male) visitors in attendance. A hip-hop group also came on stage and belted out a few tunes, while throwing out freebies – in the form of games, magazine and posters – to the highly energized crowd. Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 tournaments played throughout the day, drawing a small crowd of onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the skill of those in competition.
Overall, Game1 was worth checking out, especially for those interested in the cars in the AutoSalon section. However, for those interested only in seeing games on display, the event was somewhat lacklustre, especially given the price of admission. Casual fans would have been entertained seeing as they probably would not have witnessed any of the titles on display beforehand. Ultimately, with only a handful of unreleased games on show, it has to be questioned whether the expo will really satisfy more dedicated gamers, outside of the competitions and ladies that were more then willing to have your photo taken with them. Further, Nintendo and Sony were also notably absent from the event. Essentially, although the show – from the looks of things – went down quite well, it needed more things to do and more titles on display.
Game1 ends in Melbourne today, before moving to Sydney next month. For photos of the event, check out the media panel below.
Melbournians can get another gaming fix next weekend, when the eGames and Entertainment Expo also starts for a second year. PALGN will be in attendance and be bringing you all the news, previews and events as they happen.
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