Platform Racing Game Reviews for Playstation, Nintendo 64, PC, and Dreamcast

News Headlines
(For the Week of 6/26/00)

Sony Unveils Portable Playstation

PS One will ship in Japan in July for 15,000 Yen ($140) and reach U.S. shores in September. However U.S. gamers will have to wait until next year for the LCD screen. "This new product marks our renewed commitment to the games business after our PlayStation and PlayStation 2 game consoles have become big hits," said SCE President Ken Kutaragi.
Main Product Features
Product Name: PlayStation (PS one(TM))
Available: September 2000
Suggested Retail Price: North American price to be determined Production Forecast: 8 million units worldwide for FY '01 (PS one and PlayStation game console combined) Dimensions: 193 mm (W) X 38 mm (H) X 144 mm (D)
Weight: 550 g
Formats Supported: PlayStation CD-ROM, Audio CD
Interfaces: Controller port (2) Memory Card slot (2) AV Multi Cable output (1)
Accessories Included: DUALSHOCK(TM) analog controller (1) AV Multi Cable (1) AC Adapter (1)
Basic Specifications: (same as existing PlayStation game console)
CPU: 32 bit RISC (R3000 custom)
Clock Speed: 33.8688 MHz
Main Memory: 16Mbit
Graphics: PlayStation GPU
Graphics Memory: 8Mbit
Sound: SPU 24 channel
Sound Memory: 4Mbit
Disc Drive: CD-ROM 2 times speed
Don't be fooled by this announcement, however. The PS One is not a portable system like the Gameboy. It still has to be plugged in to a wall socket. There are a few new features, though. A cell phone cable, whose use has not been explained yet, and an LCD screen (which must be purchased separately, and will not be available in the U.S. at the time of release) have been announced. Other than that however, this is basically the same system as the regular Playstation with a new look. A big problem with the PS One is that many peripherals and connection devices compatible with the original Playstation, such as the Gameshark, will not work with the PS One. The success of this device will be determined in the next few months, when it is released in Japan, and then here in the U.S.

The Future of Racing Games?

Kalisto signed an exclusive agreement with SRO (St�phane Ratel Organisation) for the production of online games that allow real time participation in the FIA GT championship.
This partnership with FIA GT championship is the first step in the innovative series of projects announced last February by Kalisto under the "Sportners" name. For the first time, thousands of gamers will be able to participate in the whole championship season, driving the legendary cars of the FIA GT.
First convincing tests have been realised on the most prestigious race tracks. Thanks to sensors on vehicles, all the real-time racing information is transmitted to data services controlled by Kalisto. This new innovative experience allows gamers to compete against actual, real life participants.
" This partnership is a world premiere in the racing car and video game fields. Beyond the tremendous technological performance, Kalisto also creates a new spirit in this online game : a community experience based on a positive sporting spirit ", declared Henri Magalon, Kalisto Online Director ; " Racing car fans as well as gran turismo video games fans will be able to live the emotions of the greatest drivers. "
" Dream cars, advanced technology and conviviality make the specificity of the FIA GT championship " stated Stephane Ratel, Director of SRO and organizer of the championship.
" The new line of games developed by Kalisto will allow hundreds of thousands of fans around the world to enter this exclusive universe. Such a partnership represents a unique opportunity for the expansion of the Gran Turismo races. "
This online sport gaming innovation will be developed using Kalisto's unique proprietary technological tools combined with the proven experience and expertise of the internal teams in developing successful racing games.
This project development is a full part of Kalisto's online strategy. Kalisto is clearly positioned as a high quality interactive content provider, for all the new online media and forecasts 50% of its turnover will be generated online by 2002.

Acclaim Announces New Racing Title Featuring Ducati Motorcycles

GLEN COVE, N.Y. - Acclaim Entertainment, a leading worldwide interactive entertainment company, today announced that it is set to publish a multi-format video game based on Ducati motorcycles.
Developed by Attention To Detail (ATD), the game tentatively titled Ducati is focused on the bikes, lifestyle and great tradition of the world's premium motorcycle brand.
"Both Acclaim and ATD are in collaboration with Ducati to ensure that the gameplay and styling accurately projects the revolutionary and desirable Ducati feel," said Evan Stein, Brand Director at Acclaim Entertainment. "Designed with the gamer in mind, the sophisticated game physics allow the player to get a feel of the different handling of Ducati's bikes throughout the classic Italian motorcycle company's fifty-year-old history."
Ducati contains two games in one: Ducati Quick Race and Ducati Life. In the Quick Race Mode, single players climb through a simple arcade-style progression and skill achievement is rewarded with faster and more desirable bikes. There are three different difficulty levels in which to race as well as eight initial tracks. The Ducati Life mode is unique in that it offers single players a realistic simulation of the entire Ducati bike range. Proof of skill rewards players with cash flow, which can be used to enter more races and purchase more desirable bikes and upgrades. Players can then tweak their hard-earned bikes until they are the ultimate racing machines. The unique thrill comes when the player takes their tuned bike and enters a challenge race against a friend - win and they get to keep both bikes; lose and it's back to the garage empty handed. The game also includes a Classic Showroom, which contains samples of Ducati bikes from the 1950's to the present; the Ducati Showroom, featuring modern Ducati bikes; and the Used Showroom, where gamers can purchase less expensive, used bikes.
Acclaim will support Ducati with a comprehensive marketing campaign that targets Ducati enthusiasts and mass market gamers. A multifaceted marketing campaign is planned including targeted TV and print in gaming, motorcycle and male-focused consumer publications. An online banner program as well as other marketing initiatives on the exclusive web site at http://www.acclaim.com and http://www.ducati.com.

SEGA.com Hires CTO To Oversee Introduction Of SEGANET, The Only Online Console

SAN FRANCISCO - Sega.com Inc., a leading online interactive entertainment company for gamers, today announced that Lynn MacConnell has joined the management team in the key role of CTO. MacConnell joins Sega.com following her role as consultant for marchFIRST managing the creative, technical and strategic teams designing and engineering the new Sega� of America web site in preparation for the launch of SegaNet(tm).
"The role of CTO is a key addition to our management structure as we begin the beta test of our new service and ISP in preparation for the launch this September," said Brad Huang, president and CEO, Sega.com. "Lynn brings the combination of technical know-how and management experience needed to build the most advanced service, hence attracting the most comprehensive audience."
For the last 17 years, she has managed IT/IS departments, customer service centers, web development groups and implementation of distributed systems for companies such as Silicon Energy, Silicon Valley Bank, and TIBCO software. Most recently, MacConnell consulted as the engagement manager and managing architect for marchFIRST where she oversaw a staff of 55 engineers and project managers on the Sega.com project. "It is an exciting time to be joining the video game industry," said MacConnell. "It has been such a large contributor to the Internet community and I want to be part of enabling the next wave of consumers to get online and take their games to the next level. And SegaNet is the only company poised to do that today for both console and PC players."
As the new chief technology officer for Sega.com, MacConnell will report to Huang and is responsible for managing approximately 115 technical staff. Additionally, she will oversee the relationship with Genuity, a division of the GTE Corporation (NYSE:GTE) and a leading provider of business Internet services. Working with SegaNet, Genuity will provide national and local access and security and integration for the high-speed gaming network.
"Not only was Lynn familiar with our mission, but her experience with new technologies was exactly what we were looking for," continued Huang. "Online gaming has been frequently cited as the top Internet activity among our target audience, but has been limited to the PC until now. We have an audience that is ready and eager for this new online gaming experience and we are the only company with the pieces and the people in place to bring it to the consumer today."
About Sega.com and SegaNet
Sega.com, Inc. is a new online entertainment company whose goal is to become the online destination for gamers. Sega.com integrates SegaNet, the only high-speed online console gaming network providing Dreamcast users with the ultimate in speed, reliability and content. SegaNet offers gamers the best in 3D multi-player games, chat, community, cheat codes, tournaments and content. SegaNet is also an ISP for Sega Dreamcast and PC users, offering gamers everything they need to know about gaming and other areas of interest that tie in with gaming including music, TV, community, movies, sports and e-commerce.

Playstation 2: The Straight Facts

We are quickly approaching the 21st century. Technology in our everyday lives is continually advancing, rendering any new product we buy obsolete within days. Therefore, there is no surprise that home video-game consoles are also advancing. We have gone from the 8-bit days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, to 128-bit consoles, either under development, or already released. But, as technology advances, so too do gamers' expectations for consistently good games. It is no doubt that, in the 21st century, the console with the best games will be the winner.

With the Sega Dreamcast already being released to rave reviews, the other two major console manufacturers have to rush to put together an even better system. The Nintendo Corporation, maker of the Nintendo 64, is releasing a console codenamed "Dolphin". Not much is known about the Dolphin, and therefore an accurate view on progress cannot be made. However, recently after the release of the Dreamcast, Sony released full specs and screenshots of its upcoming console, the Playstation 2. Here are the specs...

CPU: 128 Bit "Emotion Engine"
System Clock Frequency: 300 MHz
Cache Memory Instruction: 16KB - Data: 8KB + 16KB (ScrP)
Main Memory Direct Rambus (Direct RDRAM)
Memory Size: 32MB
Memory Bus Bandwidth: 3.2GB per Second
Co-processor: FPU (Floating Point Unit): Floating Point Multiply, Accumulator x 1, and Floating Point Divider x 1
Two Vector Units: VU0 and VU, Floating Point Multiply, Accumulator x 9, and Floating Point Divider x 3
Floating Point Performance: 6.2 GFLOPS

Graphics:
3D CG Geometric Transformation: 66 Million Polygons per second
Compressed Image Decoder: MPEG2
Graphics: "Graphics Synthesizer"
Clock Frequency: 150MHz
DRAM Bus bandwidth: 48GB per Second
DRAM Bus width: 2560bits
Pixel Configuration: RGB
Alpha: Z Buffer (24:8:32)
Maximum Polygon Rate: 75 Million Polygons per Second

Audio:
Sound: "SPU2+CPU"
Number of Voices: ADPCM: 48ch on SPU2 plus definable, software programmable voices
Sampling Frequency: 44.1 KHz or 48 KHz (selectable)

Input/Output:
IO: I/O Processor
CPU Core: PlayStation (current) CPU
Clock Frequency: 33.8MHz or 37.5MHz (Selectable)
Sub Bus: 32 Bit
Interface Types: IEEE1394 (FireWire), Universal Serial Bus (USB)
Communication: PC-Card (PCMCIA)
Disc Device: CD-ROM and DVD-ROM

The specs for the system look stunning. The processor is said to be 8 times faster than a Pentium II computer and 2 times faster than a Pentium III is. 128-bit graphics are state of the art, and from the game screenshots provided, you can tell that they live up to the hype. The games play off of DVD, or CD, and the Playstation 2 IS BACKWARD COMPATIBLE. For anyone who doesn't know, this means you can play Playstation games on the Playstation 2. Also using the DVD format, you can play DVD movies on the Playstation 2. On paper, the Playstation 2 looks to be the winner so far.

But, systems don't sell from what's on paper, as the Virtual Boy, 3DO and the Atari Jaguar have shown. And looking at the picture of the system, it seems to this writer that Sony hasn't put much thought into the interests of the gamer. At first glance, the system looks like a DVD player. With the streamlined, almost aerodynamic looks of the N64 and the Dreamcast, it looks like Sony has chosen to go with the generic look in this area. And while this may not be eye pleasing, the design of the system does not sell it. On the other hand, the small, rectangular, almost "book-like" shape of the Playstation 2 is very space conservative, compared to the aforementioned systems, which take up about 2 square feet of space on a shelf. The most striking, and disappointing feature of the Playstation 2 is the fact that it has only two controllers. Many have said that the PS2's modem will render the need for 4 player games obsolete, but I disagree. There's nothing like playing Goldeneye, or Star Fox, with four players all in the same room, with each player trash talking for every kill. Playing over the Internet is, in my opinion, both innovative and detrimental at the same time. I believe that for this reason, the Dolphin and the Dreamcast will one-up the Playstation 2. Finally, the controller for the Playstation 2 looks exactly like that of its predecessor. I wasn't the only one who found the Playstation controller both uncomfortable and unresponsive. And it seems that with this new system, unless major changes take place, the same sluggish control will be found in many Playstation 2 games. Rather than completely overhauling their controller, like Dreamcast and N64, Sony has gone back to square one, which in this author's opinion, is a big mistake.

As I said before, software makes the system. A 256-bit system would be worthless without quality games, as the 8-bit NES was one of the best systems of all time. As it is, the Playstation 2 looks to have great games, and this could be its saving grace. Gran Turismo 2000, Tekken Tag Tournament, Street Fighter EX-3, and the Final Fantasy Series look to rocket the Playstation 2 from dismal mediocrity, to having a serious bid in the future of video-game sales. However, Sony needs to play its cards right and execute these games well. Squaresoft, confirmed Playstation 2 developer, has already commented that it would look into developing for the future Nintendo system. If Sony cannot make the Playstation 2 compatible to these games, and present an innovative way to play them, they are looking at a complete shutout.

There are other factors to consider in judging the new consoles, such as price. Dreamcast sold for $199, and the Dolphin is said to sell for as low as $150. Early prices for the Playstation 2 are in the $370-380 range, but they are said to drop substantially. Additionally, Sony needs to be careful whom they market their system to. Many insiders have said the Playstation 2 is aimed directly toward an older audience (hence the space-saving shape, the higher price, and the DVD movie compatibility). This could, or could not be a mistake, as most gamers are in the 15-21 age group. It is my opinion that, by marketing this console for more mature gamers, Sony is alienating their core consumer, and this could be a huge oversight in their part.

With the Playstation 2 scheduled to hit stores in Japan on March 4, 2000 and hitting the States and Europe around the Fall of next year, you have to look closely at which system to buy. Sega's Dreamcast is already out and selling like hot cakes and Nintendo will soon be releasing information on their new system "Dolphin", which should arrive a few months after Playstation 2, the choice is tough for many hardcore gamers. Whichever console you choose to buy, you are sure to get the best efforts of some of the best developers in the world in the software department, with state-of-the-art technology to back them up. Games can only get better with the 21st century. --Andrew Sturgeon

Epcot Will NEVER Be The Same

As of September 30th, Disney World visitors will be able to visit the new Innoventions exhibit at Epcot Center (one of the three amusement parks at Disney World). Sega, whom recently released the new Sega Dreamcast, will be one of the many exhibitors found inside the new Innoventions exhibit. Why Sega you ask? Well Innoventions is planning on showcasing the future of technology and the way online gaming has come along the past fews years and into the future. Sega, of course as you know, has the ability of online play via its 56K modem.
Announcing that it has a two year commitment as an exhibitor, Sega will have a 2900 square foot section of the building to showcase many of the games that the Dreamcast supports. There will be 34 interactive stations around the exhibit will playable kiosks and a presentation of the much anticipated "Shenmue", a new role-playing that houses the latest in video-game power. As of right now the games that are playable on kiosks are Sonic Adventure, Sega Bass Fishing, Shenmue, NFL 2K, and NBA 2K. But what about us hardcore racing fans? Are there any games for us to slap our sweaty palms on? Why of course! CART-Flag to Flag, and Sega Rally 2 Championship edition will both be playable in the exhibits awakening. CART-Flag to Flag is the first game for the Dreamcast that puts the gamer behind the engine of a Formula 1 racer and Sega Rally 2 Championship is a fast, realistic off-road racing game.
Senor Vice President of Sega of America, Peter Moore recently said, "Innoventions is an ideal forum for us to demonstrate Dreamcast's ability to make the world a smaller, more enjoyable place by connecting people via the Internet for the first time through a low cost gaming console. Sega Dreamcast's 56K modem and realistic, evolving gameplay represent the future of gaming and technology...We look forward to continually updating our Innoventions exhibit as new technology and Sega Dreamcast games are introduced."
Online gaming is something that the Dreamcast is all alone in the huge field of video-game consoles. Being packaged along with a 56K modem, Sega hopes to supply the diehard multiplayer fans all over the world. Over the next twelve months Sega plans to phase in the online gaming experience to all Dreamcast owners. Innoventions will be the place that Sega will debut the Internet capabilities of the Dreamcast so be ready. As soon as Sega begins producing online compatible video games expect to be able to race seven other people from around the world in your favorite racing game.
What does all this mean? Not really that much if you think about it. Most of us only visit Disney World about once every 10 years but for those gamers who plan on going down to Florida this year or next be sure to make your way to the Epcot Center's Innoventions exhibit and check out Sega's section.
--Nick Steinhauer