The Toronto Star from Toronto, Ontario, Canada • 117

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY Thursday, May 27, 1999 Section HIGH TECH J7 THE FORCE: Star 'ars games and paraphernalia were everywhere, but Black tO White, below, from Lion-bead Studios, stole the show, according to Mare Saltzman. best-looking off-road racing game to date. Expect an unprecedented level of detail and stunning environments. Quite simply, if you thought the first Motocross Madness game was impressive, wait until next year for this sequel. Other titles worth mentioning are EAs Need For Speed: High Stakes, and WCW: Mayhem, Midways Ready 2 Rumble Boxing and Acclaims Trickstyle, a futuristic stunt game of urban surfing.

ACTION: As with last years show, E3 1999 was another banner year for action games. But unless you own a snazzy 3D accelerator card, you can forget about indulging Inside By Marc Saltzman ELECTRONIC GAMES COLUMNIST LOS ANGELES Imagine wandering around a (about 10 football fields!) electronic entertainment mecca filled with tomorrows games flickering on 40-foot video screens, larger-than-life statues of your favourite characters and mascots, music throbbing and lights flashing, and stunning models to greet you at booths. Then after hours getting a chance to rub elbows (or whatever) with celebrities at the Playboy mansion. Its a tough job, I know, but its life at the Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3), the gaming worlds annual showcase of what should be the hottest software and hardware in the next year or two. Can you say Utopia, kids? Sure ya can.

From May 13-15, more than 55,000 members of the computer and console gaming industry crammed into the Los Angeles Convention Centre for the fifth annual E3 Expo. Attendees came from more than 70 countries to see or display their wares. Though there are other conventions throughout the year with game content, such as Comdex, ECTS or the Tokyo Game Show, E3 is the granddaddy of them all. What did you expect for an industry larger than Hollywood? Last year, in the U.S. alone, revenues generated by the computer and console gaming industry exceeded $6 .3 billion, according to die NPD Group.

Its estimated to top $7 billion in 1999. Mirroring this trend, E3 attendance was up approximately 33 per cent this year over last. So, out of the close to 2,000 new titles Vlalt any larkidna IS Mnnilur1 and Prinlrr i Ispirati with 15" Miwmm1 MediaGXm 40GB hard 1 32 MB SDRAM theres a few new tweaks, such as players faces that can express emotion. And with NHL 2000, gamers can import a digital picture and map their own face on to the players body. In addition, EA has included a meatier Internet component to these games, with an online community centre and worldwide tournaments.

And for solo gamers, the artificial intelligence (AI) has been fine-tuned considerably, too. For football fans, tune in next week for the console coverage. Only a handful of media were treated to Microsofts private screening of the next Motocross Madness installment, and though they were not able to provide publishable screen shots, I assure you its the -jf- shown on the floor and behind closed-doors (viewable by invitation-only), what stood out? This week, well look at computer games, genre by genre, then get to the real story; Who had the best parties. Next week. Ill look at the best games and hardware for all console gaming platforms Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation and the upcoming Sega Dreamcast.

As expected, EA Sports had a strong sports lineup again this year, with its annual franchises NHL 2000, FIFA 2000 and NBA Live 2000 the most remarkable of the bunch. Graphically, IBM Mama CamputbiB tiara by May Blal Plus, dan't mill aur athar WHAT NEXT? Inventor of the World Wide Web wonders where his brainchild is going. J2 ADDICTED TO LOVE: New study says millions of Internet users are becoming online sex addicts. H6 ant antar our eantaat la win a Mauntaln Blkal graaf liMlara apaclals. Ispirati 756E K6 MMX-enhanced processor 300MHz 6jOCB hard drive 36X max CD-ROM1 64MB SDRAM 56khpa modem 534E anii Ixhas I IU0 Chuiui JirrpwiwTKjT MMX-enhanced processor 266M 1 Iz drive 36X max CD-ROM1 56Kbps modem our choe $999 IBM Visit our Web sit at www.can.ibm.comshoppc Or order directly by calling t-800-267-9077 axL 353 Mtatknr add wpanili4y fa i (a lt right pfara" NoalnafcQluriiMwSlffOOVIMBquanWaaM SNppngandharairiqchafgaaaraaxaandaianon-wluxMPtoducmaynolbaiiic wtfioinBMaraoalaradidafflarkof PM toporakonandauaadiaidar Icanaaby IBMCanada lid K6 waraqOf dkarianartof atwdarwtof CyktCoipowkOft Miff a tan inwli ol Md Qipmattn Hr a nl bprak Tlir a nrfr afian mfrirl mrr Tht nwnM 1 imiog aia ii mawmri rlarinn -ibnaa hrmnrlel 2 Vbnattaiaadma Actual payback apaad may wy and oflan Has tan Via maximum poaat Coma an May 3US98L Om itatam 1.