By Matt Slagle
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Movie sequels often fall short of the original. Video games, however, usually get better with time.
From scary sci-fi shooters like "Doom III" to auto racing games such as "Gran Turismo 4," many popular games have received major face lifts, looking more lifelike than ever.
More than a thousand games were shown this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. E3 has more than games, of course - like the NVidia GeForce FX 5900 Ultra, a mouthful of a graphics card that costs a whopping $499 but figures to be the best pixel-pusher money can buy. Or Nyko Technologies' line of Air Flo controllers, which funnels fresh air through the grip to fight sweaty hands.
Wednesday, Microsoft Corp. said it has cut the price of its Xbox video game console by $20 to $179.99 in the United States after a comparable retail reduction by Sony's PlayStation 2.
Sony Computer Entertainment of America said earlier that it would discount current units of PlayStation 2 by the same amount at select outlets to clear stocks.
In June or July, Sony plans to begin selling the gaming console in a package with an Internet adapter, which was previously available only separately for $39.99.
Games were what the expo was all about, as thousands flocked to see the latest. A few offerings that attracted major attention:
• Doom III (PC). Welcome to id Software Inc.'s latest digital nightmare. Another first-person shooter, set in the dank confines of a Martian outpost. This isn't a thinking person's game - you shoot everything that moves (then shoot it again). What really makes Doom III shine are its graphics. If you've seen a Pixar film like Toy Story, then you already know what to expect, just a lot more gory.
• The Sims 2 (PC). The original game of social simulation gets an upgrade with three-dimensional graphics and the ability to watch your Sim grow from cradle to grave. After you die, you can create entire Sim families that share your Sim's digital DNA. That way, traits like facial features and skin color will continue from one generation to the next.
• Mario Kart: DoubleDash (GameCube). Nintendo has been holding back on a new kart game since 1997, but the wait seems to have been worth it for the newest family friendly racer. DoubleDash lets you race with a roster of Nintendo's marquee game characters, including plumbers Mario and Luigi. A new wrinkle in the rush to the finish is teamwork. Two racers are required per kart - a driver and a co-pilot to gather power-ups and control weapons.
• Gran Turismo 4 (PlayStation 2). The latest ultra-realistic driving game from Sony Computer Entertainment Group. Select from numerous tracks and hundreds of cars, from the Pontiac GTO to newer racers like the Honda NSX.
• Spider-Man 2 (PlayStation2, Xbox, GameCube). This list wouldn't be complete without at least one Hollywood tie-in. This time around, everyone's favorite web-slinger battles Doc Ock and Ock's baddies. Publisher Activision says it won't come out until summer 2004 - just in time for the next movie starring Tobey Maguire.
• Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (GameCube). Square Soft brings an exclusive to GameCube with the latest in a long line of Final Fantasy role-players. This time, up to four players will be able to join in a game simultaneously and fight a bizarre assortment of monsters.
