Gamers like to complain that publishers are content to crank out sloppy sequels and boring movie-to-game conversions.
Of course, when innovative games do come along, they rarely leave a blip on the gaming consciousness. When is the last time you heard anyone talking about Rez, a Sega title for the PlayStation 2?
Well, here we go again, although this time the marketing muscle might be powerful enough to make gamers notice.
Microsoft recently sent out previews of its Music Mixer title.
Music Mixer is essentially karaoke, with an Xbox Live twist. There were several songs included on the CD - an odd mix ranging from "Amazing Grace" to "YMCA" - and you get a microphone that plugs into the expansion slot on the Xbox controller.
The words light up on the screen as the background vocals and beat play. You sing, your friends laugh and so forth.
The cool part is that when the final version is released this fall, you can buy and download tunes from Microsoft via Xbox Live and store them to the Xbox's hard drive.
You'll also be able to sync your PC with your Xbox, allowing you to sing along to the MP3s stored on your computer.
The syncing software isn't available yet, but it's a cool idea.
There's also an intriguing feature in Music Mixer that lets you insert any audio CD, and Music Mixer will strip out the lyrics and leave the instrumentals so you can sing along. But in the preview version I tried, Music Mixer also stripped out most of the non-bass sounds.
This could be a cool little piece of software, but you can bet hard-core gamers will slam it the moment it hits the market because they'll associate karaoke with drunken businessmen in bars.
In the same vein, Sony is about to release its EyeToy peripheral for the PS2.
It's essentially a small Webcam that you plug into your PS2. Sony is promoting simple games where you'll be able to watch yourself on the TV and use your arms and fists to "punch" enemies on the screen.
Yes, it's cheesy, and the technology is clearly more advanced than the games built around it.
But let's see what Microsoft and Sony do with these gadgets.
The latest QuakeCon tournament in Dallas ended last weekend, and you can check out the full wrap-up over at www.quakecon.org.
Id Software unveiled the multiplayer portion of its upcoming Doom 3 at the event, and some official screen shots were released for rabid, public consumption.
By the way, Doom 3 will almost certainly not come out this year. That's a change from earlier hints that the PC title would be set to go before Christmas. Oh, well.
Sony is sweetening the deal for gamers thinking about getting a PS2. The company said this week it will toss in a free game - the online racing title ATV OffRoad Fury 2 - with its $199 PS2 bundle, which includes the console and a network adapter for online play.
Sony will continue to sell the stand-alone PS2 for $179.
Some industry analysts expect Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to cut the base prices on their systems before the holiday season.
Now this is how Microsoft should have parodied those Apple "switch" ads.
Check out this funny spin on the ads, with a gamer valiantly defending the limited number of top-notch PC games that get released for Macs: www.redvsblue.com/appleswitch.shtml.
Graphics card maker ATI Technologies Inc. has signed a deal with Microsoft to produce the graphics chips for the next version of the Xbox console.
Nvidia makes the graphics chips for the Xbox but has fought with Microsoft over financial terms.
ATI already makes the graphics chip for Nintendo's GameCube system, so it will be interesting to see if Nintendo looks for a new graphics chip supplier for its next console. Nvidia, perhaps?
Reach the reporter at vgodinez@dallasnews.com.
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