With E3 undergoing a radical redesign, Leipzig could well become the next big thing in gaming expos.
Who would’ve thought that the birthplace of Johann Sebastien Bach would provide the rebirth of the games industry annual show? With E3 undergoing major change and down-sizing, Leipzig seems to have thrown down the gauntlet with loads of exciting games announcements direct from its show floor.
The highlight for many Xbox gamers will be the PES 6 and FIFA 07 showings from Konami and EA Sports respectively. It’s not all football though and third party support is looking stronger than ever for our beloved Xbox 360 as fans of every genre are catered for at this year’s show.
Sports fans can look forward to Tiger Woods 07 and NHL 07 from EA Sports while 2K Sports bring NBA 2K7 and NHL 2K7 to the party. Virtua Tennis 3 leads Sega’s showing and for those who prefer the thinking man’s side of sports, LMA Manager 2007 will satisfy anyone who wants to manage Juventus from their living room.
Racing fans are more than catered for with an impressive showing of the big-name franchises, from Need for Speed: Carbon (EA) to the new Sega Rally (Sega), Colin McRae: DIRT (Codemasters) and of course Forza Motorsport 2 from Microsoft.
They’re not short on shooters here either, with Call of Duty 3 from Activision leading a sterling line-up including The Darkness (2K Games), Lost Planet (Capcom), Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (Valve Software), Stranglehold (Midway), Just Cause (Eidos) and for the more stealthy among you, Splinter Cell: Double Agent from Ubisoft.
There’s plenty more to get out of Leipzig, from the enchanting world of Viva Pinata to the futuristic universe in Sega’s latest Phantasy Star offering. We’ll have more on all of these titles soon as Xbox 360 prepares for its hottest year ever.
