VIDEOGAME SEQUELS HEAT UP WINTER SELLING SEASON

What's hot for Christmas? In an industry regularly chastised for turning out too many sequels, too many video games based on movie licenses, the major game publishers say their very hottest titles this holiday season are -- wait for it -- sequels and movie licenses.

At Sony, which is poised to come out with its next-generation PlayStation 3 hardware in the Spring, the feeling is that now is the wrong time to come out with new IP.

"When you have an install base as huge as that of the [current generation] PlayStation 2 (PS2), it's wiser to just go with established franchises which you can count on to give you a certain guaranteed revenue stream," observes John Koller, senior marketing manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America. "It's dangerous to risk new IPs at the latter part of a hardware's life cycle. Instead, developers are spending their time on new IPs for the next-gen hardware when the install base won't be as great."

And so, when each of five of the largest video game publishers were asked to name their one anticipated bestseller in the all-important year-end selling season, it was no surprise that Sony picked the third iteration of its popular Navy SEAL series, " SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs ."

Sony: "SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs"

Two days after it launched last week, the squad-based, third-person military action game set a PS2 record for the most simultaneous online players at any one time -- 48,700. Understandably, Sony feels that bodes well for the third title in the franchise that started back in 2002. At the time, SOCOM was the first console game to come bundled with a headset to enable players to chat with online squad members.

Today, SOCOM still touts its online playability as the newest version enables …

… 32 players to join in on a single map, up from 16.

Gamers take on the role of a SEAL commander who, together with his squad, is inserted into hostile areas around the globe and asked to perform a variety of missions against terrorists.

“The developer, Zipper Interactive, went down to Mississippi where the Navy let them capture all the sounds and images of the various craft they have down there, which were all implemented into the game,” says Sony's Koller.

Besides the realism, the newest version boasts missions that are five or six times larger than those of its predecessor. It is rated “M” for “Mature” (17 and older).

“Not surprisingly, our target audience is primarily 18-24-year-old males who may already be SOCOM fans and who will enjoy that powerful feeling of being able to command a platoon of SEALs, telling the other AI [artificial intelligence] characters in the single-player version to, say, flank right and fire when necessary,” he adds. “And, when you go online, there's a whole different feel to the game because you're actually commanding real people -- so you and 15 of your friends can go up against 16 other players. It becomes a very deep game.” 

Sony's marketing campaign is focusing on both the current feelings about defending America and the romantic aura surrounding the SEALs. “I think people see the SEALs, and special ops in general, as very exciting silent warriors who go in, do their job quietly and expertly, and disappear,” notes Koller.

Microsoft: “Perfect Dark Zero”

While Sony's PS3 won't be on store shelves until Spring, Microsoft's next-generation hardware -- the Xbox 360 -- is scheduled for release in the U.S. two days prior to Thanksgiving, on Nov. 22, giving gamers something to be thankful for -- Microsoft's big launch title, Perfect Dark Zero.

Exclusive to the Xbox 360, the “M”-rated first-person shooter is the prequel to “Perfect Dark” which sold over 3 million copies worldwide when it first appeared on the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Created by Microsoft's Rare Ltd. studio (which also developed the original game), “PDZ” takes place three years earlier and tells the story of how redheaded protagonist Joanna Dark became the “perfect secret agent.” Rare is also known as the developer of GoldenEye, one of the top 10 shooters of all time, and of the forthcoming Xbox 360 title “Kameo: Elements Of Power.”

While “PDZ” is primarily a single-person game, it would be unusual for any of today's video games not to include both multiplayer and online components.

“We also feature co-operative gameplay for two players, which lets you play the single-player missions but with different objectives,” explains John Dongelmans, a global product manager at Microsoft. Also adding to the replayability of the game are the four difficulty levels which don't just make the AI smarter but also change the nature of each mission.

Multiplayer gameplay can be achieved on one Xbox 360 in split-screen mode, on two connected consoles, or on Microsoft's Xbox Live online service which enables 32 gamers to play at once on six different maps.

Because it was designed for the next-gen Xbox 360 console, one of the appeals of “PDZ,” according to Dongelmans, is its 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) high-definition graphics, “its stunning visuals, and its breath-taking special effects.”

“We plan to start our massive advertising campaign in early November,” he reveals, “with print, online, TV, and cinema advertising. And for real ‘Perfect Dark' fans, there will be a limited collector's edition of the game at launch which will come in a tin box with lots of extra content, including a bonus DVD and a special copy of the ‘Perfect Dark' comic book.”

Electronic Arts: “Need for Speed Most Wanted”

The “Perfect Dark” series may be going into its second iteration, the “SOCOM” series its third, but few franchises are as enduring as Electronic Arts' “Need For Speed” which is set to screech into stores on Nov. 15 with its tenth title, Need For Speed Most Wanted.” The latest “T”-rated (13 and over) version -- releasing 11 years after the original in 1994 -- will be available for Xbox 360, Xbox, PSP, and PC (all of which will support online gameplay), plus GBA, mobile, NDS, GameCube, and PS2.

“This time around, the big ticket is the introduction of intense cop pursuits,” says Keith Munro, VP of marketing at EA Canada. “The creative team in Vancouver spent two years on the game, a good portion of it developing the AI for how police pursuit tactics really work -- the way they box in a suspect from all sides or perform rolling roadblocks.”

“NFS” is still a street racer at heart; the goal is to move up on the “black list” of the most notorious racers by leaving them in your dust. But, this time, the police will be on your tail and strategic evasive action is the name of the game.

“As the police pursuits become more and more intense, you can use different techniques to evade them,” explains Munro. “For instance, you can try to create traffic jams which will effectively block your pursuers. Or you can hit, say, an 18-wheeler which might then drop some of its cargo into the path of oncoming police cars. Or you can actually hide, choosing a spot where the police may not spot you. Imagine ducking behind a building, your heart thumping, praying that the cops didn't see where you went. It's a totally new mechanic for a racing game.”

Munro admits that he fully expects some “Grand Theft Auto”-type criticism given the fact that the game involves running from the police. But, he says, “EA would never make a game like GTA. “There's no personal injury to anybody in this game,” he explains. “You could even say that just driving fast on the street is a bad message. But we make it clear that this is a fantasy, not reality, and that all we're doing is providing a safe place for gamers to fulfill their ultimate driving fantasies.”

Activision: “Tony Hawk's American Wasteland”

Speaking of “Grand Theft Auto,” the Rockstar game was lauded by many reviewers because of its massive, free-roaming world that enabled gamers to travel wherever they wished. The seventh iteration of Activision's six-year-old “Tony Hawk” skateboarding series, “Tony Hawk's American Wasteland,” boasts a similar landscape.

“What makes ‘American Wasteland' so different is that it's the very first time a sports game has given gamers a free-roaming environment,” says Will Kassoy, VP of global brand management. “Players can skate or ride their BMX bikes anywhere they want in a rich, expansive setting without the interruption of load screens or levels. We're serving up one massive skateboarding playground, which is just what consumers have told us they want.”

The plan is for the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, DS, and mobile versions of the “T”-rated game to release next week, with the Xbox 360 version available day-and-date with the hardware unveiling on Nov. 22.

“The Xbox 360 version's graphics will totally take advantage of the power of the new console, with gorgeous animation and artwork, lighting and textures,” Kassoy adds. “Plus we have one more major innovation; we're adding multiplayer to the franchise via the Xbox Live service for both the Xbox and Xbox 360 versions.”

Target audience for the game, which was developed by Neversoft Entertainment, is 12-24-year-old males, the same demographic that is interested in skateboarding.

“They're the players who will appreciate most the game's storyline -- which is to travel throughout the whole city of Los Angeles as you try to save an old, forgotten skate park called The Ranch,” says Kassoy. “At the same time, you get to interact with Tony Hawk and other legendary pros who will teach you some of the tricks and moves that you need to perform.”

Kassoy also calls the game the most customizable in the history of the franchise in that players can import a digital photo of their face and put it on the skater in the game.

“Gamers can send their characters into barbershops and tattoo parlors and clothing stores to change the way they look in the game,” he says. And in a whirlwind of product placement, players can also choose from 30 different real clothing and shoe brands.

“Yes, it's product placement,” Kassoy says, “but that also makes the game more authentic for young gamers since these are all cool brands that are popular today.”

Ubisoft: “Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of The Movie”

If there was any doubt whatsoever that this is THE licensed version of the highly anticipated film, Ubisoft clears that right up by spelling it out in the name of the game, “Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game Of The Movie.” In fact, the publisher is positioning this action title as the best game-from-movie ever, the 800-lb. gorilla of movie games.

Jackson reportedly sought out developer Michel Ancel to create the video game and then he and Ancel worked together for two years to build “Kong,” which is said to be deeper than the movie.

“The two of them sat down to write the script,” explains Tony Kee, VP of marketing, “and then Peter Jackson created about 30 extra characters that aren't in the movie.”

A player will find themselves alternating between controlling Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody in the movie) in first-person mode and then Kong in third-person mode.

“Kong needs to be in third-person,” says Kee, “because you really need to see him and to feel his power, especially as you swing from tree to tree or wrestle with a T-Rex.”

The release date is three weeks before the movie for all eight versions, including Xbox 360, DS, GBA, PSP, GameCube, PS2, PC, and Xbox. None of the versions have a multiplayer component in the traditional sense, but Xbox and Xbox 360 gamers will be able to connect to the Xbox Live service, post stats, and compare scores and finish times with other players.

While movie buffs surely know the end of the original 1933 “King Kong,” Kee wouldn't discuss whether the plot and climax of the Ubisoft game are identical. “We're holding out on discussing that,” he says. “To be completely honest, we've made a lot of deals with a lot of partners about not letting go that information.”

“Kong” is one of only a few movie-to-game efforts from Ubisoft and the company is apparently counting on the game to show off its stuff.

“Forget everything you know about movie-based games,” says Kee. “We want Hollywood to see what's possible when a movie and a game studio collaborate in this way. This will be the new benchmark.”