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After Microsoft's storming press conference at LA's Grand Olympic Auditorium last night, Sony needed to pull something special out of the bag to impress the assembled mass of games journalists from around the world. But after an hour in the company of Kaz Hirai, president and chief operating officer of Sony Computer Entertainment America, and his colleagues, no one was in any doubt that PlayStation 2 will continue to be the market leader for many years to come.

In a confident, somewhat cocky presentation, Sony outlined its plans for the 2003-2004 period, with a few unexpected announcements.

Outlining its strategy for success, Sony announced that it plans to offer consumers a wave of innovative games, evolve the PS2 hardware, foster an online gaming community and make its first foray into the handheld market

PS2 games to die for

Several key PS2 titles were unveiled at Sony's E3 press conference.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was the first title to be announced, and Sony were keen to stress that the next instalment of edgy undercover action will be a PS2 exclusive. This time Snake's adventures will be set in a sweltering jungle where players must fight for survival by battling relentless natural elements and an onslaught of rultless enemy soldiers. No video of MGS: Snake Eater was shown at the conference, but stay tuned for impressions of the game when a 12-minute cinematic trailer makes its debut on the show floor later this week.

Not surprisingly, Gran Turismo 4 was also high on Sony's list of killer titles, and attendees were treated to a dazzling video of the game in action which was so slick, stylish and detailed that it was hard to tell if it was a video game or real-life racing footage.

Kazunori Yamauchi, producer of the GT series and president of Polyphony Digital, then gave a brief outline of the game's new features, claiming that the car physics will feel more realistic than in any previous GT game, and that the AI of rival drivers will seem more 'human' than ever before. He also hinted that GT4 will allow players to experience the history of motoring from its birth to the modern day (classic cars... awesome!), that many of the races will be staged on real courses around the world (France, London and so on), and that online capabilities will be included in the finished game.

Another surprise announcement was Rise To Honor, a cinematic beat-'em-up inspired by Hong Kong action movies. The game itself is being developed in collaboration with martial arts star Jet Li, whose high-kicking moves have been motion captured for use in the game. The game's key selling point is that it will allow players to replicate Li's trademark fighting action by tackling enemies in 360 degrees, and the dazzling demo showed a perfectly-realised Li punching, kicking and shooting enemies all around with moves that blended seamlessly into incredible, ass-kicking sequences.

Although no details were given, Sony also announced that the next instalment of the Grand Theft Auto series will also appear exclusively on PS2, a title that will undoubtedly help the company stay one step ahead of the competition.

PS2 hardware announcements

In an attempt to increase the number of PS2 online gamers around the world, Sony also announced a new PS2 hardware pack that will include a built-in Network Adaptor (compatible with ethernet or modem) for online play.

Slated for release in the States this June, the PlayStation 2 Online Pack is set to cost $199 and will allow players to quickly enter the PS2 online community using either dial-up or broadband

The new hardware will also feature the option to play rewritable DVD discs, support progressive scan technology for higher quality DVD playback and have a built-in infra red remote sensor that means gamers will no longer need to purchase a separate infra-red receiver to use a remote control. The PS2's internal fan will also be quieter in the new hardware bundle, so players won't be distracted by that annoying 'whirring' sound when playing games in the early hours of the morning.

Sony also announced that it will be releasing a PS2-branded USB Headset this September in the States - priced at around $29 - that utilises Voice Over Internet Protocol and voice-recognition technologies for use with online and offline games. Several titles
were also announced that will make use of the Headset, including SOCOM II: US Navy SEALs, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, NFL GameDay 2004, NBA ShootOut 2004 and NCAA GameBreaker 2004, along with third-party support from the likes of EA Sports and Sega Sports.

The most entertaining hardware demonstration at the conference, however, was the EyeToy, a USB camera that uses motion-tracking technology to project player images on the screen.

EyeToy's inventor, Dr. Richard Marks, demonstrated the gizmo's motion-tracking technology at the conference, showing how the camera can project a player's image onto a TV screen and capture body movements,
allowing them to interact with games by waving their arms around like a lunatic.

In an amusing mini game called Wishi Washi, Marks stood in the centre of the screen and waved his arms to clean a never-ending series of dirty windows, the suds and stains disappearing from the screen as he 'wiped' his arms over them.

When the EyeToy is released in the States in October (at a price of $39), Sony intends to include a disc of 12 mini games, including genres such as rhythm action, puzzlers, beat-'em-ups and simple sports simulations. The option to use the EyeToy for video conferencing was also announced at the presentation, and it was also hinted that players will be able to find their way through game menus, web browsers and so on using first-person navigation in a similar way to how Tom Cruise manipulates images in the movie Minority Report.

Building a PS2 online community

Like Microsoft, Sony also announced that it's keen to use its console to foster an online community and give players a chance to interact with other gamers across the globe.

The key announcement was that Electronic Arts will be releasing the PS2 exclusive EA Sports Online series of games in 2003/2004; nine sports games that are specifically designed for online play.

Attendees were treated to a live demonstration of the online EA games in action, with players in Florida, Chicago, San Francisco and Texas playing titles such as Madden NFL 2004, NBA Live 2004, NASCAR Thunder 2004 and FIFA Football 2004, also using their PS2 Headsets to taunt each other.

The highlight of the online presentation was a tense face off between golfer Tiger Woods in Florida and stand-up comedian Cedric The Entertainer on the conference floor, a heated, trash-talking battle that saw Woods losing on the final hole.

Sony also announced plans for the simultaneous release of an internal PS2 hard disc drive (40GB) with Square Enix's online role playing adventure, Final Fantasy XI.

The game, due for release in the States in early 2004, will allow gamers to immerse themselves in an original online story as they embark on missions and develop their character's skills and attributes, either alone or with other members of the online community, with cross-platform play between PS2 and PC users.

Expanding Sony's market share

The key element in Sony's plan to expand its market share was the announcement of the PSP handheld console, which you can read about in a separate news story on the site.

Unfortunately the PSP, dubbed 'the Walkman of the 21st Century' was not shown at the conference, but when you read what Sony's new baby is capable of you'll realise it's the most significant announcement so far at E3 2003. We can't wait to get our hands on it...