Ooming year tor industry Shaun Cenlin the Game Geek It’s been a banner year for the home video game industry. Record sales in hardware, software and peripherals and a healthy ccmpetition have sus- tained a $15 billion per year industry. As one of the few sectors of commerce to consistently show at least 40% growth for the last five years, it's no wonder thar retail and rental gaming outlets are popping up like so many Starbucks. Nor to mention that most major video stores dedicate large portions of floor space just to video games. But more than the growth, or the enormous dol- lar signs, the past vear was rife with rumour and rhetoric, speculation and promises of virtual bliss. “1998 has been a year of maturation in the video game industry,” offers Victor Lucas, creator and executive produc- er of The Electric Playground TV show. “There’s never been so many quality tices available to consumers at one time. Development schedules and budgets have ballooned and in rhe end, it’s the con- sumer who benefits. The cost of buying a new game has remained consistent but what you get for your dollar is con- siderably more impressive ‘than it was a couple of years ago.” Ofthe three main mann- facturers of home video game machines, commonly reterred to as “home consoles,” one has withered while the remaining avo gobble up the market share left by said with- ering. Seva has long been a pres- ence in the video game indus- try, having had a successtul run with “Genesis” and hav- ing had the singular honour of being the first to welcome us to the “next level,” which was Sega's current state-of- the-art but ill-fated Saturn. Unfortunately, the Saturn was the last in a series of Sega consoles that were, ultimately, poorly conceived. Sepa i is far trom dead, however, with a huge share of the coin-operat- ed game market and with what may well prove to be their crowning achievement, the Sega Dreamcast, touted as a “super-console” and due for North American release rhis time next year. OF the two remaining con- sole manufactures, Nintendo is and always has been a pow- erhouse in the industry and, by name alone, is often and mistakenly referred to as the only game in town. Nintendo has shown remarkable marketing and support skills over the years by developing and maintain- ing one solid system after another. Nintendo's Game Boy is the most popular game machine of all time — and it's a hand-held, black and white portable! (The “Colour Game Boy” is now available, inci- dentally). Their current console, the N64, is proving worthy of its lineage with consistently good games and by exploiting i its Innate power for crisp clean graphics and responsive gameplay. A new add-on called the 4MB RAM Expansion Pak piomises to double the RAAL memory capacity of the N64, which should add some glossy longevity to the middle- aged console, Sony, the youngest player in the video-game ganic, has preay much turned the inter- active entertainment world on its car not simply by creating the amazing consale know as The Playstation, but by releasing one game after another that hints ar latent Playstation power still to be, or Just being, discovered. ; Showtimés always available at : 255 , wry, amousplayersmovies. 2:25, me 10: 30 Suisun Matinee 11:40 & MIGHTY JOE YOUNG 4:00 7:10 9: @ Sat,Sun Matinoes 12:40 Sat,Sun Matinees 12: 35 VTi HE WATERBOY 9:25 Sat,Sun Matinees 12:50 VA BUG'S LIFE 4:40 6:50 9:00 Sat,Sun Matinees 12: sti 2:35 BIG AND HAIRY ar VYOU'VE GOT MAIL 4:20 7:20 9:50 Friday, January 1, 1999 — North Shore News — 73 With the addition of the Pocketstation (also Known as Personal Digital Assistant or [DA for short}, a2 miniature gaming and information peripheral, plus a recent price drop, Sony proves a force to be reckoned with. In thet, more recent demography shows Sony as the clear leader in the video game market. Both of the two current game systems, The Sony Playstation and the Nintendo 64 are well worth their pur- chase price. Each system sells for abour $180, However, there are remarkable ditfer- ences between the nwo and fans of one are rarely fans of the other. The Nintendo 64 is teem- ing with games designed for kids under the guise of “fami- Iv entertainment * With notable exceptions like the ultra-vory Tin ok: Dinusanr tunter, Goldeneye 007 and its stealthy assassin. mandate, and 3 few neteworthy sports titles, N64 is generally the home of cure, cuddly, fluffy kiddie characters with game design to match. Considering the aforementioned crisp clean- ness, these games are always fairly decent and once ina while, pure genius. The N64 uses the car- tridge system which is where game information is pulled directly off'a chip. This is actually a liability when a N64 game tries to do foo much at once, like voice-over work or long linear travel, but the See More page 14 VENEMY OF THE TATE 4:10 7 00! oy 0 Sat,Sun Matinees 1:10 PRINCE OF EGYPT 3:00 4:10 5:35 6:56 8:00 9:15 10:20 11:30 Sat,Sun Matinees 11:00 12:20 1:40 o& THE RUGRATS MOVIE Sat.Sun 1:00 «STAR TREK:INSURRECTION 3:50 7:30 10:00 WIACK FROST Fri 4:30 7:35 | Sat, Sun Matinoes 4:20 4: 30 1é 3S STEPMOM 4: 00 7:00 10:05 ee Metinees 12: 50 |/STAR TREK! INSURRECTION 3:20 7:45 10:10 Sat,Sun Matinee 1:00 WYOU'VE GOT MAIL 3:30 7:10 9:40 Sat,Sun Matinee 12:30 ENEMY OF THE STATE 4: 007: 50 10:30 |Sat,Sun Matinee 1:10 VA BUG'S LIFE 2 20 4:40 7:00 9:20 Sat,Sun Matinee 12:10 PRINCE cr ecrer 2:20 7:10 9:30 ao STEPMOM 3:30 7:40 10: 20 Sat,Sun Matinee 12: 50 fe t/ MIGHT f JOE YOUNG 2:30 7:15 9:50 i Sat,Sun Matinee 12:00 THE FACULTY 2:50 3:10 5:15 7:30 10:00 oa o/ JACK FROST Sct,Sun Matinee 12:15 STAR TREK:INSURRECTION 3:00 5:30 7:40 8:14 10:20 10:50 Sat,Sun Matiness 12:15 AYOU'VE GOT MAIL 3: As 4:15 7:00 8:00 10:10 11:00 Sat,Sun Matinees 1:00 THE RUGRATS MOVIE 3:15 5:25 Sat Sun Matineos 12:20 vA BUG'S LIFE 2: 002 Sat,Sun Matinees 11: PRINCE OF EGYPT Sat,Sun Matiness 11:30 W/ MIGHTY JOE YOUNG 3:50 4:20 6:50 7:30 9: 35 10:40 ‘Sat, Sun Matinees 12:45 1:20 mo ENEMY OF THE STATE 7:20 10:00 10:40 Sat, Sun Matinees 12:10 3:30 JACK FROST Sat.Sun 12:50 and styff would lhe to- extend their warsnest wishes for a happy: holiday season. wz) 929-7499 Advance Ticket Sales: 2 Groups: 271 - (MAX (4629) FAMOUS PLAYERS tMAX THEATRE FAAX & IMAX® 3D ae PATCH ADAMS 3:35 7:35 10:05 Sat,Sun Matinees 12:30 WENEMY OF THE STATE 2:00 4:50 7:40 PM 6/ WAKING NED DEVINE 4:25 7:25 10:45 Sat,Sun Matinees 1:40} 10:30 10:40 Sat, Sun Matinee 11:10 o/ THE FACULTY 4:05 7:55 10:30 10:50 Sat,Sun Matinees 1:35 |¢/PRINCE OF EGYPT 1:25 3:10 4:10 5:35 Mi o/ SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE 3:45 7:05 10:20 6:40 8:00 9:15 a Sat,Sun Matinees 12:45 Sat,Sun Matinee 11:00 12:05 fg * BAGE: PIG IN THE cry 91:15 Abia RUGRATS MOVIE 2:20 4:35 SatSun ‘A 7:00 8:05 9:45 10:55 atinee yd eae teooss Ne Tack ncuRREcTN 150430 7:20 9:30 10:1 jat,Sun ines Wure Is BeAUT! Li ‘5 JACK FROST 3:00 5:30 Sat,Sun Matinee 12:25 YOU'VE GOT MAIL 1:20 3:15 4:20 7:30 6:10 10:25 41: :00 SatSun Matinee 12:10 83738 Mount Seymour Parkway 08 OR REFUSAL CHARGE? You only have 7 days. Did you know that you automatically receive a 90 day prohibition from driving for being picked up on 68 or Refusal. charges, whether or not you have been convicted. You only have 7 days from the date that you are stopped by the Police to appeal your 90 day automatic driving prohibition. You have the right to an experienced lawyer... Qne who can advise ysu of your options... Point out the potential problems... Help you deal with the significant penaities... PHONE FOR A FREE CONSULTATION IMMEDIATELY, ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER 986-4366 AFTER HOURS 926-3181 (Criminal matters only) #300-1401 LONSDALE Ave. NortH VAN. E-mail: harryh@ahtlaw.com THEATERS -. TREK BACK Nese EONS . susan an. Daly 10.3:30 4:40 7:00 8:10 9:20 10:30 11:40 MYSTERIES OF EGYPT" ' Daily: 12:00 2:20 5:50, LSun Matinee 1:30 70:50 Sat,Sun Matinee 1:10 O7s-7173. Info: 231-0018 Chinese with English sub-ttles CITY OF GLASS 1:40 4:20 7:35 10:15 (STC) Subject to classification WTHE FACULTY 12:30 3:207:15 9:30 WA BUG'S LIFE 12:15 2:20 4:30 6:45 9:00 WMIGHTY JOE YOUNG 1:10 4:007:00 9:40 VSTAR TREK:INSURRECTION 12:00 2:30 5:00 7:30 10:00 YOU'VE GOT MAIL 1:394:107:10 9:50 Granville Mail WLIFE iS BEAUTIFUL 3:50 7:30 10:10 PARENTAL GUIDANCE WA BUG'S LIFE Fri 5:00 7:50 10:00 Sat,Sun 12:30 2:45 5:00 7:50 10:00 WENEMY OF THE STATE Fri 3:40 7:00 9:40 Sat,Sun 1:00-3:40 7:009:40 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG Fri 4:30 7:40 10:30 Sai,Sun 1:30 4:30 7:40 10:30 / STAR TREK:INSURRECTION Fri 4:45 7:20 9:50 Sat,Sun 12:15 2:30 4:45 7:20 9:50 W JACK FROST 1:15 GENERAL WV YOU'VE GOT MAIL Fri 4:00 7:10 10:20 Sat,Sun 12:45 4:00 7:10 10:20 VANCOUVER CENTRE: Granville & Georgia 669-4442 VERICE OF EGYPT Fi 7:10 840 Satin 215 WILLOWBROOK ™ a WA SIMPLE PLAN Fri 7:00 9:30 THK Langley §33-4551 Sat,Sun 2:00 4:30 7:00 9:30 14A Violence; coarse WTHE FACULTY 2:35 4:45 7:00 9:20 WA BUG'S LIFE 12:30 2:45 4:45 6:45 9:00 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG 1:00 4:20 7:20 10:00 / STEPMOM 12:45 4:10 7:30 10:15 STAR TREK:INSURRECTION 1:20 4:55 7:45 9:45 VJAGK FROST 12:15 YOU'VE GOT MAIL 1:45 4:30 7:10 9:30 Coquitlam (THE WATERBOY 9:25 WA BUG'S LIFE 12:30 2:35 4:40 6:50 9:00 ENEMY OF THE STATE 1:10 4:10 7:009:40 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG 12:40 4:00 7:10 9:30 VSTER TREK:INSURRECTIGON 3:50 7:30 10:00 SACK FROST 1:20 4:30 7:35 YOU'VE GOT MAIL 12:50 4:20 7:20 9:50 7 THE RUGRATS MOVIE 1:00 ALIFE IS BEAUTIFUL 12:50 4:10 7:15 9:40 THE WATERBOY 7:35 9:45 PRINCE OF EGYPT 1:00 4:15 6:50 9:00 STAR TREK:INSURRECTION 12:30 2:45 5:00 7:20 10:00 W JACK FROST 12:40 2:50 4:55 VYOU'VE GOT MAIL 1:10 4:20 7:10.9:50 | ESPLANADE: 6:45 9: ENEMY OF THE STATE 204: 20 7:20 10:10 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG 1:10 4:00 7:00 9:40 VSTAR TREK:INSURRECTION - | 12:00 2:30 5:00 7:30 10:00 , | #JACK FROST 2:15 4:40 7:15 YOU'VE GOT MAIL 1:30 4:10 7:10 9:50