The Electronic Entertainment Expo video game trade show (E3) is all about new stuff: new games, new gadgets and new ways for players to connect.
So developers hoping to launch the next big thing at this year’s event, which kicked off its three-day run at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Tuesday, must be bemused by the outpouring of enthusiasm for a remake of an 18-year-old game.
Square Enix's landmark Final Fantasy VII is a classic Japanese role-playing adventure, released in 1997, that introduced many westerners to the genre. When Sony announced a remake is coming to PlayStation 4, its fans – many of whom were children when it first appeared – roared with approval and social media was soon abuzz with chatter.
It was not the only old game getting attention at E3. Microsoft won over some sceptics by announcing it would be making its library of old Xbox 360 games playable on the Xbox One.
And Rare, a studio that has been making games since the early 1980s, announced Rare Replay, a US$30 (Dh110) compilation of 30 of its old hits, including classics such as Battletoads and Banjo-Kazooie. Revivals of dormant series such as Bethesda's Doom and Nintendo's StarFox were also announced.
Nintendo, more than any other publisher, has been mining nostalgia for years – every new Mario Brothers or Legend of Zelda title takes many gamers back to the 1980s, when they played the originals on the Nintendo Entertainment System. When the company's Super Mario Maker comes out this year, I suspect we'll see tons of fan-created tributes to the Mario games of our youth.
Another old title drawing a lot of buzz was Shenmue, a wildly ambitious Sega game from 1999 on its ill-fated Dreamcast console. It was an intriguing – and not entirely successful – attempt to combine role-playing, brawling and, well, working in a boring job as a forklift driver. Despite its flaws – in particular, some very slow pacing that was a little too lifelike – it pioneered the sprawling open-world approach of modern games.
After a 2001 sequel flopped, Sega ditched plans to complete the trilogy. But Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki appeared at Sony's pre-E3 event on Monday and announced a $2million Kickstarter campaign to fund Shenmue III.
It reached its goal within 12 hours – but also raised a few eyebrows. The original Shenmue cost almost $50 million and development is even more expensive these days. Some critics also slammed Sony for asking fans to fund the game – although it is expected to kick in cash now fans have shown their enthusiasm.
artslife@thenational.ae
THREE
Director: Nayla Al Khaja
Starring: Jefferson Hall, Faten Ahmed, Noura Alabed, Saud Alzarooni
Rating: 3.5/5
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
FIGHT CARD
Lightweight 10 rounds:
Bader Samreen (8-0-0) v Jose Paez Gonzales (16-2-2)
Super flyweight 10 rounds:
Sultan Al Nuaimi (9-0-0) v Jemsi Kibazange (18-6-2)
Cruiseweight 8 rounds:
Mohammed Bekdash (25-0-0) v Musa N’tege (8-4-0)
Super featherweight 8 rounds:
Bishara Sabbar (6-0-0) v Mohammed Azahar (8-5-1)
Welterweight 6 rounds:
Marwan Mohamad Madboly (2-0-0) v Sheldon Schultz (4-4-0)
Heavyweight 4 rounds:
Youssef Karrar (1-0-0) v Muhammad Muzeei (0-0-0)
Welterweight 6 rounds:
Benyamin Moradzadeh (0-0-0) v Rohit Chaudhary (4-0-2)
Featherweight 4 rounds:
Yousuf Ali (2-0-0) (win-loss-draw) v Alex Semugenyi (0-1-0)
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Super Mario Bros Wonder
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Console: Nintendo Switch
Rating: 4/5
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5