Pop Idol, set to be the mass-market game of the year for PlayStation 2 and PC, will be exclusively presented from a themed stage on the booth. Codemasters will challenge show-goers to see how well they can perform as a virtual Pop Idol singer as they control the in-game voice of a contestant through the music-based rhythm-action gameplay.

Every in-game performance is judged by a computer-generated Simon Cowell, and there may be some very familiar Idols faces at Codemasters' E3 booth too...

Codemasters will also unveil the next level for its power-brand games including Colin McRae Rally, Operation Flashpoint and LMA Manager.

Premiering

Particularly in the spotlight this year, six blockbuster games are expected to wow fans and rack up record sales:

• Beyond Good & Evil: Based on an original idea by Michel Ancel and developed by Ubi Soft's in-house studios, this title blends an ambitious, fluid new gaming experience with an epic storyline. Its Jade engine ensures that players benefit from the most advanced technologies available in the industry today.
• Far Cry: This cunningly detailed action shooter - which boasts a meticulously designed, next-generation Far Cry engine - pushes the boundaries of virtual combat to shocking new levels.
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time:

Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2)

More than 500,000 beatings can’t be wrong…
Prepare for the evolution of fighting as SEGA’s best-selling fighting game gets an upgrade. Say “bye-bye” to jaggies because the graphics have been fully optimized to make better use of the PlayStation 2 hardware. But as any Darwinist will tell you, Evolution is not about looks – it’s about the survival of the fittest. Stakes are raised as

Get the Sam & Max Freelance Police Trailer Off Worthplaying

Spring 2004 marks the return of interactive entertainment's most freakishly adored dog and bunny tag team, as LucasArts unleashes Sam & Max Freelance Police™ onto an unsuspecting Windows PC game buying public. The long-rumored follow up to the critically acclaimed adventure classic Sam & Max Hit the Road plunges Sam & Max into a whimsical miasma of fur-flying action, hare-pulling puzzles, and unnerving cross-species jocularity.

Related articles, Click here!

Perimeter, PC, Q4 2003 release date

Perimeter is an original RTS experience combining innovative warfare and terraforming capabilities with traditional RTS gameplay. The gamer will create modifiable combat units using advanced nanotechnology – units that can be modified in mid-mission as tactical situations change - and launch a campaign to seize territory. Once land is captured, powerful defensive perimeters are arrayed and the land is converted into the principal energy source. Developed by K-D LAB.

Rig'n'Roll, PC, 2004 release date

Rig'n'Roll (from creators of famous Hard Truck series) is delivering players the ultimate truck driving experience with authentic models of trucks and their

KONAMI SHOWCASES GRADIUSTM V AT ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO 2003
GradiusTM V Blasts onto PlayStation® 2 in Winter 2003 – Continues in Konami's Longest Running Shooting Franchise

Konami Corporation today offered gamers an opportunity to play – for the first time ever – GradiusTM V for Sony PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system. Continuing Konami's longest running shooting franchise, the latest installment in the series features the classic GradiusTM action gameplay with all new features, including new Option Controls, original level designs, new weapons, captivating missions and dazzling nextgeneration graphics.

Featuring the return of the Vic Viper and the series' classic side-scrolling blasting action,

Vectorman (PS2)

“Vectorman” straps a rocket onto the third-person shooting genre with a nuclear blend of weapon-based combat and “living world” environments.
Gamers become Vectorman, a veritable walking arsenal, in his journey to find his creator, Aura, and free his land from an oppressive robot dictator bent on galactic conquest. The game’s dark storyline is packed with explosive combat and vast opportunities for exploration. With a high-tech arsenal of more

GAMERS REVISIT SPINE-TINGLING TOWN IN KONAMI'S SILENT HILL® 3
The Nightmare Begins in August 2003

Konami of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Konami Corporation (NYSE: KNM), today announced that the critically acclaimed game Silent Hill® 3 will be available on the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system in August 2003. Featuring an all-new groundbreaking graphics engine, a brand new playable character, stunning new environments and a haunting soundtrack, Silent Hill 3 promises to set the standard for quality in the horror genre. Further enhancing the Silent Hill experience, the game will ship – in North America only – with the Official Silent

KONAMI ANNOUNCES THE FIRST METAL GEAR® ADVENTURE FOR NINTENDO GAMECUBETM
Solid Snake Infiltrates Nintendo GameCube with the Debut of Metal Gear Solid® The Twin Snakes

Konami of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Konami Corporation (NYSE: KNM) today unveiled Metal Gear Solid® The Twin Snakes exclusively designed for Nintendo GameCubeTM. The first Metal Gear® experience to debut on the Nintendo GameCubeTM, Metal Gear Solid® The Twin Snakes combines the thrilling story of the original Metal Gear Solid® with the spectacular graphics and extraordinary gameplay from Metal Gear Solid® 2: Sons of LibertyTM. Using a specially designed engine based on Metal Gear Solid®