Tanksim's Live E3 2002 Coverage Updated daily starting May 23 2300 PST Pictures May 24

From the LA Convention Center 

Sgt. Chandler

America's Army -- The Official US Army Game, designed and developed by the Army. First person shooter perspective, not a tanksim but looks like a neat combat game nonetheless.  "America's Army," to be distributed free of charge on the Web at americasarmy.com, will allow players to "experience" everything from the enlistment process at a recruiting station, to jumping out of a C-130 aircraft during an airborne operation and retrieving stolen Stinger missiles from enemy forces, said Lt. Col. George Juntiff, the Army Game Project's operations officer. The estimated $8 million game - developed by computer scientists and master's degree program personnel from the joint services at the Naval Postgraduate School's Modeling Virtual Environments and Simulation institute, MOVES, in Monterey, Calif., - will evolve over five years to cover all the Army's military occupational specialties, said Professor Michael Zyda, MOVES institute director.

Steel Beasts II -- Strategy First was showing one monitor labeled Steel Beasts II. The demo exhibited only a panoramic view of a SB2 battlefield with a couple vehicles present. The demo didn't allow inspection of the tank interiors, controls, or menus. The 3D graphics are a notch above the original SB in depth and texturing but not up with the latest flight sims. Producer Phil O'Connor was on hand to explain the new concepts such as aircraft and crew factors. "There will be some aircraft, such as artillery spotters, but they've found that bringing in anti-tank aircraft results in rapid defeat of tanks, not sure if they will be included.

SB2 will have a variety of crew factors, including experience, the ability to interchange, promote, and reward individual crew members, much the same as Microprose's M1Tank Platoon2 had. Managing the personnel will effect the player's ability to complete missions and objectives, a welcome addition.

The M1A2 will be included in Steel Beasts II, says O'Connors, as will the German MBT and the Russian T-72. "We are considering modeling the T-80 but only if Al feels confident with the accuracy and detail of the information he can get will allow a truthful simulation. He also mentioned a dynamic campaign, of which more details will follow in a Tanksim.com preview.

World War II Online - Progress continues. Some new vehicles and many mp refinements.