May the Force Be PG

By M.M. Buechner

Despite post-Columbine High School sensitivity to virtual violence, few doubt that the splatter game Quake III will be one of the big hits this week at Electronic Entertainment Expo, the big annual trade show where computer- and video-game vendors gather to unveil their whizziest and often most bloodthirsty stuff. But parents hoping to keep guns and guts off their PC and TV screens will have plenty of other choices, judging from the strong lineup of family-friendly fare. Disney will debut its new Tarzan action game for the PC, PlayStation and Nintendo 64. Maxis will present The Sims, a fresh take on the company's SimCity3000 franchise--you still play God, but now you run (or ruin) the lives of those itty-bitty folk who live in your computer. Crafty adults will like Wrebbit's jigsaw puzzles: fit the pieces together onscreen to create a Bavarian castle or Victorian mansion, then explore the finished building in 3-D. Austin Powers goes head-to-head with Dr. Evil in Berkeley Systems' newest addition to the cheeky You Don't Know Jack trivia series. And in keeping with the latest trend in the toy business--coupling hardware with software--Mattel will show its Me2Cam, a digital camera that drops your live image into a (G-rated) virtual-reality game. Even the new Star Wars titles steer clear of the combat-heavy themes of previous releases. One is more of an adventure game, the other a racing sim.

--By M.M. Buechner