PlayStation at E3: 1999

E3 returned to the Los Angeles Convention Centre in 1999 and attracted a few stars, as David Bowie made an appearance and a horde of WCW wrestlers grappled on the show floor.
However, PlayStation 2 was the real star of the show. To prove its power, the famous ballroom scene from Final Fantasy VIII was presented in real time (originally it had been a cut-scene) and attendees could get their hands on a stunning playable demo of Gran Turismo 2000.
It was a glimpse at the future of gaming.

That’s not to say that the original PlayStation was absent: Ridge Racer games had always pushed the potential of the system and the fourth in the series, Ridge Racer Type 4, had some people mistakenly thinking it was a PS2 game. We also saw Ape Escape, a key title in the history of PlayStation as it was the first to actually require the DUALSHOCK controller that had been released the year before.
Everyone left wondering about the possibilities of the PS2; little did they know that a familiar Snake would be sneaking into E3 2000.