Hollywood Goes Geek at Video Game Expo

LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2006 — -- Hollywood is trading chic for geek -- at least for a couple days.

The video game industry's mega trade show -- the Electronic Entertainment Expo -- is under way in Los Angeles, and it's clear to anyone attending the event -- affectionately dubbed E3 among gamers -- that the divide between electronic games and the rest of the entertainment industry is shrinking by the day.

If the word of gamers and industry professionals isn't enough to convince you, take it from the celebrities themselves, who have filled the cavernous L.A. Convention Center and made waves at the show's many after-parties.

"The fact of the matter is that video games make more than movies these days," said actor and comedian Hal Sparks on the red carpet at an exclusive video game party at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip.

"A big part of it is that it's a lasting form of entertainment, and it's something you can take home with you," said Sparks, who took in the gaming exhibition on its opening day. "You spend a lot more time with your average video game then you do with a movie."

'It's Mind-Boggling,' Says Spiderman's Creator

Some of Hollywood's brightest stars fought off the crowds to promote games and try out the latest and greatest electronic offerings.

Comic book legend Stan Lee -- creator of Spiderman and the Fantastic Four, among other characters -- relaxed Wednesday in a small room at Activision's adrenaline-filled booth. He was as excited as the average button-mashing gamer about what he saw at E3.

"It is almost unbelievable to me, because I always deal with things in two dimensions, you know, drawings and stories, and then you have the movies bringing the characters to life," he said. "But then when you come to the video games, it's not only a movie, but it's a movie that you in a sense are controlling."

"It makes you both a participant and creator in a sense. It's mind-boggling. I think the people who do these games are absolutely geniuses."

"Desperate Housewife" Eva Longoria and hotel heiress Paris Hilton were also slated to attend the show to promote games, as was "ER" actor Shane West and othes.

Nerds and Celebrities

When Tony Hawk hopped on a skate ramp in the middle of one of the massive halls, the crowd stopped and cheered the world-famous skateboard pioneer.

Hawk's series of games are some of the most popular titles for the PlayStation2 and Xbox, but his love of video games extends beyond just his own product.

"The technology is so amazing right now, and it's a time of transition too, so with the Nintendo Wii, you can just tilt the controller and your character will move. It's a lot more immersive," he said.

"The Xbox 360 and the PS3 with the graphics, it's like you're controlling a guy in a move and not a video game guy," Hawk said, referring to Microsoft's latest game console and the upcoming PlayStation 3 from Sony.

He said his kids, ages 7 and 13, were even more into video games than he was, and get a special kick out of controlling their father on-screen.

"They like to make me wear ridiculous costumes, and they like to make me fall," he joked.

Back at the House of Blues, singer JC Chasez tried to make sense of all the hype surrounding E3.

"Everybody thought it [games] was just a bunch of nerds sitting at home, but now I guess it's cool to be a nerd," said the former star of *Nsync.

Reluctantly, Chasez admitted that despite his celebrity image and stylish looks, "Yeah, I'm a big nerd."

It seems that in Los Angeles this week, he has a lot of company.