What good is E3 hype if none of it comes true?
To get you ready for this E3, we've subjected ourselves to re-living the major press conferences of last year's big show. We've pulled all of the predictions, promises and other verbal constructions Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony used to get you excited about their console.
And we've seen what became of all those thrilling statements.

Sony, your promises are being checked today.

Background: The Sony press briefing occurred on July 15, 2008 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. This showcase lasted more than 90 minutes.

To Start With….
Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment of America: "As many of you have already written, 2008 is the year of the PS3."

Verdict: Subjective. You sort it out.

Resistance 2 Will Be Fantastic
Ted Price, president and CEO of Insomniac Games describes Resistance 2's campaign, promises eight-player co-op, competitive modes and community features: "Bottom line, Resistance 2 offers more than any shooter in 2008."

Verdict: The features were accurate. The rest is also for you to decide.

Gaming Will Be Huge In 2008

Tretton: "NPD has been estimating that the gaming industry revenue will soar as high as $23 billion in 2008."

Verdict: Not Jack's fault nor research group NPD's that the figure NPD wound up calculating for the year was $21 billion.

PS3 Gaming Discounts Coming

Tretton announced that Resistance, MotorStorm, Warhawk, Call of Duty 3, Fight Night Round 3, Need For Speed Carbon, Rainbow Six Vegas, Assassin's Creed, Oblivion, Ninja Gaiden would all be sold as greatest hits games at discount for the holiday.

Verdict: True.

Buzz Coming

Tretton announced the impending launches of Buzz on PSP and Buzz PS3 for September, along with downloadable packs.

Verdict: Yep, this happened.

And For The PS2…

Tretton said a Lego Batman PS2 would arrive in the fall for 149 dollars.

Verdict: Yes, he got this too. Impressed yet?

One Log-In For All

Tretton: Starting this fall, all PlayStation users will have a single sign-on so no matter where they sign in. All their PlayStation information will go with them.

Verdict: Yep.

More On Clank, Soon

Brian Allgeier, lead designer on Ratchet & Clank, discussing the surprise announcement of a downloadable summer sequel: "Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty will give more information about Clank's disappearance."

Verdict: Well, yeah. But not that much more information.

Booty In The Summer

Tretton says the new Ratchet is coming this summer.

Verdict: Jack doesn't flub predictions like these.

PSN Has The Following…

A PSN trailer reel shows Ratchet and Clank Quest for Booty, Crash Commando, Fat Princess, PixelJunk Eden, Pain Amusement Park, Flower, Siren Blood Curse, Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic.

Verdict: And wouldn't you know it? All these games except Fat Princess are now out.

GTTV - Not The Keighley Version - Is Coming
Tretton: Polyphony Digital is launching the pay per view distribution of GTTV [Gran Turismo TV] and Gran Turismo Prologue with a wide variety of content .. this content will be available starting August 1 via Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

Verdict: On target.

Home Will Be Fantastic

Tretton: I absolutely assure you that when PlayStation Home is publicly available through our expanded beta program your patience will more then be rewarded"… he then mentioned commitments from Ubisoft, EA, Activision, LucasArts, Nike support… and says we can play Warhawk and Uncharted spaces… and a demo reel showed am Uncharted space, a Resistance space with Chimera in tanks, Warhawk.
Verdict: To the outside eye, it may appear that Tretton slipped here. After all, we haven't yet seen a LucasArts space and the Resistance one is only going live this week. But, hey, that's pretty good!

Movie Store Coming Today

Tretton hyped the launch - that day - of the PlayStation Network Video store. "This content is portable after you download it to your ps3 you can transport it to your PSP as well."

Tretton: True.

And A New PSP…. Bundle

Tretton: Starting in October, we'll be launching our family friendly Ratchet and Clank Size Matters entertainment pack.

Verdict: Accurate, of course.

Resistance Retribution Coming

A trailer shows Resistance Retribution for Spring 2009.

Verdict: But it came out in mid-March. That's winter. Liars.

PSP Has The Following Games

PSP reel of highlights "for this and next year" - Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Madden NFL 09, Loco Roco 2, NBA09 The Inside, Super Stardust Portable, Lego Batman The Video Game, Patapon 2, Buzz Master Quiz, Valkyria Chronicles.

Verdict : Finally! A flub. Sort of. Valkyria Chronicles would be coming to PS3, not PSP. Wrong reel!

PS3 Getting Life

Tretton: "We're set to deliver an entirely new experience that ill allow fans to see worldwide news in real time through a network-connected PS3 and TV in their living room with live news, weather and live webcam feed. We call it Life with PlayStation, it will be available by the end of the month…"

Verdict: He implied July. It launched in September.

MMOs Coming To PS3

Tretton mentions The Agency, Free Realms and DC Universe Online as coming to PS3

Verdict: Could be true. Just hasn't happened yet.

New PS3…. SKU

Tretton: "Starting in September we will launch 80GB PS3 that has the same functionality as the 40GB PS3. And we're giving consumers twice the storage capacity for the same price… $399.99."

Verdict: True. Always-true-Tretton, we call him.

PS3's 2008 Line-Up Has This…

PS3 lineup reel beings playing as Tretton says it "will actualize what I've been saying here today, that 2008 is the year of PlayStation 3." It shows Little Big Planet, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, Metal Gear Solid , Quantum of Solace, SOCOM Confrontation, Ghostbusters The Video Game, Soul Calibur IV, Resistance 2, The Agency, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm, Mirror's Edge, Resident Evil 5, SingStar, Guitar Hero World Tour, NBA 09 The Inside, Buzz Quiz TV, Killzone 2, Fallout 3 and others not named.

Verdict: Mostly on target. But… the Agency? That didn't come out in 2008.

Kratos Is En Route After The Holidays

Tretton: "Yes it's true, God of War III is coming to PlayStation 3." Says InFamous and MAG are post-holiday as well.

Verdict: We shall see. They certainly didn't come out early.

Note: Sony did not mention the upcoming screen tweak that would bring us the PSP 3000. They hit all their other big upcoming news.

To Sum Up....Wow. We are humbled by the accuracy of Mr. Jack Tretton. We'd almost give him and Sony an A. Except... almost none of these were big guesses that were hard-to-believe, were they? Microsoft reached a little further, got a couple more wrong.... That evens out. Sony, you get a B.

This feature will be back in a year. Please stay tuned.

What good is E3 hype if none of it comes true?

To get you ready for this E3, we've subjected ourselves to re-living the major press conferences of last year's big show. We've pulled all of the predictions, promises and other verbal constructions Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony used to get you excited about their console. And we've seen what became of all those thrilling statements.

Microsoft was yesterday. Nintendo, your E3 2008 promises are being checked today — exhaustively.

Background: The Nintendo press briefing occurred on July 15 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. This event lasted exactly an hour, and you might remember that it didn't go over very well.

Shaun White "Exclusive"

After demoing Shaun White Snowboarding with the help of Shaun White, Nintendo's executive vice president of sales and marketing, Cammie Dunaway, says: "All of you can have as much fun as I just had when this game arrives exclusively for Wii by year end."

Verdict: Hmmm. Yes, the version of Shaun White Snowboarding that you can play with the Wii Balance Board proved to be exclusive to the Nintendo Wii last fall, but there were Xbox 360 and PS3 versions later in '08 too, you know.

Mario and Zelda Folks At Work

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata: "Our internal team which creates Mario games and the one that makes Zelda games are both hard at work. They will bring new titles to Wii."

Verdict: Expected to come true someday. Not yet.

Animal Crossing Is Coming

Animal Crossing creator Katsuya Eguchi details the features for the fall's Animal Crossing City Folk, including a new city, Wii message board interaction, the ability to send messages to cell phones and PCs too, support for the Wii Speak mic.

Verdict: All these features were included when the game launched.

Wii Speak Is On Its Way

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils Aime says: "Animal Crossing is on its way to Wii by the end of the year with the Wii Speak option."

Verdict: Yup. He was right!

Lots of DSes

FIls-Aime: "By the end of our current fiscal year next March we expect that total DS worldwide sales will grow to almost 100 million systems."

Verdict: Indeed. Nintendo announced that the company achieved this milestone in March, just weeks before the end of its fiscal year.

Three Key Games

Nintendo declined to show a reel of upcoming Wii games, instead showing three that would be out later in the year: Star Wars The Clone Wars, Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, Call of Duty: World at War.

Verdict: And, yes, those games came out.

Big Franchises on DS

Dunaway: "An even more imaginative interpretation of the [Guitar Hero] franchise called On Tour Decades is on the way… the DS is also the only gaming-dedicated platform where you'll find Will Wright's Spore this year."

Verdict: The new Guitar Hero came out, as did Spore Creatures. And, no, Spore on PC does not count as Spore coming out on a gaming-dedicated platform. Nor does Spore on the Wii, which is coming out this year, not last year.

More Pokemon

Dunaway announces "the next invasion of Pokemon," the release of a new Pokemon Ranger for November 10, 2008.

Verdict: Accurate. It happened.

GTA in the Winter

Dunaway: "We can announce today that a custom version of Grand Theft Auto called Chinatown Wars arrives on DS this winter." She added that the game will feature new characters and the "same free-ranging gameplay GTA fans have come to expect."

Verdict: Depends on when you think winter is. If you thought this meant the Christmas holiday, you were wrong. If you thought this could include March 17, a day that's just barely on the winter side of the vernal equinox, then you and Cammie were spot-on.

DS Non-Gaming Experiments

Dunaway describes experimental DS functionality that will inform you where your luggage is when you get off a plane and where a good restaurant might be. She says "this is all being tested," which isn't a promise that it will come out, but...

Verdict: Again, not a prediction, but also not something that has been released to the public yet. The only thing like it is the DS compatibility with SafeCo Field, which Dunaway also detailed.

MotionPlus Is Coming

Fils-Aime: There will be one Wii MotionPlus accessory and extended jacket packaged with every Wii Sports Resort. And of course others will be sold separately.

Verdict: This hasn't come true yet, but is on the verge of doing so in July.

Wii Sports Resort This Spring

Fils-Aime: "We began our presentation today with a single image in mind: smiling facings. And we believe there will be a lot more of them when Wii Sports Resort launches globally next spring."

Verdict: Ouch. Biggest mistake of the press conference. The game i slated for a June release in Japan but will definitely miss the spring in the U.S. and Europe, where it is scheduled for July.

Wii Music Will Be Fantastic

Fils-Aime: on Wii Music: "It's safe to say it will generate a lot of smiles - new smiles - in a whole new way."

Verdict: Subjective, but sure, why not? We'll give you this one, Reggie.

Wii Music Fulll of Instruments

Nintendo's chief game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto says that In Wii Music you're going to be able to play more than 50 different instruments just by moving your body, that you can save videos of your performance and , play each part of a song before combining your performances into an ensemble piece.

Verdict: Yes, Wii Music let gamers do all of that.

Note: No mention was made during the press conference of what would become the best-reviewed Wii game of 2008, World of Goo. Nor did Nintendo mention the fall (in Japan) launch of the DSi. So, arguably two of the proudest parts of Nintendo's 2008 future were not hyped at E3.

To Sum Up.... Nintendo's press conference was lambasted by hardcore fans, though not entirely for the reasons that the company can't score that well in this one-year-later review. Nintendo got the Wii Sports Resort date wrong, but stuck to accurate predictions otherwise. The problems were that the company just didn't promise that much stuff — not compared to Microsoft the day before. And what it did promise didn't prove to be as bold as exciting as, say, the company's Wii Fit announcement of the year before. As an honest conveyor of Nintendo's quality and quantity of game offerings for the next year, it was only good enough to merit a C.

Next Victim: Sony.

[PIC] - MTV Multiplayer

What good is E3 hype if none of it comes true?

To get you ready for this E3, we've subjected ourselves to re-living the major press conferences of last year's big show. We've pulled all of the predictions, promises and other verbal constructions Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony used to get you excited about their console. And we've seen what became of all those thrilling statements.

Microsoft, your E3 2008 promises are being checked today — exhaustively.

Background: The Microsoft press briefing occurred on July 14 in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. This showcase lasted more than 90 minutes.

Big Money From Hardcore Games

Don Mattrick, Microsoft's senior vice president of interactive entertainment business (i.e. he's the Xbox boss), starts hyping Fallout 3, Resident Evil 5, Fable II and Gears of War 2: "Combined these games represent over a half a billion dollars in projected sales. And they will drive console demand in the coming year."

Verdict: Let's see. Gears sells two million in its first week, so that's about 120 million right there. Fallout 3 sells 4.7 million copies in less than a month, so that's about 282 million. We're over 400 million and we're not even at Fable or RE5, so we'll stop counting now. Good first prediction, Don Mattrick!

A Lengthy Fallout

Bethesda lead game designer Todd Howard demos Fallout 3 and says: "This is a huge game with over 100 hours of gameplay."

Verdict: Sure, that sounds about right, though the main content in the game could be finished in about 40 hours.

Fallout DLC TBD

Howard: "We're going to be doing substantial downloadable content for Fallout 3 and it will be exclusive for the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows."

Verdict: True! All three DLC packs are now out for both platforms, and are not out on PS3.

Resident Evil 5 Release Date Confirmed?

Jun Takeuchi, producer of Resident Evil 5, says Resident Evil 5 "will be available in a simultaneous worldwide release in North America and Europe on Friday the 13, March 2009." (Screen showed March 12 2009 for Japan).

Verdict: Incorrect, sir! RE5 came out a week earlier than promised in Japan, on March 5.

Fable II Would Be Awesome

Peter Molyneux, creative director of Lionhead Studios, hyping Fable II: "You've never experienced anything like the dog in a game, but what I want to show you is the ability to play co-op over Xbox Live" [Verdict: OK, kind of hard to disagree]….The story will be great. [Verdict: That's subjective, Peter] … Your son grows. Your children will grow up with you [Verdict: Possibly misleading; those kids don't grow up]… Fable 2 will be out in October of this year [Verdict: Correct!]

Gears of War 2: For The World

Cliff Bleszinski, design director at Epic Games: "Gears of War 2 will be available worldwide November 7, exclusively on Xbox 360."

Verdict: True if you count the U.S. and Europe as the world; untrue if you consider Japan part of this planet.

Sony To Be Crushed

Mattrick: I'm so confident in our momentum and our bright future that I'm willing to declare here today that Xbox 360 will sell more consoles worldwide this generation than PlayStation 3.

Verdict: Too soon to say, but so far so good for Microsoft.

A New - sort of - Xbox 360 Coming Fall 2008

John Schappert, vice president of Xbox Live, software and services: "I'm excited to announce today that for the first time in history a consumer electronics device will be completely reinvented through software… When people around the world turn on the Xbox 360s this fall they will be greeted by an entire new interface, an entire new dashboard, creating a brand new Xbox through the magic of software."

Verdict: The New Xbox Experience did indeed go live in the fall, transforming the Xbox 360 from the inside out.

Avatars Will Be Great, Omnipresent

Brendan, last-name-less Rare software design engineer, describing the NXE's Avatars: "You'll see them in the dashboard when you turn on the system. [Verdict: True] You'll see them in your friends list. [Verdict: Yep] You're going to see them in games all over the place and you'll see avatars on websites. [Verdict: We're counting Uno Rush and a Kingdom Kieflings once apiece, ok? Seems that we've got Avatars in a little more than 10 games so far.]

Avatars Will Have Lots of Clothes

Chris, last-name-less Rare producer: "Really, the number of clothes is ultimately going to be limitless. You can expect to see new clothes released in the same way you'd go into a shop and see summer fashion and the winter fashion, you're going to see the same thing here."

Verdict: True. New clothes keep getting issued for Avatars.

Prime Time Is Coming Soon

Schappert: "I'm going to take us to a new channel, Xbox Live Prime Time which we are unveiling today and rolling out this fall [Verdict: No, make that some forthcoming month in 2009]… This fall you'll be able to play along with all of Xbox Live either as the One, the One Hundred or one of the thousands that watch and play this huge prime time game. And the best part, you'll all be able to win real prizes… Instead of just checking to see what's on TV this fall you'll turn on your Xbox 360 to see what's on Live. [Verdict: Whoa, whoa, slow down there John. Xbox Live Prime Time still isn't live, nor is its launch game show, 1 Vs 100, which is, at least, now in beta.]

XBLA Games Coming

Schappert Announced Geometry Wars 2 for "next month"; Galaga Legions announced as 360 exclusive for "next month," Portal Still Alive coming in the fall "with brand new levels and achievements," coming to Xbox Live Arcade.

Verdict: All accurate predictions.

And South Park Too

Announcer in short promo for South Park Xbox Live Arcade game: "Coming exclusively in 2009…"

Verdict: No sign of it yet, but there is plenty more of 2009 to come to keep from the unnamed Announcer to be known as a Liar.

Community Games coming

Schappert: We will launch Xbox Live Community games this fall as part of the New Xbox Experience.

Verdict: True

Netflix 360 Will Be Big

Schappert: "Xbox 360 will be the only game system that lets members who are also Netflix subscribers instantly watch more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes more than doubling our current content offering."

Verdict: Seemingly accurate, though we haven't counted to ensure that more than 10,000 movies and shows were added.

Netflix Watching Will Be Communal

Schappert: "I'm thrilled to announce that you can share your movies and tv shows with your Live party. We all can watch TV and movies together."

Verdict: Uh-uh. This was cut.

GTA DLC Will Be Huge Part Of 360 Fall '08 Line-Up

Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development (but at the time he was running the gaming part of Xbox: After hyping coming of Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Mirror's Edge, Pro Evo, Call of Duty, Tomb Raider, Need for Speed, which all came out, [Verdict: True], he said, "The release of the first downloadable episode for Grand Theft Auto IV later this year promises to be another huge event for Xbox 360 and Xbox live." [Verdict: Ugh. We think he meant to say "February 2009," not "later this year."

Lots of 360 Games Coming

Kim: All told, by the end of 2008 more than 1000 games will be available for the Xbox 360.

Verdict: Too tired to count this one, but we are not encouraged by the fact that the ESRB as of today lists only 703 rated games for the 360. Was he counting Community Games?

Fun Games For Families Too

Kim announced Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts, Viva Pinata, BK XBLA, Scene It Box Office Smash, You're In the Movies — all of these games are coming this holiday exclusive for Xbox 360. Also from Kim: "You're In The Movies will include an Xbox Live Vision camera when it ships this holiday.

Verdict: Correct!

Guitar Hero World Tour Will Be Great, Launch New Rock Stars

Kai Huang, co-founder of Red Octane, out to hype Guitar Hero World Tour: "On disc we're going to ship with the greatest number of master tracks ever from some of the best bands of all time, more than 85 songs with tons more at launch and beyond [Verdict: True].. Our new music studio in Guitar Hero: World Tour is going to for the first time let people make and share music from around the world. This is going to revolutionize the way people create, share, discover and play new music. And with GH Tunes when that launches it's going to be the premiere online distribution platform from where a community of aspiring artists are going to become the next big rock stars." [Verdict: Kinda hard to verify, but we're going to say…not yet?]

And GH Will Have REM

Huang: "Guitar Hero World Tour owners will be able to download an REM track pack featuring three songs from their new album before anybody else."

Verdict: True

And Metallica

Huang: "Metallica is joining forces with guitar hero in a huge way… for the first time in music and vg history. Metallica's highly anticipated new album death magnetic is going to be offered as downloadable content in its entirety at the same time the album is released. First for Guitar Hero 3 in September and then again when Guitar Hero World Tour launches in the fall."

Verdict: Not only true, but proven to be an understatement with the recent launch of Guitar Hero: Metallica.

Lips Will Be Fantastic

iNis founder Keiichi Yano, hyping the holiday launch of the Xbox 360 karaoke game Lips: "It's breaking new ground by being the first game that lets you sing from your own music collection. It's going to be great. Imagine plugging in your Zune or your iPod into your Xbox 360 and singing along to all of your favorite songs. [Verdict: True, though not without complaints from reviewers that not all iPods synced with the game] Lips is also going to be the first game ever to feature these wireless mics that light up with your music performance. And these guys are also motion-sensitive so I can do stuff like this (cymbal hit) even when I'm not singing. So it's going to be fun Lips will ship this holiday featuring best songs from many regions and genres inclusion rock hip hop country r and b, pop a lot of your favorite artists you guys love to sing to. [Verdict: The rest was spot-on.]

Lips Will Be REALLY Fantastic

Kim: Lips is definitely going to be the gotta-have-it gift for this holiday for everyone.

Verdict: Oh, come on. Lips might have been fantastic, but he didn't really mean that, did he?

Rock Band Sort of Exclusive

Kim: Rock Band 2 will premiere exclusively on Xbox 360 this September.

Verdict: True, since he meant it would be a timed exclusive.

Rock Band 2 Will Have Rose, Dylan, ACDC

Alex Rigopulos, co-founder, Harmonix, discussing Rock Band 2, said, there would be 84 songs on the disc, every single one of them a master recording. He said Axl Rose's Shackler's Revenge will premiere in RB2, as would Bob Dylan's Tangled Up In Blue and ACDC. And, he said, "the soundtrack will also include 20 bonus tracks available for download in the fall."

Verdict: All accurate.

Rock Band 2 Will Also Have Fine Print

Rigopulos: "We've made all of the downloadable tracks from the original game forward-compatible into Rock Band 2.. furthermore, if you own the original Rock Band you'll be able to export almost all of those tracks into the Rock Band 2 game as well. So no need for disc-swapping… by the end of this year I'm happy to announce there will be over 500 songs available for play in Rock Band 2.

Verdict: True, just note that he said "almost."

Square-Enix Will Have Three RPGs For Xbox 360

Yoichi Wada, president of Square-Enix: dropped some release dates for Infinite Undiscovery — September 2, in NA, 9/5 in Europe, 9/11 in Japan and Asia — Star Ocean for the spring, and Last Remnant for November 11 with a TBD for it coming to Games For Windows.

Verdict : Wada nailed it.

Make That Four

Wada: "An Xbox 360 version of final fantasy xiii , the latest in the final fantasy series, that has more than 85 milion units shipped worldwide, is planned for release. We believe that releasing an xbox 360 version for Final Fantasy XIII will allow us to provide a game to even more fans in the two regions in North America and Europe."

Verdict: No reason to think this won't happen.

Note: No mention was made during the press conference of 2008 games Too Human, Braid or Dead Space, despite the latter two becoming two of the most acclaimed games on Xbox 360 in 2008.

To Sum Up.... Microsoft did a decent job predicting things, but whiffed big on Rockstar and 1 vs 100. We weren't promised any full games that we didn't get. And most of the hype for upcoming games' features was fair. Plus, they did the awesome thing of predicting that they would conquer Sony, which should be fun to follow in the future. For the sheer number of future-looking statements and overall accuracy, we're giving them a B.

Next Victim: Nintendo

[PIC]

With an aging gaming population comes more gamers with money, which means ... money to spend on travel. Bonnie Ruberg takes a look at where gamers would go given $1,500 for expenses for a 'game-related' vacation. PAX? E For All? Tokyo Game Show? ... Disneyland? I can't remember the last proper vacation I had, but I can say definitively I wouldn't be planning it around a convention or expo. In fact, a weekend off with time to do nothing but hang out would be a treat right now:

Not everyone's so ready to move from the sofa and fly across the country though. Chris Furniss, a 26-year-old Web site designer at Microsoft Game Studios in Redmond, Wash., feels $1,500 won't get him far. "Since flights anywhere are so expensive and I already live in Seattle, I'd go to PAX and live it up," he says. "I'd stay at a nice hotel downtown, get tickets for all three days and go on a shopping spree on the show floor. PAX is the gamer destination of choice and always a really fantastic time."

Short piece with a nice little slideshow and worth a looksee on a lazy, overcast Saturday like today.

Top Travel Spots For Game Fans [Forbes via Heroine Sheik

It was launched in 2005 with the government promising to make it one of the three largest game expos in the world. In the inaugural year, the organizers were blamed for displaying addictive electronic gambling machines such as "Sea Story.'' Those machines were later ruled illegal and thousands were confiscated by police from all over the country.

Then last year, a controversy arose regarding the costumes of "game girls.'' Many viewed the clothes of models at exhibition booths as inappropriate for the young audience. The case ended with the show earning a scornful nickname of "Girl-Star show'' after a female dancer accidentally exposed her breast in front of the all-age audience.

And I bet it'll be LOADED with terrible, over the top, and poorly translated press releases. Sounds like a fun conference to me.

Game Companies Shun G-Star Expo [The Korea Times]

"Electronic Arts' participation reflects the essence of E for All - providing consumers with unprecedented access to the leading video game companies in the business," said Mary Dolaher, CEO of IDG World Expo, which produces the event. "No matter what role you play in the world of video games, E for All is designed for you, because its focus is on what matters - the games. Just like EA's products, E for All is made for all kinds of gamers.

IDG World Expo Announces Electronic Arts' Participation in E for All(TM)

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.—Aug. 21, 2007—Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) has
signed on to exhibit at the new Entertainment for All(TM) Expo (E for
All(TM)) video game event, scheduled to take place October 18-21, 2007
at the Los Angeles Convention Center, IDG World Expo announced today.

"Electronic Arts' participation reflects the essence of E for All
- providing consumers with unprecedented access to the leading video
game companies in the business," said Mary Dolaher, CEO of IDG World
Expo, which produces the event. "No matter what role you play in the
world of video games, E for All is designed for you, because its focus
is on what matters - the games. Just like EA's products, E for All is
made for all kinds of gamers. We're thrilled to have EA's involvement
in this inaugural event and to be able to bring their products to our
attendees."

A major independent developer and publisher of interactive
entertainment software, EA publishes an industry-leading portfolio of
titles that have sold millions of copies worldwide. EA's broad
portfolio of franchises includes global perennial blockbusters from
its EA SPORTS(TM) brand, including Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer and NBA
LIVE. The diverse offerings from its EA(TM) brand feature wholly-owned
intellectual properties such as Need For Speed(TM), The Sims(TM) and
Burnout(TM) franchises, as well as key Hollywood licenses for games
based on The Lord of The Rings(TM), Harry Potter(TM) and The
Godfather(TM) properties. Recent EA SPORTS BIG(TM) hit titles include
NFL STREET, NBA STREET and FIFA STREET. (Titles to be shown at E for
All will be announced at a later date.)

EA's participation in the Expo expands the range of the latest
video game titles that consumers will be able to test drive and buy at
E for All before they hit store shelves for the holidays. In addition
to being first to preview the newest video games and gadgets in
advance of the holidays, E for All attendees will be able to
participate in tournaments, compete head to head with other gamers on
the show's various game stages, and take advantage of social and
professional networking opportunities. With an emphasis on video games
and the people who play them, E for All will bring together all
members of the gaming community - from hardcore and casual gamers,
developers and publishers, to industry luminaries, media and
retailers.

Close by in the Fuji Television studios, Square Enix is holding the Dragon Quest Odaiba Expo 2007 featuring more game cabinets, a Dragon Quest figurine collection and something called an iMode corner (you can read more about iMode here) From now until September second you can check out the castle and the Expo if you happen to be in the area and get a free Slime cell phone accessory for your time. Nothing like that sweet, sweet swag.

Dragon Quest castle erected in Odaiba Japan News Review
(Thanks, Marcus)

First Sony Computer Entertainment of America lays-off 80 to 100 people, then 90 percent of NOA's marketing department quits and now the woman behind the scenes of E3 has jumped ship to join the IDG World Expo.

Carolyn Rauch, the former senior vice president of the Entertainment Software Association, was named vice president of event development today for the company that puts on the Entertainment for All and Macworld, among other expos.

Rauch has been with the ESA almost since its inception and was most recently in charge of organizing the E3 Media & Business Summit.

When I spoke to the now former president of the ESA, Doug Lowenstein, about the future of E3, he told me not to worry because it was in Rauch's loving hands. Should we be worried now? Brian Crecente

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows and events, today announced the appointment of Carolyn Rauch as Vice President, Event Development. In this role, Rauch will be responsible for business development initiatives and cultivating new events for IDG World Expo, with an emphasis on strategic planning and branding across all events.

Ms. Rauch brings a diverse set of skills and more than 20 years experience to her new position. Prior to joining IDG World Expo, Rauch served as Senior Vice President of the Entertainment Software Association where she managed the association's new E3 Media & Business Summit, as well as public relations, research, aspects of the E3Expo trade show, grassroots campaigns, and other programs for the organization. Prior to joining the ESA, Ms. Rauch was a vice president at Robinson Lake Sawyer Miller, a strategic communications firm specializing in entertainment industry public relations. Her clients included MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comcast, to name a few. Ms. Rauch has also served in several political roles, including deputy national press secretary to U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey's 1992 presidential campaign, deputy press secretary to former U.S. Senator and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Jim Sasser, and New Hampshire press secretary and scheduler for former Governor Bruce Babbitt's 1988 presidential campaign.

"Carolyn is a seasoned executive who brings a broad range of experience to IDG World Expo and we are thrilled to have her on board," said Mary Dolaher, CEO, IDG World Expo. "She will play a pivotal role in helping us build our event portfolio, as well as build on the success of our existing events."

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces tradeshows and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Entertainment For All™ (E For All™), Macworld Conference & Expo®, Next Generation Data Center™ (NGDC™), LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, and LinuxWorld® OpenSolutions Summit™. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About International Data Group (IDG)

International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG's online network includes more than 450 web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment and video games worldwide. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries including CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World. IDG's lead-generation service, IDG Connect, matches technology companies with an audience of engaged, high-quality IT professionals, influencers, and decision makers.

IDG is a leading producer of more than 750 technology-related events including Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Entertainment for All Expo (E for All), DEMO, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events. Over 900 IDC analysts in more than 90 countries provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends.

Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com.

Advance registration:
Thursday/Friday = $45
Saturday/Sunday = $65
4-day Pass = $90

On-site registration
Thursday/Friday = $50
Saturday/Sunday = $75
4-day Pass = $110

So you're looking at $90 for the whole shebang unless you want to wait until you get there, in which case you pay the $20 waiting fee. Not too bad, considering in the past you had to pay $325 or so just to get onto the E3 show floor for three days, nevermind this year's 'you can't go' policy. All this E isn't going to pay for itself you know. Michael Fahey

E For All Fact Sheet [E For All Expo, via GameSpot]

This is so Kentia Hall it's not even funny... well Kentia Hall plus Sony and Nintendo. Brian Crecente

They're rolling up the banners, piling up the bean bags and airing out the place as I write this.

It was three days of bouncing blue balls, moms, concerts and game play. Three days of gamers getting a chance to connect and play.

That's what makes PAX so unique, I think. It's not just for gamers, it's about them. They're the show, Tycho and Gabe are just along for the ride.

If I had 17,000 friends and the money, patience and wherewithal to throw a party, I'd like to think it would be a little bit like this.

I still have a lot of other things to post, including an interview with the creator of the Fruit Fucker mod, video and impressions from Dark Messiah and the mighty duo themselves: Gabe and Tycho. Check back Monday for the goods. Also you can check out our PAX06 coverage here.

John Geoghegan scribed up a Swiftish "proposal" on the recent Booth Babe business for GameDaily. The whole thing has Geoghegan's tongue planted firmly in his cheek, so don't go over there, read it, get offended and freak out. The ending of the piece gives you a pretty good idea about the rest of it: "John Geoghegan will probably never work again in the video game industry after this article." I bet he does!

Opinion: Booth Babe Outrage [GameDaily]
E3 Bans Booth Babes

I am especially fond of the business gets fun/done rhyme.

E3 Show Director Responds To Booth Model Changes [Gamecloud]
E3 Bans Booth Babes

Wow, it looks like E3 is banning boothbabes. Well, at least the ones wearing swimsuits and the like.

The IDGA's Sex and Games blog points out some interesting changes in the rules and regs for the upcoming Expo.

According to E3's handbook:

Material, including live models, conduct that is sexually explicit and/or sexually provocative, including but not limited to nudity, partial nudity and bathing suit bottoms, are prohibited on the Show floor, all common areas, and at any access points to the Show. ESA, in its sole discretion, will determine whether material is acceptable.

E3 Censorship [Sex and Games]

I m guessing they are doing this in response to some of the criticism from last year s show. Last year was my first, so I can t really say it was better or worse than before, only that it was hard to do my job. I dealt with it, but this bit of time certainly will help things.

I m going to be interested to see just how many of those in attendance will ending up fitting into the category. It would be pretty funny if it turned out it was everyone but like ten people.

E3 Expo [Official Site]

As the Tokyo Game Show looms about a month away, word is starting to get out about who will be showing what at the expo. KOEI just sent me their Tokyo line-up, adding that they are "preparing" Ni-Oh, a samurai-themed action game for the PS3, and Dynasty Warriors 5 Special, an enhanced edition of the tactical action game for the Xbox 360, for the show.

Here's the full list with release dates:

Ni-Oh, PlayStation 3, Summer 2006
Dynasty Warriors 5 Special (working title), Xbox 360, Winter 2005
Dynasty Warriors 5 Xtreme Legends(r), PlayStation 2, Sept. 15, 2005
Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de 3 Izayoiki, PlayStation 2, Sept. 22, 2005
WINBACK(tm)2: Project Poseidon, PlayStation 2, TBD
Romance of the Three Kingdoms(r) DS, DS, Sept. 29, 2005
Dynasty Warriors DS, Nintendo DS, TBD
Nobunaga's Ambition Online: Hiryu no Sho, PlayStation 2/PC, available now (Japan only)
Uncharted Waters Online, PC, available now (Japan only)