E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo for those not in the know) is a constant barrage of light, sound and color -- so much so that it is hard to shape an accurate description for it in mundane words. You simply have to be there; to see and experience the thing for yourself. But since not everyone could be with us at E3 last week, I'll do my best to give you a sense of the event. And even though World of Warcraft didn't make an appearance at this year's expo, I feel safe in saying that E3 had some gaming goodness for everyone.

Check out our galleries from the show floor and join us after the break for the details on the past week's announcements.



Think BlizzCon lines are bad? They've got nothing on the crowds waiting to play with Nintendo's latest addition to the DS line, the 3DS. It has better performance and graphics than current DS models but its top screen is also capable of 3D graphics and, Nintendo boasts, "3D Hollywood movies." Top that off with a 3D camera and a great line-up of games that includes Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Professor Layton, Metal Gear, Kingdom Hearts, Star Fox, Legend of Zelda, Resident Evil, DJ Hero and... need I go on? There are some seriously great games in development for the 3DS, which I hope to be able to play at an indeterminate point in the future (sorry, no release date yet).

There are also new titles to be had for the DS (including more Professor Layton) and the Wii (including a new Legend of Zelda and the further adventures of Kirby), but not even the idea of Wiimote swordplay can quite distract from the shininess of the 3DS. It's safe to say I'm a bit smitten.

Microsoft unveiled an updated version of the Xbox 360 to the market, featuring a sleeker design, a bigger HDD, and built-in Wi-Fi among other things. However shiny the console is, I find it awfully hard to get excited about a console that's substantively the same as the console I already own -- but if you've yet to jump on the Xbox 360 bandwagon, this new model is the way to go.

Microsoft's other big announcement: the motion-sensing Project Natal, now called "Kinect." (Though photos weren't allowed at the Kinect launch event, Joystiq's tried to capture the event artistically.) Kinect will hit retailers this November for $150. There will be 15 launch titles, including Dance Central (think Rock Band but with dancing) and the expected fitness titles (EA Sports Active, Ubisoft's Your Shape, and The Biggest Loser), with more to come, like the surreal shooter Child of Eden.

With the rest of the gaming industry in attendance, Sony could hardly fail to make an appearence. They were on the show floor with an impressive line-up of titles for the PS3 (including LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, inFamous 2, and Twisted Metal). There's also the PlayStation Move, the very Wiimote-like motion-sensing controller for your PS3. Expect it to surface in September and to set you back $50.

But I imagine most of the gamers in WoW.com's audience would be more interested in what Sony Online Entertainment, the console giant's MMO division, brought to the show. And they did bring out some great games: super-hero title DC Universe Online, MMOFPS The Agency, the Free Realms-like Clone Wars Adventures, and the just-announced Magic: The Gathering - Tactics.

But the MMO offerings at the show go well beyond SOE. Our sister site Massively can fill you in on all the gory details and offers their best of show round-up, but I'll try to give you the top-down view:

• BioWare and LucasArts were showing off the MMO everyone is looking forward to: Star Wars: The Old Republic. Check out the new cinematic trailer, read up on player ships & PvP, and get hands-on impressions of the smuggler class.
• For those of you who love Final Fantasy, they're back with another entry in the MMO market with Final Fantasy XIV. Also see Massively's interview with the game's executive producer, Hiromichi Tanaka.
• Everyone loves LEGOs, right? Then everyone ought to love LEGO Universe.
• Trion demoed Rift: Planes of Telara and End of Nations from their very fancy booth, shown above.
• Lord of the Rings Online showed off the latest content in Enedwaith.
• Though there's no game to play yet, Massively has a new trailer and an interview for Warhammer 40k.
• Nexon is redefining what it means to be free-to-play with some top quality titles. On the lighter side, take a look at the bright colors and anime-style graphics of Dragon Nest. And on the darker side, check out the brutality of Vindictus.
• Looking for something a little more out of this world? Battlestar Galactica Online, Black Prophecy and Jumpgate: Evolution, and Taikodom are all full of high-octane space combat.
• World of Tanks. It's an MMO. You're a tank. What more is there to say?

Need something a little more visual? Here's some of my favorite galleries from Massively's E3 coverage.


And if you want something without a subscription fee, E3's MMO showing has a ton of completely free options: Battlestar Galactica Online, Black Prophecy, Dragon Nest, Lord of the Rings Online (will be free later this year), Taikodom, Vindictus, and World of Tanks are all confirmed as free-to-play titles.

E3 is far too large to sum up with a few hundred words. But some highlights:

• OnLive, the microconsole that streams games to you over the net, should be a reality by the end of 2010.
• Portal 2 is coming your way! Check out the preview and the co-op preview.
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World brings retro arcade action to PSN and XBLA.
• Fable 3. 'nuf said.
• Rock Band 3 with new instruments (including keytar). Joystiq talks to Daniel Sussman, Rock Band 3 project lead, about the latest installment in the series.

Tags: e3, e3-2010, e3-recap, e3-roundup, e3-wrapup

Filed under: Events, News items