.jpg "This picture of the Xbox 360 press conference gives an idea of the scale of the presentations.")
.jpg "The events are star-studded affairs with lots of celebrities from the movies and here, during the EA press conference, superstars of sports.")
.jpg "After the show hours are over the (working) parties go into full gear. Some are relatively exclusive, like this Microsoft event. Others are ginourmous.")
.jpg "The after-hours events are an opportunity to feature some of the products that didn't get major space on the show floor such as Age of Empires On-Line at the Microsoft event.")
.jpg "The press conferences take place all over the city. Ubisoft and EA hold their conferences in grand movie picture palaces.")
.jpg "Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo frequently book big acts. This picture is from Microsoft's event with Jane's Addiction.")
.jpg "More of Jane's Addiction at the Microsoft Press Conference.")
.jpg "The press conferences are a fast, concentrated method for getting the high-points of the new year's products to the world. They are usually punctuated with trailers - like previews of coming attractions - and live demos, often featuring the designers and celebrities.")
.jpg "Most of the conferences try to tell a story, not just push specific products. For Microsoft it might be that the Xbox is the center of the family room. Sony often paints a picture of its global, all encompassing view of entertainment on every platform, wherever you are, whatever you're doing. Nintendo has generally focused on creative, new approaches to gaming, expanding the market, bringing in women and kids to the traditional hard-core fans. This year the industry faces new challenges from mobile platforms. How will the big three respond? We'll find out the first week in June in Los Angeles.")
We'll be showcasing E3s past, present and future as we gear up for next weeks's big event. JamesGames will be at the major press conferences and behind the scenes events bringing you independent coverage.
Read my interview with the creator of Sony's new Wonderbook here.
