GamerDad writes "Part one of the Going Casual article series asks 'What happens when a hardcore gamer ignores E3 news?' A game journalist explores what it's like to get your videogame news ONLY from the Mainstream press. This is part one of a series." From the article: "I'm hoping that this little experiment will give both myself and the readers some insight into just how big or how small gaming is these days. I suspect there will be a lot of info available through mainstream media during E3, but I also think it's going to be very much built on PR. Because of that, I think I'm going to have an interesting view of the show that may exclude a ton of information that gamers will find fascinating or exciting."

Swank1 writes "At this year's E3 (May 17-20) Agetec will launch its Anti Booth Babe campaign. Believing that booth babes take attention away from the games, Agetec wants to change the focus back to where it should be. They plan on doing this not by refusing to have booth babes, but instead by hiring ten unattractive women to work their booth. Agetec, a producer of video games and hardware for console systems, has launched AntiBoothBabes.com to get their idea going. Right now the site is just a splash page and a sign-up form for a free T-shirt, but the real fun will come at the Expo. In Los Angeles, during the convention, Agetec's anti-babes will be handing out 'Granny Panties' with Agetec's logo on it. An article discribes the initiative at XYZ Computing."

Gamespot has a look at Soul Caliber III in anticipation of next week's E3. From the article: "Besides the tale of souls mode, your single-player options will include 'chronicle of the sword,' world competition, soul arena, museum, and character creation. Character creation is the mode we're most excited for, because it lets you create an original fighter you can then take to the chronicle of the sword mode to see how he or she fares."

Press the Buttons has the news that if you have a DS at E3 2005, this year's demos will be downloadable via wireless networks. From the article: "Now this has me thinking... since data downloaded into the Nintendo DS wirelessly stays in memory until the system is turned off, wouldn't it be possible to download, say, a Mario Kart DS demo at E3 and then just keep the system in sleep mode whenever it wasn't in use, thereby keeping the demo in your hands for weeks or even months after E3 is over?"

Press the Buttons noted that one of the games slated for unveiling at this year's E3 is a handheld console remake of A Boy and his Blob. The classic tale of a jellybean eating blob and his nameless boy may be coming for either the DS or the PSP, or both. From the article: "In the company's E3 press release a number of games are listed for the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable, one of which is A Boy and His Blob. Which of the two systems the game is for isn't clarified (it could be one or both), but seeing as how Majesco tried to revive the series for the Game Boy Advance several years ago, I'm betting it's for the DS."

GameIndustry.biz is reporting that the Nintendo Revolution is slated to arrive in Mid-2006. The information comes from a key supplier. From the article: "This is the first solid evidence that the Revolution platform is still on track for a mid-2006 launch. The console is expected to debut at a pre-E3 conference next Tuesday, but it's still not known just how much will be on display - with sources close to Nintendo suggesting that only a pre-recorded video of "next-gen footage" may be shown."

I don't know why it's on the video page for the upcoming Legend of Zelda game, but Gamespot has up a documentary shot at last year's E3 about their coverage of the event. Clocking in at almost an hour in length, it's an exhaustive and interesting look at all that they have to do to bring the coverage they do during the event. Well worth the time to check it out. (And hats off to those folks for their hard work.)

As gamer interest in the E3 show increases every year, more coverage becomes available for non-attendees. This year G4 will be broadcasting live from the show floor, and MMORadio will be sharing NCSoft booth space to get the word on Massive games out to the player audience. From the article: "Offering their respective audiences a comprehensive look inside the most important videogame trade event of the year, G4 and IGN will work together to create news and entertainment packages direct from E3, including highly anticipated product introductions, 'first looks,' expert commentary and analysis, executive interviews, celebrity appearances and more."

1up.com just keeps putting up these great features leading up to E3, so you're going to have to suffer through another informative preview. This one is on the next Unreal Tournament game, and features details about graphics, gameplay, and some screens. From the article: "'The programming is ahead of the art right now, which is kind of intentional,' Steve calmly notes. 'We really wanted to focus on gameplay before art.' I can see why this statement makes sense, but it doesn't do much to erase the look on my face as I watch Jeff maneuver through a bunch of blocks masquerading as a level from the next iteration of one of the biggest multiplayer shooters ever. I realize that I'm looking stunned and try to lighten the mood."

IGN.Cube has details on what its expected Nintendo will be showing off at E3 this year. Whether or not the Revolution gets much airtime is up in the air, but it's anticipated that new DS titles and the system itself are going to recieve the lion's share of attention. From the article: "...we predict that Nintendo will put a noticeable emphasis on its DS lineup and -- save for the new Legend of Zelda -- downplay some GameCube titles. This move seems to make sense as many of the GameCube titles sure to be on display in playable form will either have been previously shown at another event, or will be on the verge of releasing in America. In contrast, we expect several major surprises for the publisher's portable system."

1up.com continues its ramp-up to E3 feature rampage with a preview of the next Legend of Zelda title. They discuss not only the upcoming game but some classic moments from the series' past as well. From the article: "Koji Kondo: Yes, as I recall, in the very first Legend of Zelda, in the very opening title screen, we used to use the classical music of 'Bolero,' because that tempo was perfectly matched with the speed of the opening screen rolling. But I remember it was just before, when we really had to complete the final ROM for reproduction, they told me that unfortunately the copyright of that music hadn't expired yet, so I had to compose a completely new piece of music that night. I recall that I did it within one day. You know, 'da-da-da-da' -- that was done in just one day." Witty story name gleaned from toastyfrog's blog.

It has been officially announced that Madison, Wisconsin based developer Human Head studios is currently working on the Prey title. Prey, formerly a 3D Realms title, is now on track and will be shown off at this year's E3. From the article: "However, while he did make Prey's comeback official, Broussard did not reveal all his cards. He did not answer posts asking if the game would use the Doom 3 engine, as Morris claimed. Nor did he say when the game would come out. 'Each game will ship when it's ready.'"

The next-generation Nintendo console, codenamed Revolution, may not be shown at this year's E3. Eurogamer reports that the Japanese console maker is going to keep the console under wraps to keep the features of the new system out of the limelight a little while longer. From the article: "Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata is worried about rivals nicking all his best ideas at this early stage. That's how revolutionary the new console is, apparently... and also the exact same line Nintendo used to avoid showing Mario 128 at a previous E3."

The Tabula Rasa site has been replaced with a large announcement stating that the game has undergone massive overhauls in the last year. The designers apparently felt that the game simply wasn't shaping up to be what they had hoped, and went back to the drawing board for some elements. From the announcement: "Over the next few weeks you will see changes to the Tabula Rasa website. The site will be receiving a major overhaul in advance of this year's E3 event. You can look forward to new creatures, new features, and new information."

Neil Halelamien writes "Many enjoy listening to video game music arrangements, like those offered by OCRemix, Project Majestic Mix, or the Minibosses NES-rock band. A newcomer on the scene is the Video Game Pianist, an accomplished performer studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music. His skills garnered the attention of some in the industry -- he performed at the 2005 Game Developers Conference and will also be playing live at E3 this year. His web site offers some amazing performance videos (many with him playing blindfolded), downloadable albums, live internet concerts, sheet music, and other goodies, all for free. His albums and videos include several selections from the Mario, Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Final Fantasy series. Fans of his work can also donate to support his music."

Just as a reminder, the Playstation 3 is going to take it's bow before E3 proper as well. The Guardian has the story that the PS3 will debut four days after the Xbox360's introduction on MTV, at Sony Pictures Studio in LA. From the article: "Sony spokesfolks have hinted in the past that PS3 - or whatever it will be called - will be launched ahead of E3. Past product roadmaps have pointed to an early to mid-2005 launch. The company gave the PowerPC-derived 'Cell' processor on which the new console will be based its first public outing in February." Penny Arcade, as always, has the best grasp of the situation.

Joystiq (once again answering my hailing frequencies) has up a preview of some of the new titles that will be seeing the light of day at this year's e3. A smattering of some of the games: "The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, D&D Online, UFO: Aftershock, Battlefield 2, Black and White 2, The Sims 2: Nightlife, Guild Wars, Metroid Prime Hunters, Shadow the Hedgehog, Destroy All Humans" This year we're going to have an E3 topic for your browsing convenience.

John Callaham writes "Computer Games Magazine takes a quick look at the upcoming first person shooter games that are expected to be show at this May's Electronic Entertainment Expo." From the article: "Today we start to look at all the games that have been announced and are out in the open and are likely to be show at E3 this May. First up: first person shooters. 2004 was truly a banner year for this genre; how many years can we have that contain UT2004, Doom 3, Painkiller, and Half-Life 2? Will this year be any different?"

John Callaham writes "As we approach E3 next month, what game projects are currently in development but are still under official wraps? Computer Games Magazine takes a look at the sparse facts and does some speculation as well." From the article: "there is a period of near silence as developers work on games that are, for whatever reason, not ready to be officially announced yet. But that doesn't mean we can speculate based on the tiny snips of info that can be gathered from official sources, such as web site postings, press releases, interviews and job listings."

Gamespot has a heads up about a new possible Alternate reality game celebrating the Xbox 2 E3 unveiling. The game site, Our Colony, has a countdown meter running down until just a few days before Microsoft's pre-E3 unveiling of the Xbox 2 console. From the article: "The countdown will ends at 8pm PDT on Thursday, May 12, nearly four days to the hour before Microsoft's pre-E3 presentation on the evening of May 16. What will happen on May 12 remains unclear."