The insanity that was SF4 SBO Qualifiers...

Last Saturday night at Denjin Arcade was the West Coast block of qualifiers for Super Battle Opera 2009 (or SBO or short) and even though I wasn't there myself (Simi Valley is "too far" from where I live), watching the insanity on UFragTV was arguably the best Street Fighter IV tournament ever since the game out last year at arcades. Even though staying up till 3 am to watch the madness was crazy, the HYPE remained throughout the tournament till the end as it was the best Grand Finals I have ever seen with Alex Valle/Combofiend against Edma/Ken I. It turned out that Valle & Combofiend won it in the end with the craziest comeback ever with Combo's Viper against Ken's Rufus. Those four players played like crazy from Valle's OG instincts (since he is an OG SF player from back in the day), Edma's Akuma being too good (EX whiffed Hurricane Kick to Raging Demon = sick!!), Ken I's consistent Rufus play (even though he was also playing 3rd Strike SBO qualifiers as well), and Combo's Viper not being stopped the whole day.

Lots of other things happened at the long and draining event from team East Coast that consisted of LongIslandJoe and Arthuro Sanchez proving that East Coast is not just Justin Wong with their deep run at the tourney finishing 3rd in hostile territory (Going to the other coast and going deep is very good). Perhaps the most epic moment of the day was Mike Ross's legendary Honda comeback against Haunts and Magus1234 (video below) as the whole place went crazy (I went crazy from my computer) when he did the "eagle eye Ultra" countering Haunts's Sagat EX low tiger shot to win that game and then perfecting Magus in the last round with 2 Hundred Hand Slaps to super combo to win the match making him and his partner Keno continue on in the losers bracket eventually losing against Team MoMuchDamage (Moval and Paul "somuchdamage"). 

UFragTV was hosting the tournament throughout the day with Slasher and SoCal SF4 ambassador Gootecks doing commentary and all that jazz along with IRC chat going off the whole event. Other than the IRC chat going crazy with the HYPE moments happening, there were the obvious comments when girls showed up at the cameras doing their thing along with hate for Slasher for getting things wrong and Rockfeller making a rare comeback appearance to commentate for a bit. I gotta give them credit for 13 hours of coverage for the whole event as they did the best they could with crappy Internet streaming it live and HD on-demand coming soon (maybe tomorrow).

With Alex Valle / Combofiend going to SBO for the U.S. along with four other players, this is arguably the U.S.'s best chance of taking Japan down at the event even though Japanese SF4 players are just too damn good in their own right. We'll see when that happens sometime in August. Speaking of more SF4, I might show up at Arcade Infinity for another Ranbat tournament on Sunday, but I'm not sure yet whether I'm competing or not. Let's just say that last Saturday's SBO Quals was an EPIC event for Street Fighter IV and the community as well.

Clips of E3 '09 (Part 2)

Damn, I wish I can go this year... Gotta know some connections.

Arguably the trailer of the show is for Star Wars: The Old Republic, the "KOTOR" MMORPG by BioWare. Even though this is just a cinematic clip that showcases none of the actual game, Star Wars fans are going crazy over what transpired in this Jedi/Sith battle. None of the movies never had that many Jedis and Siths in one building tearing each other apart. This game is only coming for the PC for now sometime soon.

A new Castlevania game was announced at the Konami press conference today called Lords of Shadow for the PS3 and 360. The crazy thing about this one is that Kojima Productions is involved in the development for the game and not the franchise mastermind, Iga. Other than that, it looks somewhat like a Devil May Cry inspired game (like that has been done before for the Castlevania franchise) to me.

I have said before that I am pretty much done with the "plastic instrument" genre, but I am awesomely sold on DJ Hero now to the point that I will buy this thing this fall. No official word on pricing yet, but count on it being 100 bucks like the Guitar Hero w/ Guitar bundles. Here's some gameplay on Expert difficulty from the show floor itself. The songs shown are "Boom Boom Pow vs. Satisfaction" by Black Eyed Peas and Benny Benassi (above clip) and "Hollaback Girl vs. Give It to Me" by Gwen Stefani and Rick James (below clip). Screw Guitar Hero IV and Rock Band this fall, DJ Hero is where it is at now for me as my rhythm game for the fall. Looks like I will be DJing some parties soon if I get good at this. (Lol)

That's it for now... More clips of E3 throughout the rest of the week even though I pretty much posted the big ones out of the show already.

Sony E3 '09 Press Conference Liveblog

So Nintendo already their presser today announcing games both for the casuals, the hardcore, and the fanboys, but now its Sony's turn to go crazy. Expect lots of PS3 stuff and a big focus on the new PSP Go. Anyway, we'll do this liveblog style with video up when it shows up online later today.

10:57 am - Should be starting soon, maybe a slight delay for people to show up.

11:02 am - Switching to the G4 feed (Looks like 1up won't be streaming according to David Ellis's Twitter).

11:10 am - Its starting. Expect this one to be the longest of the three big conferences having the traditional touches of a presser (data charts, big announcements, and speeches).

11:13 am - Alright Jack Tretton... Let's do this. (They're at the Shrine). Don't worry this dude knows how to speak. Oh yeah, there's pressure being the last of the three... Better end with a bang.

11:16 am - Starting off with the PS2 talk... Its still 100 bucks people.

11:19 am - Stats talk... The usual stuff about success.

11:19 am - Yes, Jack, I have been playing inFAMOUS and its awesome!!!

11:20 am - Oh yeah, the Uncharted 2 MP Beta starts tonight... Demostration of the game to follow now. Campaign footage = Yes!!!

11:23 am - Now this is intense stuff... Uncharted 2 delivers!!! Nathan Drake feels like a live character... Yes one of the better looking games out and only on PS3.

11:26 am - MAG up next... This is by Zipper, the folks that brought u the first 3 SOCOM games. Yes, folks 256 players max online.

11:27 am - Oh man, feels like an old-school E3 crowd at this conference.

11:30 am - Yeah its 30 frames per second for a reason... to handle 256 players at once (One of many reasons I guess).

11:32 am - PSP time... PSP Go time soon?

11:34 am - Hannah Montana PSP = Yes!!!

11:35 am - "Krazy" Kaz Hirai time... Ridge Racer!!!

11:36 am - Yeah its PSP Go time!!! (Cue the montage... Worst kept secret of E3 indeed!!)

11:37 am - That thing is pretty stylish than the old PSP.

11:38 am - Media Go announced... A simpler way to navigate the PS Store on PC and PSP. Sense Me also announced for PSP only (Sounds like iTunes Genius for the PSP).

11:41 am - PSP Go out on October 1st for 250 bucks. (Encore of the PS3 price crisis?)

11:43 am - Finally Kaz of Polyphony is here to confirm Gran Turismo PSP. (Finally indeed!!)

11:45 am - Except it is "technically" not being shown now... It works on the PSP Go at least, but Kaz is just talking about the game's features.

11:47 am - This is almost an encore of James Cameron talking about Avatar last night at the Ubisoft presser.

11:50 am - At least a trailer showed up... out with the PSP Go launch. Then again, no GT5 = Boo!!!

11:50 am - Metal Gear?? Oh its Kojima again!!! New MGS game called Peace Walker out for PSP. Story being detailed (10 years after MGS3).

11:57 am - Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker trailer is awesome!! Kojima trailers always deliver the goods and the lulz... (4 Snakes?). This is out next year.

11:59 am - Capcom secret game #2 is Resident Evil PSP, out next year too.

12:00 pm - PSP game montage now playing (featuring LBP, Jak, Monster Hunter, and more).

12:04 pm - PSN time = Yay!

12:05 pm - FF7 out on the PS Store soon like tonight!!!

12:06 pm - Home talk... I guess it is successful so far. (Montage now playing... People are using this really?)

12:09 pm - PS3 montage now (More montages...)

12:14 pm - Rockstar exclusive coming to PS3 called Agent.

12:15 pm - Assassins Creed 2 demo time. This is not from the Ubi conference last night.

12:18 pm - He can fly?

12:20 pm - Two man stealth kill was nuts. (PSP and PS3 connection confirmed with new weapons)

12:22 pm - New FFXIII trailer with English VO (out Spring 2010).

12:26 pm - Final Fantasy XIV? Already?? I think its MMO, which it is (Also PS3 exclusive). The second coming of FFXI? Looks that way.

12:29 pm - Sony entering the motion control business... Oh its "The Wand"

12:31 pm - Its being demoed now... Playstation Eye required for this to work. Oh a jab at Project Natal!!!

12:32 pm - This is getting nuts.. The crowd sure loves this tech demo of this "Wand."

12:37 pm - Is the gaming world really ready for motion control to take over?

12:39 pm - Sony Archery demo > Nintendo Archery demo.

12:41 pm - LittleBigPlanet talk... Disney costumes out this fall as DLC.

12:42 pm - ModNation Racers being shown now (A new game in the "Play, Create, Share" genre that LBP started).

12:43 pm - This looks like a mix of LBP and Mario Kart. Potentially could be awesome.

12:45 pm - Okay, this is awesome...  Track editor, Character customization, Fun gameplay. Definitely a mashup of LBP and Mario Kart.

12:50 pm - Wow, making a track in ModNation Racers looks so easier than making a level in LBP. I'm impressed.

12:51 pm - ModNation Racers is out next year.

12:52 pm - Alright, project Trico time aka The Last Guardian.

12:57 pm - Last Guardian looks good... Oh now its GT5 time!! (Where's the car damage Kaz? Then again, support for WRC and NASCAR is cool stuff).

12:59 pm - God of War III to end the show with a bang!!

1:07 pm - Gosh damn... GOW III will own your soul (Man, I love this!!!)

1:08 pm - Conference over (GOW III will be out on March 2010).

Nintendo E3 '09 Press Conference Liveblog

So today begins E3 proper as the other two major press conferences, which are Nintendo and Sony, should be starting in a few minutes. After Microsoft drawing first blood with a bang, the big N and Sony better step up their game to make a good impression at E3. The liveblog will be all in text, but video will be up as soon as it shows up on various sites. Too bad the G4 I'm running is on West Coast time so the press conferences are actually airing later than the live (lucky East Coast peeps) showing. After these conferences, the show truly begins as I will clips of E3 posts throughout the week.

Note: Refresh this post at will to keep updated on this or read other's opinions at the major gaming sites if you're tired of me already.

9:05 am - Cammie Dumway starts us off... Where's Reggie?

9:08 am - New Super Mario Bros. Wii!!!!!

9:10 am - This looks like the Zelda Four Swords Adventures, but with Mario now = Neat!!!

9:11 am - Oh if u want to watch this: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174515

9:13 am - New Super Mario Bros. Wii out this holiday... Buying!!!!

9:14 am - Oh Wii Fit... That was such a mistake lol. Oh its Wii Fit Plus!!!

9:16 am - Hmmmm... I wonder how Nintendo is selling Wii Fit Plus (Disc only and bundle with Balance Board if u skipped the first game = Oh Cammie just said of all this).

9:17 am - Reggie time!!!!

9:19 am - Reintroducing the Wii Motion Plus...

9:21 am - Motion Plus commercial - I'm getting tired of these already. Never mind, this is all for Wii Sports Resort, coming out next month.

9:24 am - A skydiving Mii Parade on Wii Sports Resort??

9:26 am - Archery being demoed with Motion Plus (Was it like this with Zelda TP?)

9:27 am - Oh Reggie and your smack talk!!!

9:29 am - 3 point contest on Wii Sports Resort being shown now. Lol Reggie wins.

9:30 am - Wii Sports Resort out on July 26th. Reggie also announcing other games with Motion Plus support (Tiger, Grand Slam Tennis, Virtua Tennis 2009, Red Steel 2).

9:33 am - Reggie talking RPGs now... Squenix showing more FF Crystal Bearers and finally Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days out on September for DS (cue the Utada theme song!!!)

9:35 am - Mario & Luigi IV: Bowser's Inside Story now being shown for DS (out this fall).

9:37 am - Golden Sun DS!!!! Finally...

9:39 am - Women's Murder Club announced... Whatever.

9:41 am - C.O.P.: The Recruit being shown - Another new DS game.

9:42 am - More DS games for the ladies...

9:43 am - DSi montage... Yay let's brag more about its success. (Sales numbers!!!)

9:46 am - Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again with a level editor and sharing... out this Monday on DSiWare (Finally something good again).

9:48 am - Flip Note Studio, Wario Ware D.I.Y. also coming to DSi this summer.

9:49 am - Sharing DSi photos on Facebook = Lol!!!!

9:50 am - Zelda: Spirit Tracks playable at the show floor (No new trailer??)

9:51 am - Iwata time!!! Bring the goods!!!

9:58 am - Wii Vitality Sensor?? Some pulse monitor thingy... I don't know Iwata.

10:03 am - Super Mario Galaxy 2!!!!! OMFG!!!! Game of the Forever!!!!

10:05 am - Wow this conference is not over yet... The Conduit being shown (The Wii's "Halo" out later this month). Resident Evil Darkside Chronciles also being shown.

10:07 am - Dead Space Extraction also being shown too. These three headline Nintendo's "hardcore" third-party efforts... Oh the sound is getting a little fuzzy.

10:09 am - Team Ninja on my Wii??

10:11 am - Holy **** a Team Ninja Metroid game called Metroid: Other M (out next year). Wow Nintendo, I didn't expect this.

10:12 am - Conference over... Wow Nintendo definitely surprised me today with their hardcore efforts. Where's Miyamoto?

10:20 am - Oh... Sony presser will be in 40 minutes. A new blog post will be up by then and we'll do this again.

Microsoft E3 09 Press Conference Recap

Note: Due to various complaints, I will do liveblogging of Nintendo and Sony's press conferences tomorrow here on this blog instead of Twitter and FaceBook. I already issued an apology if you're offended of all that spam/cluttering I ensued there earlier today. I guess I got carried away being on game journalist mode posting random thought after random thought of what I saw during the event. Maybe the E3 hype was too much for me to handle today.

Anyway...

E3, aka the Electronic Entertainment Expo, has jumped off in a big way with Microsoft's Press Conference which happened this morning somewhere at Los Angeles. Since they were the first of the big three conferences (Nintendo and Sony's are tomorrow), they had to throw down the gauntlet and indeed they did. I came away really impressed of what Microsoft shown during their 2 hour briefing.

The briefing started off with The Beatles: Rock Band as Harmonix performed a full song and also announced DLC after the game's release with full albums and exclusive songs for Xbox Live. Lots of support are from the record company and even The Beatles themselves as Ringo and Sir John McCartney came out to an arousing applause. Even though I don't have Rock Band 2 anymore, Beatles looks very promising with its own art style and slightly different looking notecharts. Plus, it is cool to finally have Beatles songs on your Rock Band collection along with support for multiple singers according to the demo shown at the briefing. The Beatles: Rock Band will be released on September 9, 2009.

After Tony Hawk briefly talked about his new game, Tony Hawk Ride, along with showing off the skateboard controller and a trailer about fellow skaters loving it, the fireworks truly began with a demonstration of Modern Warfare 2, aka the sequel to Call to Duty 4: Modern Warfare by Infinity Ward. They first showed that infamous trailer that first aired during the NBA playoffs followed by a demo of the snow level by the developers themselves. I have been claiming that Modern Warfare 2  will be indeed the first-person shooter to beat this holiday season and I'm still keeping that claim true because it looks awesome having it all. My favorite moment of this demonstration is obviously the snowmobile parts as the player is firing at enemies gangster style with a pistol while driving. I regretfully passed on the first game for Mass Effect back in 2007, but now I'm actually looking forward for this being my shooter for the year. Also, Infinity Ward announced two exclusive map packs for Xbox Live since Modern Warfare has been a major success for the platform.

Next up is Final Fantasy XIII in which it was announced for 360 at last year's E3. Some Square-Enix folks came up to the stage and demonstrated a section of the trial version that was for the PS3, but running on 360 now. Surprisingly, it actually looks identical to the PS3 version and this brief demo has all out English voice overs. At least, Squenix announced a release window for the game which is next Spring.

Then Microsoft started rolling up the exclusives that began with a sequel to arguably my favorite 360 game. Crackdown 2 is indeed a reality as Ruffian Games is developing instead of Real Time Worlds since they moved on to APB (All Points Bulletin). Crackdown is a favorite among the hardcore crowd and for me actually being an awesome game besides having the Halo 3 Beta attached to it. If there is one game for me to come back to 360, Crackdown 2 would be it.

Left 4 Dead 2 came out as a surprise to me even though it was rumored to show up at this briefing. I thought it was too soon for a Left 4 Dead sequel considering the first game just came out last fall, but now the sequel is here and it is at a different setting, New Orleans, with a new cast of characters to go zombie hunting with. This is indeed 360/PC exclusive for a Fall 09 release.

Splinter Cell Conviction makes a return from the dead with an impressive showing at the press conference. Considering how Double Agent is somewhat of a refresh of previous SC games, Conviction looks to innovate the stealth action genre again with Sam Fisher on a mission for vengenace for the death of his daughter. This game is also coming out this fall.

Forza Motorsport 3 was a no brainer to be at the show, which it will be released this October. This racing game sequel will indeed be feature-heavy with the awesome car customization to the new video editor. Also, cockpit view is finally in as well as car damage being pushed to its limits as the Gran Turismo franchise still doesn't have it (Maybe GT5 will have it after all?). Turn 10 claims Forza 3 will be the racing game of the generation and so far if Sony doesn't show GT5 tomorrow, it sure looks that way for Forza 3.

And now the Halo section of the press conference begins with a demonstration of Halo 3 ODST, the single player expansion for Halo 3 out this September. Bungie is still making this one as a slightly different HUD is shown since you're playing as an ODST soldier. Also making a return to this game is the Halo 1 pistol complete with the scope (A lol moment for me out of the demonstration). The new silenced weapons make the experience somewhat different to previous games, but it is still Halo at its core.

Surprisingly making the rumors true, another Halo game was announced, which is called Halo: Reach. This is just a teaser as the game is based on the Fall of Reach novel. Don't expect this game till next fall, but a multiplayer beta will be out with Halo 3 ODST.

Also returning from the dead is Alan Wake by Remedy, the folks that brought you the first two Max Payne games. This survival horror/action game has been a long time coming, but finally it exists and actually an early contender for game of the show. The atmosphere and suspense looks intense as well as the gunplay with crazy slowmo stuff. Alan Wake is expected to come out next Spring.

Microsoft decides to break from the games to show off what's next in Xbox Live features. Among those new features, they will add last.fm to the dashboard, managaing your Netflix queue on 360 (finally), buy retail games from XBL Marketplace (not shown at the press conference), and instant 1080p HD video streaming. All of this will be out this fall. Even with all of that stuff on your 360 console, they decided to go extra crazy announcing support for FaceBook and Twitter (Lol!!!!)

The Guild's Felicia Day (also a cutie among the nerd community) came out to demo Facebook and Twitter on 360, which is crazy. As if Twitter and Facebook are crazy enough on our computers, being on 360 is just pushing it.

Back to the games, confirming more rumors and fueling the fanboy wars to new levels, Hideo Kojima comes out to announce Metal Gear Solid: Rising on 360 (exclusivity still unknown yet) starring everyone's favorite badass cyber-ninja Raiden (not Solid Snake). About time MGS appears on 360 whether or not it is MGS4, but at least Kojima is showing support for the 360 now.

Don Mattrick comes out after all those blockbuster game announcements to announce their vision for the future of gaming. Project Natal is the codename for their new direction for motion controllers (okay it is the rumored motion camera). Microsoft believes in no controllers for their ambitious direction as your whole body is the controller engaging in various activities. Various mini-games like painting and evading balls are shown during the demo headed by former EA Chicago mastermind Kudo Tsunoda. This demonstration video below is a glimpse of what to expect from Project Natal (Minority Report vibes indeed) which launches next year. Microsoft's attempt of the combating the Wii's success with motion controls has lots of potential and perhaps take over since it does way more than the Wii could do.

Perhaps the most ambitious game out of Project Natal is Milo, headed by Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios (Fable II). This guy is so full of ambition claiming that this whole motion-driven direction is a breakthrough of computer technology. Oh we'll see about that Peter if it lives up to its potential, but this is pretty special stuff indeed.

That's it for Microsoft Press Conference at this year's E3. I must say that Microsoft came out swinging having blockbuster game after blockbuster game (Some of them worthy exclusives), push the all-in-one entertainment console to new heights with instant 1080p HD support along with using Facebook and Twitter on your 360, and announce a new beginning for video games as a whole with Project Natal using the whole body as the controller. There was no filler moments as John Schappert (spelling?) promised no numbers or pie charts at the briefing (Yay!!) even though I wished Xbox Live Arcade had more time than just Epic's Shadow Complex being demoed (Its a Metroidvania style shooter that headlines this year's Summer of Arcade lineup... Also Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will start it up as well). The absence of Rare at the conference raised some questions as well whether or not they were ready to announce something new, so that was a little disappointing. Let's just say that Microsoft now has the tools to take over the console wars with a stacked game lineup and Project Natal. We'll see what Nintendo and Sony will do to counter Microsoft's amazing press conference (one of the better ones in years I think) tomorrow.

Don't forget I'll be liveblogging those conferences here tomorrow instead of spamming on Twitter and Facebook (Once again, I'm sorry). 

Clips of E3 2009 (Part 1 & Before the "big show")

With my E3 2009 Preview posts out of the way with all those predictions, let's start the clip rundown since they are starting to surface.



We'll start with a repost of this Mass Effect 2 teaser from last night's GameTrailers TV in which the full trailer will be next week during the show. If u read my review of the first game, I actually did like it a lot considering RPGs are not my thing, but this "western RPG" by BioWare did live up to the hype and the pedigree the company has done in the past. Looks like ME2 will continue the adventures of Shepard (did he really die?) and will be the "Empire Strikes Back" of the promised trilogy?

DJ Hero is indeed happening and the first official trailer above shows off the graphics and no gameplay (tons of that will happen at the show). Hearing the mix with "Hollaback Girl" seems crazy, but this game will indeed make or break by the setlist and seeing songs by Black Eyed Peas ("Boom Boom Pow"), Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, and Eminem, maybe it won't be bad after all that I might buy this thing in the end. We'll see if I really want to buy it, but I do want to at least try it out someday.

Perhaps the craziest trailer I seen so far before the show even starts is for Sega and Platinum Games' new game Bayonetta. This is definitely living up towards being a female "Devil May Cry" since Kamiya is the main man behind this game (He did the first DMC if u don't know). With this trailer, it looks like Kamiya will silence those critics that think this genre cannot be improved on because this game just looks absolutely insane with all the over the top business happening and it is all in 60 frames per second, which is sick. I enjoyed the DMC games (well 3 and 4), but Bayonetta is shaping up to blow away any competition it has (Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, Ninja Blade, DMC5) and I might as well buy this too.

Namco's big game at the show is obviously Tekken 6 aka Bloodline Rebellion and even though I haven't played this game in a month, the console version is showing promise and usually Namco delivers on the console version being more feature-heavy than the arcade version. Of course, there is the mandatory online play these days in the genre and now introduced in this trailer is the return of Tekken Force mode. Looks like Tekken Force can be played co-op, but no word about online yet by Namco themselves. Sure, this mode is just another measly addition to the overall package, but the fighting still matters, and I think it will be still good despite the long wait to come to consoles.

That's it for now... More will be added throughout the weekend and during showtime.

My E3 2009 Preview (Sony)

E3 is next week as bombs will be dropped regarding big games for the next year. Then again, if all these announcements of new games are already happening now with today's announcements of some Sega racing game which is Mario Kart but with Sega mascots like Sonic and such, Def Jam Rapstar, a rap karaoke game by EA, and the Pre-E3 special on GameTrailers TV tonight with new footage of Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and more. I already shared my thoughts about Nintendo and Microsoft with what they may bring to the show next week, but now it is finally Sony's turn and perhaps their conference has at least a clear indication of what should be shown at this event.



Final Fantasy XIII - I'm not sure if Square-Enix is showing up to E3 because of the swine flu, but expect a big showing for FFXIII especially with the billboards already showing up at Downtown LA featuring the main characters. The footage above is from the Japanese Trial Version that was released with Advent Children Complete, but Squenix have said that they won't bring this demo with the US release of Blu-Ray Advent Children next month. Then again, making the demo downloadable on PSN is not out of the question as I think they are considering it for the US audience that wanted to play this that don't want to import. Hopefully new areas will be shown next week beyond the demo and a more clearer release window since it is still next year worldwide. Will it be playable at the show floor? Who knows, I just hope it is not an extended trailer of the same old stuff with a couple more seconds of new stuff added in. Honestly, I'm not really a Final Fantasy fan as the only one I played through all of is FFX, but I'm willing to give the franchise another chance with XIII since the demo blew me away when I first saw it in action (That battle music is also epic stuff).

Project Trico - This seems inevitable at this rate that Project Trico will be shown next week at the show.  While some considers this the PS3's saving grace, of course it is not that blockbuster that everyone will buy. It will just be another appreciated title by the hardcore like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, but who knows if others will buy it. If this is actually shown, expect it to be the overall game of the show since the gaming press loves everything the Ico team does since the previous two are such special games.

Heavy Rain - This PS3 exclusive will also have a big showing at E3 since it is another critical darling among the hardcore crowd. If u don't know about Heavy Rain, this game is context sensitive (quick-time event) driven with tons of moral choices that will make a difference in the story and the characters. The developers have said that it is still a long way off (like next year), but expect Sony will go crazy with this at their press conference.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - This is a big week for Uncharted 2 as new footage will be shown on GameTrailers TV tonight as mentioned earlier and the multiplayer beta begins next week on PSN if you're a Qore subscriber and bought inFAMOUS at its launch. I have mentioned on Twitter to various game journalists about wanting to see some new levels other than the ones already seen for both single and multiplayer. The first Uncharted was my first PS3 game and I actually did love it for what it is, which is an awesome exclusive. I have high hopes for the sequel continuing the adventures of Nathan Drake in various spots of the world, but there are some skeptics that believe that Naughty Dog adding in co-op and versus multiplayer may affect the work on the single player. However from what I seen so far, they have been delivering on that end with the epic setpieces, the gunplay, and the charm that is Drake himself feeling like a true character. I'm betting on a co-op demonstration of this game will happen at the press conference.

(As I'm typing this, the PSN Store finally updated for this week).

God of War III - Of course, Sony's big gun is God of War III and I am hopeful it makes a big impact at the show with an awesome trailer, gameplay demonstration at the press conference, and a playable demo at the show floor. The first two games were that damn good and I also have high hopes for this third one to end the trilogy with a bang (especially if you have seen the ending for God of War II). This one is also out next year and will be worth the wait.

Gran Turismo 5 finally coming after all? - GT5 Prologue has been out for a while (well last year) as Polyphony Digital have been spending lots of time on the real GT5 being the real deal for racing simulations. I just hope my man Kaz finally announces something related to GT5 next week because this will be another must-have for the PS3 whether you love the franchise or not (I might as well get a wheel for this as well).

Kojima's next game? - With Metal Gear Solid 4 out and now part of the greatest hits lineup out next month at 30 bucks (finally I can buy and play this masterpiece), who knows what's next for Kojima, but with all those teasers after teasers (since he loves to tease), is his next game another Metal Gear title being a prequel of sorts, or will it be something completely different (like Zone of the Enders 3 or whatever). All signs and clues are leading towards a MGS5 or a prequel (or MGS4 Existence for both PS3 and 360).

The rest of Sony's 1st party lineup - While some may claim that Sony has the best first party lineup of the big three (I can somewhat agree with them), I have faith that they will deliver the goods this upcoming year with Uncharted 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: Crack in Time, MAG (Who knows if that game will deliver, hopefully a multiplayer beta gets announced for PSN), the continuing support of the SingStar franchise, and maybe some new IPs and sequels to to other franchises (Jak, Sly Cooper, Heavenly Sword, etc.). Also, what's next for LittleBigPlanet? Will Media Molecule show off new levels and other goods for their remarkable game? Who knows, but it better be good for me to play that game again.

What about PSN and Home? - Playstation Network continues to evolve with firmware update after firmware update, but will there be a major one next week aka 2.8 that promises the goods like in-game voice chat and full PS2 backwards compability? On the downloadable front, I'm just happy they are continuing to deliver on more risky original titles like Fat Princess and the new Pikeljunk Shooter, so I'm hopeful of more original games being announced for PSN and maybe the rumored Starhawk will happen too (I don't have Warhawk). Of course, I want more classics on this service, but it is okay letting XBLA getting the goods on those. Home is also evolving to its full potential even though some would say it already failed on its promise. With things like a playable Buzz space, on-disc features, and other giveaways, maybe Home will be cool after all. Lastly, PSN better fix their online connection issues even though I fixed my fortunately because it is getting frustrating for some users out there.

Okay, that's it for the PS3 other than the inevitable price drop has to happen now and maybe the Slimline SKU is true after all.

As for PSP, Sony is promising a second coming for the handheld, but I'm skeptical about it because they are just releasing more of the same titles that consoles have and better on them like Tekken 6, Rock Band Unplugged, Soul Calibur, and more. Maybe more games being available both at retail and as download like Patapon 2 might be the solution with the PSP to compete again with the DS. Perhaps other exclusives like Final Fantasy Dissidia and Monster Hunter will give PSP another push, but I don't see it happening.

That's it for Sony and yes I'm ready for E3 and bombs to be dropped!!