Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

There’s nothing quite like the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Each May, every game company goes overboard on their PR budget in order to show off their wares at gaming’s biggest exhibition. Companies treat E3 like the ultimate talent show: a strong performance could provide enough good buzz in the gaming community to ensure a solid year. History has indicated that E3 isn’t the be all and end all of the industry (otherwise Sega would be prepping their follow-up to the hugely successful Dreamcast console), but E3 sets the table for not only the rest of the year, but the next year as well.

Last year’s E3 blew. The big three (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo) had some hastily assembled presentations for their next-gen consoles that were short on info. Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business big-wig Peter Moore confused us with weird running metaphors, while EA’s Will Wright proved that name-recognition can be more important than the game itself.

E3 2006 had to be better than last year’s—Nintendo and Sony were finally ready to show off their new machines and Microsoft have shaken off some early launch problems and seem poised to have a strong year. In the end, the results were mixed.

Beyond Gran Turismo HD and the limited PSP showing, the Sony conference (which clocked in at two hours and is available online) was a near disaster. The “batarang” controller has been replaced with a dual shock that half-heartedly implements aspects from the X360 and Wii designs. Ubisoft Montreal’s Clint Hocking (he of Splinter Cell fame) even slammed Sony in an interview, saying, “How much more ‘me too’ can (Sony) be?” For some inexplicable reason, Sony devoted a good chunk of conference time to the historical combat game Genji 2, which will sell about five copies outside Japan, and some incomprehensible card game using Eye-Toy technology. I still don’t know if that was an actual game or just a means of showing off a peripheral no one uses.

Because of how radical a sea change the Wii is, Nintendo’s conference was the most hyped. Nintendo is stressing innovation and fun over graphics, but if Nintendo releases the golf/tennis/baseball game Wii Sports with those dated visuals, they may as well start releasing Super Nintendo games again. Red Steel from Ubisoft will use the Wii controller’s motion-sensing technology for both gunplay and sword fighting, and was Nintendo’s biggest third-party title. Despite a promise for more innovation, Nintendo will still live and die by the success of a certain portly plumber and a green forest dweller—Super Smash Bros., Super Mario Galaxy and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (which will be simultaneously released on both the GameCube and Wii) will be Nintendo’s meal tickets.

Microsoft has a head start on the other two. The 360 is already “in stores,” and they continue to satiate the hardcore gamer’s needs. Gears of War, Bioshock and a brief glimpse of Halo 3 will appeal to the masses, but likely won’t wow anyone with innovation.

On the local beat, EA Montreal’s first major project has finally been unveiled, a third-person war title named Army of Two (for PS3 and X360), which will use voice recognition to issue commands to other characters.

Ubisoft Montreal had a few new games to show off. They are working on Assassin’s Creed for the PS3, an action game that takes place during the Crusades, as well as the next Splinter Cell, called Double Agent. Ubi Montreal is also adapting the upcoming animated film, Open Season, to consoles, and a new Rainbow Six, set in Las Vegas, will arrive on the next-gen consoles (PS3 and X360) this fall.