Section: Gaming News, Conventions, E3

Thanks to live broadcasts on G4TV and live blogging through outlets such as Gamertell, millions of eyes throughout the world are on the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It’s not just the games and consoles at this industry showcase that are under intense scrutiny, it’s the showcase itself.

Two years ago, the Entertainment Software Association tried to whittle the gargantuan E3 down to a more manageable event and was successful but the result drew much scorn within the industry.

After 2008’s E3, gaming luminary than Will Wright called the show the walking dead.? Activision opted to skip the 2008 event altogether, holding its own press event at a separate locale and sending a clear message that E3 had issues. Entertainment Software Association CEO Michael Gallagher cautioned against calling this event a return to the old E3, but did promise to deliver the show “the industry deserves.”

The show expects to admit 40,000 attendees, a significant increase from the ghost-town like less than 5,000 it was estimated took in E3 2008.

To the delight of the still largely male gaming audience, the famous “booth babes” have returned. They have about as much to do with games as cheerleaders have to do with football but have become a tradition people associate with the show.

E3 is in a state of flux and since the industry it represents is all about rapidly changing technology, perhaps a constantly changing showcase fits it perfectly.

Read [Gamertell: E3 2009] Also Read [Edge Online]

Full Story ? | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Because of time, and because I basically promised a post today in yesterday’s post, I’m going to have to deliver this post in separate parts. Basically, it’s a rundown of my opinion on the next expansion.

Let me begin by saying that I am completely opposed to the idea that the Emerald Dream will be the focus of the next WoW expansion. Hell, I’m totally against the idea that it’ll even ever have its own expansion. But, that’s the key there. “Have its own expansion.” I’m not saying that the Emerald Dream won’t appear in a future WoW expansion, I’m just saying it won’t be the focal point. By the way, I don’t think that it’ll be a “part” of the next expansion either. Maybe the next expansion after the next, when WoW is probably going to be slowing down (but boy, has that prediction been wrong before), but not for a while.

Now, you might be disappointed to hear my prediction because you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But hey, if you’ve heard it so many times it must be a a good prediction… right? My prediction is… drumroll please… the Maelstrom/South Seas/Great Sea/Whatever the hell body of water with a giant whirlpool-storm thing in it. It’s all the same, and I don’t want to hear otherwise. You know what I mean if I mention one or the other. So, we’re going to go with “The Maelstrom Expansion”. Sound good? Okay.

The areas and zones that would be included in this expansion have been “planned out“, in a small sense, for a while. I just think that it would really only make sense if we saw the Maelstrom expansion next. Because I don’t think that the Emerald Dream will be its own expansion, I just can’t think of of anything else that Blizzard would want to add to the game before something like the Elemental Plane, the Twisting Nether, or other planets having to do with the Burning Legion.

So, changes to Azeroth? Probably. I assume that this would be the best possible expansion for Blizzard to be able to go back and change up a lot of things in Azeroth. Obviously the biggest change would probably be the addition of Gilneas in northern Eastern Kingdoms. That place has just been taunting me for ages. It’s like it was supposed to be in the game at the beginning, but Blizzard forgot about it or something. Oh, wait…

Then, other zones like Kul Tiras, and island not far from Gilneas, Kezan, Tel Abim, Zandalar, the Plunder Isles, and the Broken Isles would be added as well. Obviously, the Maelstrom would be the Icecrown type place of this expansion.

Hero classes, instances, mounts, items, etc. are all discussion being saved for a later date.

-Matt Graham

Section: Gaming News, Features, Live-Blogs, Game-Companies, Developers, Distributors, Publishers, Conventions, E3

Is it pronounced YOU-bee-soft or or OO-bee-soft? However you pronounce it, the company makes some great games and we hope 2009 will prove to be another great year of releases.

The press conference begins at 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday, June 1, 2009, and we’re typing away to squeeze out all the goodies the company’s press conference has to offer.

Refresh the page a lot so you get all the updates.

Read [Gamertell: E3 2009]

Full Story ? | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Gaming News, Features, Live-Blogs, Game-Companies, Developers, Distributors, Publishers, Conventions, E3

Is it pronounced YOU-bee-soft or or OO-bee-soft? However you pronounce it, the company makes some great games and we hope 2009 will prove to be another great year of releases.

The press conference begins at 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday, June 1, 2009, and we’re typing away to squeeze out all the goodies the company’s press conference has to offer.

Refresh the page a lot so you get all the updates.

Read [Gamertell: E3 2009]

Full Story ? | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

You know what they say? “Better late than never.”

I really want to post stuff every single day. I really do. There’s just this little thing called “time” that keeps on stopping me from doing so. I’ve finally realized that this beast cannot be defeated. It’s something we all have to live with.

Someone once told me to, “adjust and overcome.” Your environment, or your surroundings, may not always be ideal. But, you don’t just give up on your dreams because of that, do you? No. You adjust and overcome. This is all new to me, and I’m trying. Trust me, I am.

I know I’ve said it before and nothing has come of it, but I’m going to go ahead and say it again. I’m going to attempt to post regularly again. I really do miss it. It’s just that damn “time” issue.

I always have great ideas for posts in my mind while away from the computer, but I never manage to get the time to write them down.

I’d like to say that June 1st, 2009 will be a whole new beginning for World of Blogcraft. You have no reason to believe me, as I’ve let you down before, but I really am going to try. Wish me luck!

-Matt Graham