It would seem that the big topic among the community blogs as of late has been the creation of everyone's own Electronic Entertainment Expo predictions. Some of them have been serious, and a couple quite accurate as of late. Others, were created just for a laugh, with the hopes and dreams of their creators tucked neatly inside their pocket (Jet Set Radio Online *shivers with delight*).

E3 is the event for gamers. We've all dreamt of attending this place. Dreams of going there and meeting the creators of these items that stole away our childhood. A few short years ago, it seemed that those dreams would never come again when E3 was downsized to an industry-only event, but here we are. Back to where we started with the convention to rule all conventions now seated atop its rightful pedestal.

Just as it should be, many things have changed since the last public E3 occurred. The positions of our favorite companies have completely switched around. It's been quite a ride, and it will be interesting to see how the show affects the standings of the big three companies this year.

NINTENDO

Nintendo is a giant among giants right now, with its practical standing leading the pack of vicious and rabid wolves now known as "casual gamers". However, in making this change, they've generally alienated those that got them where they are. The "hardcore gamer". The player that sits down and plays Nintendo's long-winded epic adventures, and always lays in wait for the next installment. I wish I could say that they'll make up for that this year but I honestly don't believe it to be true. We'll undoubtedly see more Zelda: Spirit Tracks at E3, which is a wonderful appetizer. But, it's highly unlikely we'll see a major Mario or Zelda announcement this year, unless it's some sort of Mario sports game, which could very well happen. Also expect to see a bit of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games show up in the press conference as well.

They'll likely announce a few more key WiiWare titles, and if we're lucky we'll also get a peek at a few worthwhile DSiWare offerings. Preferably we'll get some WarioWare: Made in Ore over here, as well as some Higurashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy. Given the success and critical fare that the Art Style series of games have been receiving it's likely we'll see at least one more of those on the shelf as well.

MICROSOFT

Expect Microsoft to have a huge show this year. I have no doubt we'll get word on Final Fantasy XIII, and Microsoft will probably push the shit out of it at their keynote. The amount of games that the 360 has coming this year is massive, so they'll likely be showing many games we already know about. There's also an incredibly slim possibility that we may have a Crackdown 2 announcement given the release of the premium theme (don't count on it though).

I expect Xbox Primetime to be the biggest item on the agenda at this years show for Microsoft. The service has already garnered incredible amounts of attention, and with the U.S. beta of 1 vs. 100 going Live this Monday, there's going to be plenty to say about it. I also expect to hear something regarding Netflix on Xbox Live as well, since it seems Microsoft always has something up their sleeve in regards to video on the 360.

As far as games go, the biggest push of the show will be Halo 3: ODST, where they will probably reveal a new trailer, as well as gameplay. Also look for a quick "shoutout" to Alan Wake, which we still have yet to really see anything of. There will without a doubt also be news on "The Ballad of Gay Tony", the second DLC pack for Grand Theft Auto IV. Mass Effect 2 will also no doubt make an appearance in the keynote. Lastly, they will more than likely push the Gears of War 2: All Fronts collection, in an attempt to sell the rest of us the action shooter.

SONY

This show is without a doubt one of the most important shows in the history of the Playstation brand. The Playstation 3 was lagging incredibly far behind at first, but has slowly been gaining speed, and they have to capitalize on that momentum. Which I expect them to do. Sony is going to have a huge show on all fronts not only displaying several key titles, but unveiled the new PSP Go! which we have already seen (and I believe to be quite bland).

On the PSP front, the PSP Go, will be the big deal, and will likely be a large part of the keynote, along with a few major titles to go along with it. One of which will be a new Metal Gear title, as well as the long fabled Gran Turismo PSP finally being unveiled.

For the Playstation 3, expect there to be MORE Final Fantasy XIII news, making it the most pushed game of the entire show. There will also no doubt be Uncharted 2 on the topic list, as well as more MAG-related news. I also expect to see the "Substance" version of Metal Gear Solid 4 make a short appearance as well. With any luck, we might also get to see a sliver of Katamari Damacy TRIBUTE as well, though I wouldn't bet on it too much. Home will also get some attention with news on a few new spaces as well as the alternate reality game, Xi. Finally, the Playstation Network will get a massive push with news of several important PSN classics being added, as well as a couple major PSN games announced.



So, clearly E3 is going to be an important show for everyone, us included. Now, these are just predictions so, some of them could be completely wrong, others have already been confirmed by leaks and press releases, so take some of it with a grain of salt. So, what do you think?