E3 2011 is Coming

It's nearing that time to stalk up on oversized bags of crisps, creates of energy drinks and get that laptop fired up as it's almost time for the big nerd fest that is E3! I've always loved reading and watching coverage of E3. The one week that every gamer is glued to the internet watching the latest and greatest game news, announcements, and possibly word of new hardware.


Dude, Where's My Live Streams?
Links to streams will be updated nearer the events.

Microsoft E3 2011 Press Conference - June 6th, at the Galen Centre in Los Angeles
Sony E3 2011 Press Conference - June 6th, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Nintendo E3 2011 Press Conference - June 7th, at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles


Apart from the usual montages, announcements of announcements of announcements, trailers, sales figures, and Multiple CoD games here's a rough summary of what I expect to announced and what rumours seem most plausible.

Since I sail the Xbox only boat these days I'm really hoping for some great game announcements from Microsoft this year. My reason for this is Microsoft has been really lacking in first party games. Yes they have Halo, Gears of War, Forza and a few other titles under their name but they need more. They don't need to come out anytime this year they just need to be announced. Microsoft has enough shooters so let's see some creativity.

Also, Since Kinect sold millions I want to see more mature orientated Kinect games, new kinds of games only possible with Kinect. (No more casual Wii ports alright!). How about a shooting game? Maybe an RPG that uses voice and hand motion controls? What about a strategy game you control with your fingers? All of these would be great additions that could use that power of Kinect.

• Hints of new console but nothing shown
• New IPs announced
• Price drop will be announced
• New Exclusive DLC 
• Kinect casual / hardcore games announced
• Project Milo
• What Rare is working on
• Alan Wake Kinect
• Next Halo related game
• XBLA line-up
• Next Xbox Dashboard update is detailed
• Windows Phone 7 pushed as a gaming platform

Sony will acknowledge their new plans for a safer and more secure PSN or might not even bother to bring up the issue at all. Either way this shouldn't break the Sony machine from a good line up of exclusive games and a NGP overload.

• New Exclusive DLC 
• PSN line-up
• New IPs announced
• Price drop will be announced
• NGP pricing and release date
• Uncharted 3 gameplay
• Insomniac's new project
• The Last Guardian
• New Move titles announced
• Hints of new console but nothing shown

We already know that Nintendo has announced their next console (Project Cafe) but apart from that Nintendo is like a Box of Chocolates... You Never Know What You're Gonna Get!

• Nintendo's next home console revealed (Project Cafe)
• 3DS eShop store showcased 
• More on 3DS and game line-up
• Last Batch of Wii games announced 
• Mario 3DS & Mario Kart 3DS
• Zelda Skyward Sword
• New Mario 
• Donkey Kong Country Returns 2
• Better third party support

Some of these sound too good to be true, but a gamer can dream, right?

• New Resident Evil going back to it's roots 
• Diablo 3 on consoles
• Tombi ported to XBLA and mobiles
• Resident Evil 2 HD
• Shenmue 3
• Dreamcast 2
• Free Xbox live

Here are some of my personal most anticipated games that have already been announced.

What are you expecting the most from the show? Any guesses on the biggest surprises?

Pimp My Gaming Console

So you wanna' be a player, but your console aint fine.

YOU'VE GOT'TA PIMP MY CONSOLE!

Anyway, I found this French website containing loads of uniquely painted gaming consoles by a designer that goes by the name OSKUNK.

The custom designed consoles all seem to be in the graffiti style, ranging from a Samba de Amigo inspired Dreamcast, to a old classic grey Game Boy painted with that fat mushroom eating mascot we all know and love.

By the looks of things OSKUNK's tools of the trade seems to be paint markers. They really give a good contrast between the old grey/yellowish consoles and the striking multi coloured paints.

If I still had old an old console lying around I would be giving it the custom design job it deserves.

Hit the link at the bottom the post to see a full range of his designs.

_Link

Building My First Boxee App - Tested

UPDATE: I'm no longer working on this app as the official app has been released, and is 1000 times better.

I've just started working on my first simple RSS app for Boxee, I think some users may like it. The App allows the user to watch and listen to the latest content from Tested.com. It generates a list of the current 25 videos sourced from their YouTube feed, also their whole Podcast catalogue.

The Apps design and code are in the early stages at the moment, and a lot may change as I'm still learning all this coding business.

I'm currently working on this App in my spare time and will be released when I'm happy with it.

A Little Eye Candy

Any suggestions, comments, and tips are welcome.