Now that Nintendo's given its press conference at E3, let's handicap the field ...
Microsoft was the only one not showing any sort of new hardware, and I think a number of people have already dinged them for saying there wasn't that much flashy or new. I think the opinions would be different had the info on Halo 4 not leaked earlier that morning. What I did like seeing was incorporating more Kinect controls into the hardcore games, trying to bring the two worlds together, and I think they're on the right track. Looking forward to Forza 4 (and driving on the Top Gear test track) and Halo 4, for sure.
Sony did a very good job dealing with the PlayStation Network outage right out of the gate, and earned a few points from me for doing so. I don't have a PlayStation 3 yet, but I have to admit that the thought of getting a 3D TV and console for under $1000 total cost is quite appealing. Then there's Vita: I'm very interested in this one, and I would like to see what developers can do with it besides port over existing properties. I'm still very surprised that Sony partnered with AT&T for its wireless service, and judging from the gasps in the audience, so were those in attendance. I'll be getting the Wi-Fi-only model, thanks ...
Lastly, Nintendo. I'm thrilled they're really getting behind the 25th anniversary of the Zelda series, and they set the bar very high for themselves, claiming they would best be able to merge the worlds of casual and hardcore gaming with their new console. After a lot of love for Nintendo 3DS (and some surprise new titles ... Luigi's Mansion 2, for instance), Team Mario unveiled the name: Wii U. I am not loving the name yet, but after a few minutes watching what they had in mind, I am really excited. They clearly stated that the tablet-ish "New Controller" can't operate without the console, so no death knell for portable gaming (or a knife in the back of the 3DS), and it looks like they're really ready to go full-HD and hardcore in a big way. Fingers crossed for 'em.
So, how did they do? Microsoft played it safe, since Kinect is doing reasonably well, but safe doesn't generate much chatter. 3rd place this year, but not far off the leaders at all. Sony is in second, with a promising new console (that can be had without dealing with AT&T fortunately) but maybe a bit too much emphasis on 3D for most; it looks like they wanna go 100% hardcore, which could bite them if they aren't careful. Nintendo definitely won, with fan service for Zelda, quite a few surprises for 3DS and the exciting possibilities suggested by Wii U.