Being that everyone I travelled with is either passed out or gone to the clubs I figure I'd log on and wiegh in on what I hope to see at the show.

I'm hoping Sony will alleviate many of the fears I've got about the coming console. Just put the rumors to rest, give us the price; will the console allow you to play used, or rented games? The controller...what's up with the batarang? There's a ton of other questions and fears I have about the system, but those are the front-runners for me.

As for Nintendo, I'm interested in seeing the Wii in action. I won't be standing in line to play it...I'll leave that to the real game journalists, not my ragtag bunch of misfits. Just seeing it should be enough to guage whether or not the Big N is heading down a new and er...revolutionary path. Will Nintendo follow through with this controller, or will it go the way of connectivity, and a boat load of other Nintendo concepts that start off strong, then get underused and eventually die off? I can't see them letting that happen, being that the controller is the main selling feature of the console, but Nintendo can sometimes give up on itself far too easily.

I'm not expecting much from Microsoft, they've already got their console out, so they're relying solely on game demos and some announcements about the Live service. (I haven't read much about their presentation, but I think it's safe to say there isn't much left for them to do this year.) At this point, they don't need to win best in show, they just have to sit back and wait to see what Sony and Nintendo are going to bring to the table. With a years head start, they've really gotta just be waiting to hear what Sony and the Big N are planning for November and then thinking of some killer marketing strategies to counteract what those companies have in store.

I'm really hoping that I won't embarass myself...being that I've been to the last two shows, I know what to expect by now. I'll post my thoughts on the shows when I've got time, but just thought I'd let you know what I'm expecting from the big three in the console business. For those of you going, I'll see you there, but for those of you who can't attend...trust me, Gamespot's going to have it covered from all angles. To effectively simulate the experience, try these tips: don't wear deodorant or shower for the next couple of days, forego sleep, and watch every video the they put on the site...that way you can have the sights, smells, and even the feeling of what it's like to wander the hallowed convention center with the pros. (I'm not implying that anyone on staff @ GS or myself for that matter, do not shower or deodorize before the show...hell, they all smell like cotton-candy and roses for all I know...it's just that last year I got stuck in line behind some pretty ripe individuals waiting to get into some of the areas of the show.)