E3, the once great video game Exposition, has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. What was once a never-ending cacophony of lights, sound and swag is now an invitation only press event. While we can still expect industry-shaping keynotes from the big three hardware developers, the show floor is barely recognizable. Industry giants, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, THQ and others have been relegated to a 20’X20′ space.

Quite a contrast to previous E3s where developers battled each other for total show supremacy. After last year’s expo, which was completely dominated by Nintendo and the newly revealed Wii, Sony and Microsoft decided that paying millions or dollars for little or, worse yet, negative press coverage just wasn’t worth the effort. They basically took their ball and went home. The other big companies followed suit and now we have, what I’ve dubbed, Neo-E3, or the E3 Media & Business Summit.

Moved from May to July, and Los Angeles to Santa Monica, the newly redesigned expo is meant to create a smaller, more intimate environment for developers and publishers to talk shop. Neo-E3 is also designed to make it easier for independent developers to roll out their wares to potential publishers, (even though next to no indie devs are on the roster).

Hopefully we can expect more direct feed footage and one on one interviews with the movers and shakers of the industry. The E3 Media & Business Summit will take place from July 11-13th.

What are your thoughts on the redesigned E3 expo?

Check it out here

The sequel to 2005’s Fantastic Four looks to be better than the original, but the transition of Galactus from Purple-Helmeted World Devourer to gaseous nebula is disturbing. I was really hoping the creators would go all out and adhere to canon, but I suppose the mainstream ticket holder might be a bit put off by a corporeal Galactus.

Perhaps I’m jumping the gun. Maybe, just maybe, the destroyer of worlds will show up in the third act and and silence the jaded critic inside me.

Regardless, the Surfer looks great!

The new title from Petroglyph Games is looking better and better, especially after seeing the new screens posted at jeuxfrance.com. Published by Sega, and developed by RTS veterans from the former Westwood Studios,“Universe at War: Earth Assault”, puts the player in the middle of a galactic conflict between three warring factions. This title will be Petroglyph’s first original Real Time Strategy IP and is scheduled to release sometime in 2007.

Petroglyph’s first foray into the PC market was Star Wars: Empire at War

Check out the new screens here.