Talk about intense. E3 was packed this year with resellers, and less media —but it got bigger, better, and more selective. We were there to get every exciting moment: from Project Milo to Heavy Rain, and exclusive interviews. As always, it was certainly a great time, and now that time is over. It’s time to look forward, ahead to newer and better releases, and to ennoble titles in this year’s WhatIfGaming’s Best Of E3 Awards 2009.

Criteria: The Best of E3 Awards, a subcategory for the WhatIfGaming Prizes, are given solely to those video games that demonstrate a pure excellence in the field for which they are not only nominated but also chosen. These awards only apply to playable games at E3 given a few exceptional categories.

Nomination & Selection Process: Compared with other site awards, the WhatIfGaming Prize nomination and selection process is long and extremely rigorous. This is the sole reason why WhatIfGaming Prizes have grown in importance over the years to become the most important prizes in their field. Forms, which amount to a personal and exclusive invitation, are sent to about over 1,000 selected individuals to invite them to submit nominations months in advance from the latest builds per video game. Self-nominations are disqualified. For WhatIfGaming Prizes, inquiries are sent to such people as developers, industry experts, analysts, among others. After our deadline passes, the nominations are chosen by permanent committee of 5 selected individuals from staff and only the final stage of nominees remain per category. From all of these, a winner is chosen.

The names of the nominees are not publicly announced, and neither are they told that they have been considered for the WhatIfGaming Prize. Some are announced publicly by practice. Nomination records are revealed approximately 2 years after each respective award year.

Turn your mouse clickers and scroll wheel timers to WhatIfGaming this upcoming Saturday July 1st, 2009 for an exclusive presentation of our 9th year anniversary of the WhatIfGaming E3 Awards for 2009, with official public listing that celebrated from late 2001.

The WhatIfGaming E3 Prizes had their origins ever since the end of 1999’s E3 ceremony when we revealed to select publishers what our site cherished for their offerings during exclusive press meetings through an official sticker prize from yours truly. Very few gained them, and some were only notified. Over the years, the awards became public but remained even more strenuous in criteria, with no nominees ever being publicly listed until  a future predetermined date. 5 members of our staff in a permanent committee select the winners from a long line of industry related inquiries taken and personal consideration.

Also, feel free to log on Friday June 26th, 2009 for an Overlord II review (with over 46 hours played and timed only from us) and also an exclusive post-release interview with the creative minds behind Overlord II and their future plans!

Chinatown Wars seems like a return to Grand Theft Auto series’ 2D beginnings, but it’s far from that. The action is viewed from a top-down perspective, and the action from the actual previous games on consoles translates perfectly well. Chinatown Wars has a lot of similarity with GTA IV than it does with earlier games, and improves on the formula that made those games so successful with great features, incredible storyline, competitive multiplayer, and great minigames.

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So…the 2009 new year is here and we’re back as we promised, and I have a lot of things to share from all of us at WhatIfGaming.

Here’s some great reviews we have coming up:

Killzone 2 [We will be releasing this closer to launch than the February 2nd 'Permission Date' Sony set up for those with early copies of the game] Why? Because as you all know already, we take a more intense and thorough process than most and it does not get done in a day.

Skate 2 Review [This one might be a bit late from our end]

Resident Evil 5 Review [You all read the E3 Impressions already, but this final game is just alive from Capcom. Note: US will be covering all Capcom UK titles in the future since they have some very ignorant media people there].

Best of all: We have a surprise interview with a LEGEND from Japan and Anime Entertainment. Here’s a guess: it starts with ‘Ha’ and ends with ‘Ki’.

Sandisk Imagemate All-in-One Reader/Writer Review

Some other things in the pipeline.

Don’t cry everyone! Just be happy to know that the ESA just contacted WhatIfGaming to say that E3 2009, to take place June 2-4, 2009 isn’t public as many were hoping after some ridiculous statements about E3 2008 not “displaying the games industry’s wealth.” As I’ve taken position before, allowing E3 2008 as a media only event was the right choice and so is the same case again. E3 2009 is just a little “expanded” to allow for retailers to participate in the convention this time around. There’s always E For All everyone! According to ESA:

The 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E³) will take place from June 2-4, 2009, at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today. The expanded E³ will welcome all qualified computer and video game industry audiences, including international and U.S.-based media, analysts, retailers, developers and business partners to preview the latest in interactive entertainment and technology.

When directly asked if “public,” meaning Timmy and his 4 parkour friends to the game lines will be able to attend, ESA stated to us rather directly:

The changes only include: increased booth sizes, increased qualified audiences, and an intensified focus on reinforcing the improved plans for E^3.

Update: Talk about the level of hate mails I just received (around 500) from posting this. This is what ESA wrote to us. We specifically asked if “non-members” of ESA meant anyone in the public, and that’s a no. It just means that people NOT in the ESA group (few companies, exhibitors, and now developers) can gain access to this event in 2009. Public is still not allowed.

Update # 2: Confirmed again. Not Public. Press/Developers/Attending Companies/Business Partners still need to APPLY to attend. E3 2009 will be like the “old” E3’s in terms of scale in the booths, not public attendance. Public cannot attend.

The Navy has heard about a key that holds a deadly curse, so it must be retrieved at all costs and taken back to their fortress for safekeeping. They send you (Captain Smallberries) to retrieve the key, which was last known to be in Porto Bello, but fears entering Spanish waters under a Navy flag will cause a war between the Navy and Spanish fleets.

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LucasArts has always had the tendency to release games with the Jedi-swinging, blade thrusting label in a dark light. Boundlessly, players have been left desultory in showing any sort of concern to the general Star Wars direction in terms of video games. Countless accessories, a ton of spin-off, and many mediocre games after, LucasArts finally manages to make Star Wars: The Force Unleashed a game that doesn’t come up half awry. Any comic-con freak with a lightsaber under his belt will find consolation here, minus the slow slices of saber-burn trailing from the repetitive hack and slash combined with half witted mo-cap acting in a story presented so completely.

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Throughout our lives we meet certain people. Some Most are plain up rude, snobby, and pretentious. Then there are some pretty cool ones. For the new readers, and our old ones who give loyalty another meaning, you’ve all noticed our latest additions of Editors: David Jeffers and Danny Jeffers. While they have been behind the scenes of WhatIfGaming, making all the amazing things possible with the site production and media over the years, they’re taking more of the spotlight (yes, we got your e-mails) and apparently changing it.

So to show my appreciation for two really talented journalists for WhatIfGaming culture, I have dedicated a little video for them from our thought-to-be lost archive of footage. This whole display is out of the ordinary. If it wasn’t, we really wouldn’t be the blog you have all come to know and love. Stay classy Los Angeles, or wherever you are.

Note: Quicktime Required. Caution before proceeding. Load time est. Broadband: 2 good minutes (DSL/Cable). Flash version to follow in a month.

Direct Download (right click, save-as): Direct Link

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Award Shows aside, we’re currently busy with the following:

Sid Meier’s: Civilization Revolution

Soulcalibur IV Review

Siren: Blood Curse

We’re committed to bringing the best reviews with less BS to all of you guys out there and we’re working hard to do that.

Keep here for more

Another year and another awards season. E3 was packed with exciting memories you have all seen (some still to be posted), and rooms filled with the hottest and most anticipated titles to date. It was certainly a great time, and now that time is over. It’s time to look forward, ahead to newer and better releases, and to ennoble titles in this year’s WhatIfGaming’s Best Of E3 Awards 2008.

Criteria: The Best of E3 Awards, a subcategory for the WhatIfGaming Prizes, are given solely to those video games that demonstrate a pure excellence in the field for which they are not only nominated but also chosen. These awards only apply to playable games at E3 given a few exceptional categories.

Nomination & Selection Process: Compared with other site awards, the WhatIfGaming Prize nomination and selection process is long and extremely rigorous. This is the sole reason why WhatIfGaming Prizes have grown in importance over the years to become the most important prizes in their field. Forms, which amount to a personal and exclusive invitation, are sent to about over 1,000 selected individuals to invite them to submit nominations months in advance from the latest builds per video game. Self-nominations are disqualified. For WhatIfGaming Prizes, inquiries are sent to such people as developers, industry experts, analysts, freelance journalists among others. After our deadline passes, the nominations are chosen by permanent committee of 5 selected individuals and only the final stage of nominees remain per category. From all of these, a winner is chosen.

The names of the nominees are not publicly announced, and neither are they told that they have been considered for the WhatIfGaming Prize. Some are announced publicly by practice. Nomination records are revealed approximately 2 years after each respective award year.

more»

Here’s some footage we recorded for you guys. We don’t believe in generic stand and capture every time. We like to capture moments. This is one out of many to come. Flash Version Now Available For All Upcoming Videos Due To Popular Request