Gamespot is reporting that a Chinese government official spoke at an E3 conference session. He outlined the explosive growth of online gaming in the nation and discussing future ventures for the growing consumer base. Deputy Director of the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China (gasp) Xiao Wei Kou also spoke to plans to connect the government up with universities and further focus development internal to the Chinese state. From the article: "According to our estimates, there will be more than 300 domestically developed online games in the next five years. And we're in need for more than 20,000 professional game developers. Right now the reality is there are only a few thousand professional developers in China. The lack, especially senior level developers, has become another important bottleneck."

The font of information that is E3 has dredged up two new sites for NCSoft's upcoming mmogs. City of Villains and Tabula Rasa both have new sites up with extensive new pieces of information. Tabula Rasa, in particular, seems to have undergone some massive changes. Where once TR featured screenshots of light spaces and beautiful creatures, the game that the site appears to show off is a gritty hell. It will be interesting to see what other changes have found their way into Garriot's newest project.

Besides the Micro and some more Revolution details, the Nintendo Press Conference also set our eyes on a new trailer for the upcoming Legend of Zelda title. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, to be precise. Gamespot has a run-down and the trailer. From the article: "Yeah, we'll repeat that for emphasis: in the new Legend of Zelda game, Link will apparently be able to turn into a werewolf. The gameplay effects of this are only hinted at in the new trailer; oddly enough, it appears that Link will have some kind of partner in crime that will actually ride him like a horse while he's in wolf form." Update: 05/18 19:42 GMT by Z : Changed link to Gamespot's more in-depth trailer analysis.

The Nintendo press conference touched on aspects of the Nintendo Revolution, but offered no details on what "the" revolution is. No word on the controllers or when the console will be released. One new tantilizing aspect of the console was announced, though: "The console also will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo® 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System® (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System® (NES)." No word on pricing, of course, but exciting nonetheless.

The Nintendo press conference this afternoon revealed the new Game Boy Advanced format: the Game boy Micro. The new handheld will play all GBA titles, and is only slightly larger than an iPod. From the article: "The sporty, silver metal Game Boy Micro measures a mere 4 inches wide, 2 inches tall and 0.7 inches deep, allowing it to sit comfortably alongside today's hippest technological gadgets. It weighs an astonishing 2.8 ounces, or about the weight of 80 paper clips. Yet Game Boy Micro has the same processing power and plays the same games as Game Boy Advance SP models, complete with standard face controls and gleaming shoulder and Start/Select buttons that literally shine." Photo available from the AP.

databeam writes "The official Xbox 360 press conference was Monday evening, and an AP article has news that the 360 is backwards compatible, and that Square Enix will be releasing Final Fantasy XI for the console." Coverage also available at Gamespot. From the article: "Along with a firm release date and price point, the other big question surrounding the 360 was backward compatibility with the library of games from the original Xbox. Robbie Bach, senior vice president and chief Xbox officer in the Home and Entertainment Division at Microsoft, made Xbox fans around the world happy when he announced that the 360 will indeed play Xbox games." Mostly. Gamasutra points out that backwards compatibility will be selective, with most but not all of the top selling games supported. Kotaku and the Guardian Gamesblog have firsthand accounts from the event, and to watch the conference for yourself Xbox.com has the footage. Update: 05/18 20:49 GMT by Z : Of course, not all the people there were people, if you catch my meaning.

The PlayStation 3 was unveiled yesterday afternoon in a press conference at Sony Pictures Studio. The event was full of beautiful demonstrations, specifications, and talk of the games of tomorrow. The machine is certainly impressive, with backwards compatibility, support for up to seven Bluetooth controllers, multiple HD signals, and intimate interactions with the PSP. Coverage, screenshots, and specs available from 1up.com, Gamespot, Joystiq, NYT, Voodoo Extreme, Gamespy, BBC, GamesIndustry.biz, Engadget, Anandtech, Kotaku, Gamasutra, and CNN Money. The only downside I see so far? The controller. Update: 05/18 21:35 GMT by Z : Gamespot has up a comprehensive look at the console based on what is known so far.

Square-Enix has released a New Advent Children Trailer for E3, dutifully hosted by Gamespot, and it is by far the most coherent and beautiful so far. You can finally get a sense of the story they're going to be telling, and can catch a glimpse of nearly every character from the game. From the article: "While the end of the trailer displays a date for the North American release, we've been told by Square Enix that they're still in talks with Sony Pictures Entertainment in regards to a release date outside of Japan. However, the release should be close to Japan's September date, so fans in the United States shouldn't have to endure for too much longer to get their Final Fantasy goodness."

ErgoSeating writes "In my search for an ergonomic mouse I stumbled upon something called the PistolMouse. This mouse is shaped like a pistol and uses a trigger as the left button but tracks with an optical sensor on the bottom, not the sight or barrel. In a twist of irony, the mouse is ergonomically shaped because the pistol grip alleviates stress on your carpal tunnel-ridden wrist. Its Linux compatible and looks like it could be just the thing to brighten up my desk. Here is a review of the item with some good pictures." Not sure how it's ironic -- the modern handgun reflects hundreds of years of user testing -- but it looks fun, and a hoot to travel with by air.

GamesIndustry.biz has the word that Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia developer Ubisoft may consider a buyout by a Hollywood studio. Intriguing, after the back and forth between Ubisoft and EA earlier this year. From the article: "The CEO told the paper that an acquisition by a large multinational entertainment firm - such as Walt Disney Co. or Time Warner - 'is a solution which could be, for us, fairly interesting.'" Interesting would be to see how such a development would affect the franco-phone-tastic relations that Ubi has with Quebec.

Gamasutra.com has the news that well known development house Blizzard has acquired Swingin' Ape Studios, the company currently working on the StarCraft:Ghost console title. From the article: "The acquisition of Swingin' Ape Studios takes us one step closer to realizing our goal of becoming a top-tier console developer...With Swingin' Ape's talented designers, programmers, and artists, we're confident we'll be able to create console games that meet the quality standards we've established for every Blizzard title."

The official unveiling of the PlayStation 3 is set to happen tonight, with folks such as the Guardian Gamesblog, Kotaku, and GamesAreFun live blogging the event as it happens. From the Guardian post: "The sign on the way into the Sony Press Conference is big - Wi-Fi access will be only available after the event. They lied - a quick wireless search has found me some access and now I'm on. The clock says 1.00pm but my body says 9pm. By the time Microsoft unveils the 360 again tonight I'll be ready for my cornflakes."

An anonymous reader writes "bit-tech.net has the news that the eagerly awaited next installment to the Quake series, Quake 4, is on course to be released in time for Christmas. PCGamer grabbed the chance to have an exclusive play through of the upcoming title in the June issue of the magazine." Trailer also downloadable from 3D Gamers. (Scroll down for the non-reg links.)

theodp writes 'Bill G.'s snagged the cover of this week's Time, which asks the question: Is Microsoft about to do in the living room with the Xbox 360 what it did in the office with Windows? Turn to page 13 in your Book of Xenon, please: 'As the world's software leader, Microsoft is among the best suited to enable and capitalize this transformation. This is our opportunity to lose.' If PlayStation 3 folks are scared, they're not showing it. 'We look at delivering a quantum leap in technology, not just Xbox version 1.5,' quips a Sony spokeswoman.' The story also reveals that the previously discussed rumor about Halo 3 parrying the PS3 launch is accurate.

Pyrohazard writes "Nintendo has posted some details on the Revolution to their official site, finally giving us some insight into what the console will be like. From the site: 'It will be about the thickness of three standard DVD cases and only slightly longer.' This makes it the smallest Nintendo console yet! It will also be able to stand up, similar to the PS2, and the Xbox 360. It will be backwards compatible, and it will also play '12cm optical disks in the same self-loading media drive'. It also states that it will have a very quick start-up time, and be very quiet. It finishes by stating 'Get ready for the Nintendo Revolution in 2006!'" C|Net has an article up arguing that Nintendo is making an error in missing the 2005 Holiday season.

The ever-vigilent 1up.com has a heads up on the upcoming Xbox title Ninja Gaiden Black. A revamp of the the highly acclaimed restoration of the old skool series, Ninja Gaiden Black rehashes the 2004 release with new difficulty settings (both easier and much harder), mission modes, new bosses, new cutscenes, and more content all around. From the article: "A promise to provide the thrills of the Hurricane Packs to those without Xbox LIVE. The people who played the Hurricane Packs account for just 10 percent of the total of people who bought Ninja Gaiden. I wanted to provide follow-up support for the remaining 90 percent if I could. I've said from the beginning that I don't consider the Hurricane Packs to just be a service for the fans, but rather an investment towards the next level of progress. Now that has become a reality and Ninja Gaiden Black is the result of this."

Gamespot has up a review of Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, examining the game now that it has seen commercial launch in stores. From the article: "Massively multiplayer online puzzle game. Those are the only possible terms you can use to properly describe Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates, one of the weirdest and most original puzzle games we've come across in quite a while."

Game Girl Advance has up an editorial arguing that, in effect, Microsoft has already won the next round in the console wars by shifting the battlefield. Looking at Gamasutra's rundown on the 360's multimedia and Live components, its easy to see why jane says that the 360 isn't really a console anymore. From the article: "Xbox 360 does not compete with Sony or Nintendo. It is not a gaming console. It is a powerful device to deliver content online and over WiFi. Microsoft's real competition is Apple, Yahoo, and Google. Apple's movie-download service. Yahoo's retail channels. Google's - well, everything. Heck, throw Comcast and TiVo in there for good measure. The games are merely a means to an end - an 'instant-on revenue to support an exponential expansion into the living room,' as Eric put it over an IM chat we had."

Final Fantasy Online Warcry has the news that iTunes is now carrying Final Fantasy scores and music from the Black Mages. Square Enix has a listing of all of their iTunes offerings, which includes music from FFI - FFXI, a live concert offering, and two albums by the Black Mages (Nobuo Uematsu's rock band).

Mr Nash writes "The Armchair Empire has posted a lengthy article examining the first ten E3s. In it the console unveilings from 1995 to present, as well as game announcements, and the general mood at the various expos is revisited, providing a look at the trends that have developed at E3 over the years." From the article: "..today we're going to take a look back in time at the first 10 E3s. We'll be revisiting the console announcements, the games, and a lot of the general feelings people had regarding what was being shown at the expo over the years. This is by no means an attempt at a complete, encyclopedic recount of everything that happened at each and every E3, but we're hoping this feature of past shows provides a fun look at all that has come to pass over the last 10 years..."