Smaller show to take place in July; invite-only format will prevent huge crowds and allow companies and media outlets to conduct business more efficiently.

Game Informer Online talked with ESA president Doug Lowenstein to get an explanation on the what future holds for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the industry's main event. In the Q&A, Lowenstein clarified how the show will change, and why such a change was necessary.

The smaller-scale E3 will still take place in Los Angeles, but no longer be at the L.A. Convention Center, and no longer during the month of May. The new date for the show will be in early July, and possibly at many different hotels or similar venues. The large-scale "every man for himself" show floor atmosphere will be replaced by private, invite-only meetings where game companies can more efficiently show their products to professional media outlets and other VIPs. This will ensure that everything that needs to get done at the show will get done in the three days the event is scheduled for, and not spill over into days before and after.

Domesticated animals will be joining the Sims parade on current-gen consoles and handhelds.

EA Announces The Sims 2 Pets

Fans of the Popular Video Game Series Enrich The Lives of Their Sims With The Addition of an Animal Companion

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – (July 27, 2006. 9 a.m. PST) – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that the popular video game franchise, The Sims™ 2, is going to the dogs—and for that matter, to the cats, guinea pigs and birds too! The company is releasing The Sims™ 2 Pets on current generation console systems, handheld platforms and as a PC expansion pack. The Sims 2 Pets will build on the celebrated The Sims 2 experience that allows players to create and control digital characters throughout their lives while determining the outcome of their relationships and choosing their destiny. Each version will feature customized content tailored to the platform.

Even the upcoming RPG Contact is making fun of Sony's E3 press conference.

Games blogger and 1up staffer Jeremy Parish recently received a review copy of the ostentatious DS RPG Contact from Atlus, and was surprised to find this:

It may be a low blow by Atlus' localization staff, and its certainly a joke that only internet-savvy gamers would understand, but it fits the game's tongue-in-cheek self-referential style seen at E3. Atlus is apparently going for high art in execution while still keeping things light and fresh, which will keep the Earthbound comparisons rolling until people actually play the game.

You can all breathe now, the suspense is over.

KONAMI ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE YU-GI-OH! U.S. FINALS VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENT

Four Talented Duelists Advance to the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2006 Tournament in Tokyo, Japan

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – July 24, 2006 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced the winners of the Yu-Gi-Oh! U.S. Finals Video Game Tournament. Sixteen of the nation’s best Yu-Gi-Oh! duelists went head to head in the competition. The top four winners from the tournament won valuable prizes as well as a trip to Japan to compete against the best duelists in the world at the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2006 Tournament in Tokyo, Japan August 5th - 6th. After hours of fierce competition, 21-year old Jason Lee from Oakland, California triumphed over the 15 other competitors as the first place winner. He was awarded a copy of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Collection Volume 2, a limited edition booster pack and Comic-Con exclusive Yu-Gi-Oh! cards from Upper Deck, Yu-Gi-Oh! branded merchandise, a spot to duel in the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2006 Tournament in Tokyo and bragging rights as the Yu-Gi-Oh! U.S. Finals Video Game Champion.

Wii version coming in November.

MIDWAY´S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED THE ANT BULLY VIDEOGAME MARCHES TO STORES NATIONWIDE

Videogame Release For Multiple Platforms Precedes July 28th Theatrical Debut of the Animated Family Adventure from Warner Bros. Pictures

CHICAGO – July 24, 2006 – Midway Games Inc., a leading interactive entertainment industry publisher and developer, today announced that it has shipped The Ant Bully videogame, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube™, Game Boy® Advance and personal computers. A Nintendo Wii™ version of The Ant Bully videogame is scheduled to be released in November.

Publishers' reluctance to get an early start on Wii game production could cost them (and their investors) in the short-term.

Investment commentary site TheStreet.com recently took a look how things were shaking up in the videogame industry. The site posted an article explaining why third party publishers and the investors that hold stock in those publishers may not be making money on Nintendo's Wii console come this holiday, despite the positive buzz coming from the system at E3.

It seems that Nintendo's E3 showing was so good, it caught publishers, investors and analysts by surprise. Everyone had come to expect the next-gen top spot to be contested by Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360, with Nintendo bringing up the rear. However, a ho-hum showing by Sony and Nintendo's emergence as a legitimate contender for mainstream marketshare has changed a lot of people's tunes.

Japanese launch of the pink version of the system causes lineups at retailers, riots, melees, widespread panic, and general chaos. OK, maybe just lineups.

Some new pictures posted on the website of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu demonstate how much of a phenomenon the DS Lite has become in Japan. Today's launch of the "Noble Pink" version of the system resulted in lineups at retailers that stretched down blocks and around corners.

It's not clear whether most of these people specifically want the pink system or just any DS system at all. Both the original version and DS Lite have been consistently sold out in Japan for most of 2006. The launch of Noble Pink isn't just a new color introduction, but also a restock of the most popular consumer electronics item in Japan.

Now, even you can join the throngs of Yu-Gi-Oh fans by learning what it's all about.

KONAMI SHIPS YU-GI-OH! GX ULTIMATE BEGINNER¹S PACK FOR NINTENDO GAME BOY

ADVANCE

Become a World-Class Duelist with this Comprehensive Gaming Set Featuring

Video Game, Instructional DVD and Exclusive Trading Cards

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. ­ July 19, 2006 ­ Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

today announced that Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Ultimate Beginner¹s Pack for the Game Boy®

Advance handheld video game system is now available exclusively at the

Elite Beat Agents, Star Fox Command, Charles Martinet, Nintendo swag and more will be at company's booth this weekend.

Starting this Thursday, Comic-Con 2006 begins in San Diego, California. The event is the Super Bowl of comics (or perhaps better said, the E3 of comics) and everyone in the comic book, cartooning, anime and manga business will be there.

In the past few years, videogames have also showed up at the event. This year will be no exception, with Nintendo among the many showing off games to an audience just as willing to pick up a controller as they are a comic book.

Nintendo will be letting the general public try out some of their upcoming DS games. Elite Beat Agents, Mario Hoops 3 on 3, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Star Fox Command will be some of the titles available to try on the show floor. DS owners can also bring their system by the booth for downloadable DS demos.

Square will add some of its own characters to the upcoming DS sports title.

Did you think Mario sports games were only for Mario characters? Not when Square is involved. The official Japanese site for Mario Hoops revealed five new characters that come directly from the Final Fantasy universe.

Ninja

White Mage

Black Mage

Moogle

Sabotender (Cactuar)

Instead of going with specific characters from later games in the series, they opted to go with more generic jobs like those seen in the first game on the NES.