E3 may have been scaled back this year, lacking some of the spectacular excess and flair of previous events but there was still a wealth of gaming information on show from all camps. AusGamers ambassador Steve was on-site for the convention in sunny Santa Monica USA and is kicking off the written coverage with a look at the pre-show conferences for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Read on.

Spectacular excess you mean booth girls (trying to sell gaming by sex appeal)

This post requires pictures of said girls. Just so the rest of us can have a better understanding of the situation.

Spectacular excess you mean booth girls (trying to sell gaming by sex appeal) and techno music

I mean the gross marketing budgets of previous years in general. The booths themselves would have used to cost a mint alone.