I have a lock on the door to my house. If someone really wanted to get in, however, that lock wouldn’t necessarily stop them. They could shoot the door down with a missile launcher or even bypass the door completely and break the window with a brick. I could worry about time traveling robot ninjas with energy swords that can cut through any material that my house is built out of, but I don’t (mainly because I do not have anything of value in my home). Most people would not buy a house or even rent an apartment that doesn’t have some form of lock on their door. People have the right to protect their property and that includes video game companies.

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If I ever go to E3 again, I will not book an early flight for Monday. I learned my lesson well on this trip. I left for the airport to take the first flight my preferred airline had (which means it was early as all hell), after having slept for about thirty minutes the night before because I was up all night thinking about E3. Then you add a full day of press conferences and free drinks at the Transformers MMO party on top of the no sleep, and you wind up with an interesting mix. Somehow, however, I was victorious, and with bags under the eyes still managed to survive the first two days of my E3 adventure.

OK, enough of my sad tale about no sleep, an early flight, and too many free drinks. Let me get to the games that you want to hear about. Many of the titles I saw during the press conferences (though with limited actual gameplay) were filled with fantastic-looking cut scenes. I did have some hands-on time and private viewings of a few, and while you really can’t tell how the final product will be, I can still throw my thoughts out there on my first impressions.

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It’s been awhile since my last blog post. Some things have happened to me since that time. A lot of games have been played, completed, and put down. I have discovered time travel and used it for selfish reasons. I went back in time to slap my past self in the face with a can of tuna in a sock at the exact time I was in the checkout line purchasing The Sims Online. There’s nothing funnier than your past self’s face after you hit him with a can of tuna in a sock. If you’re wondering how I discovered time travel, it’s a closely guarded secret that only a dog named Charlie and I know.

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The last day of E3 finally came and went. The whole experience created many unforgettable memories, although some memories I wish I could forget. The two most enjoyable experiences came on the last day. My hands-on times with the Nintendo 3DS and The Old Republic where truly breathtaking.

Ever since the Nintendo press conference, the 3DS has been at the top of my list to see. Unfortunately, the lines to see it wrapped all the way around booth, but we eventually got smart and used our media badge power to make an appointment for the last day. We when arrived, we were immediately brought to the back VIP entrance. Picking up the device, I started giggling like a school girl as my eyes focused on the screen. They were not lying to us at the press conference! The 3D screen that does not require 3D glasses is really 3D and looks extraordinary. Is there anything better than that? I managed to get a sneak peek at the upcoming Resident Evil, and if you’re a fan of the series, be prepared to buy a 3DS.

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Having the opportunity to attend E3 is something I never thought would happen to me. I love video games and being part of an event like this is just amazing. So once it was official that I was registered and had received my confirmation it was like a high-kick of happiness to the face. When I then learned that I would be attending the event with assistant editor, Michael Smith (my roomie for the week), and the Avault Podcasters, Mark, Billy and Chris, I was totally stoked that we’d all finally get to meet in person.

When I arrived in Los Angles and met up with the Avault Podcasters, we quickly said our hellos and nice to meet yous, and then shot off to Monday’s press preview events. We grabbed some lunch at the famous taco truck, and I have to say they are some of the best tacos I have ever had in my life! Everyone that went to the Microsoft Press conference on Monday received a new Xbox 360 Slim (yeah!), but we didn’t get invited to that one (boo!). Our day was still full, however, as we did attend the EA press event, the Ubisoft press event, and the Activision press event/party/rock concert (which was %^&*ing insane)!

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Who can say what the next great professional Major League Gaming team will be? I’m not sure, but I know a team with the heart and drive to be one: Law & Order. “Aiming high” is their team’s goal, according to one of its members. Their next event is in Columbus, Ohio. Having only been together for a short time compared to other teams, they still managed to finish 2-2 in the MLG Chicago Combine this year. Law & Order agreed that one of the main reasons they didn’t go further and get more wins was their not being able to get a coach in time for the combine. They assured me that Adrian Maigault (Poison313) is going to be their coach for the next event.

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It all started when I finished a ranked MLB 2K10 match. After each match you are given the option to give feedback of the player you just played. I preferred the player that I just played because he was a good player. Of course, the person I played against won. They scored four runs and I only scored one (I am very bad at batting). I then became curious. What was my Xbox 360 gamer rep? I checked it and saw something that surprised me. 88% of players preferred me and 22% did not. 100% of the 22% said I was unsporting. The sad thing is that it kind of mad me upset. What game did I play, and how did I play it to make someone take their time to say I was unsporting? Out of the many things I do on Xbox Live unsporting falls last on the list.

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A lot of things happened in the year 2009. I was able to travel to a place I always wanted to go: Japan. I started going back to school, which I guess is always a good thing. I also experienced many new, interesting and different games. Some of them were good, some of them bad, and some of them…great. Every person who plays video games remembers games they played in the past and how much they influenced their lives in some way. The best example I remember is from when I was a kid. A trivia question came up reading something like “What is the name of armor worn in medieval times that protected the hands?”. Because I played many fantasy games at a young age I knew the answer in a second: Gauntlets. Silly.

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I remember the old days when every time you bought a video game at a certain store chain, they always offered to sell you a cleaning kit. Systems and games do not need cleaning kits these days, but what they do need is Borderlands from Gearbox Software. I have been anxiously waiting for this game to be released since I first heard about it. It’s like an RPG and FPS went on a blind date, liked each other, got married and had a child. Each of the four character classes is going to have its own skill tree, and you can play them the way you want to. The game’s story and everything that comes with it is going to be just purely amazing.

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I would like to extend my arms with a great big gaming-and-introductory-blog-post hug. Not a creepy get-out-of-my-face hug, but rather a have-not-seen-you-in-forever, I-thought-you-were-dead hug to everyone. I am very excited to get the opportunity to have this blog and share it with you.

Having been mostly a PC gamer first and console gamer second, I recently broke into today’s “Next Gen” consoles when I bought an Xbox 360. It all started while visiting my brother in Japan. To make a long story short, I tore up my knee while skiing and required surgery. This finally gave me an excuse to get rid of my Wii and get myself an Xbox 360, because I was not going to be doing any break dancing for a while. After that I became a hybrid PC/console gamer who dabbles in portable systems from time to time.

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