Electronic Entertainment Expo looms on the horizon

For the gamer boys and girls among us, July 15-17 marks an event not unlike Christmas in both the anticipation it inspires and the quasi-religious devotion that surrounds it. You guessed it: E3 is coming.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, as it is commonly called, is a three-day media and business summit, where the big and small of the gaming industry come together to show off their goods for the coming year — or years, in some cases.

Returning to the L.A. Convention Center after a brief hiatus and restructuring, this year’s show will still be, unfortunately, an invitation-only kind of event. However, the vast majority of gaming sites will have you covered with live blogging, regular updates and streaming videos. Sites to check include IGN, GameSpot and Joystiq.com

The Comcast-owned video game channel G4 will feature a total of 17 hours from the show floor, including the major press conferences from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. Interested parties should expect to tune in on July 15-17 at 4 p.m.

As for what will be shown, well, that’s what the aforementioned anticipation is about. From the Sony camp, rumors are circulating about a new PSP, “God of War 3” and some hot new “Killzone 2” and “Resistance 2” footage — maybe even some playable demos. Microsoft will be showing off “Gears of War 2,” “Banjo and Kazooie 3” and who knows what else. Maybe a Microsoft-brand hand-held is in the works? As for Nintendo, well, that’s tough to say. We could see a reimagination of the “Kid Icarus” franchise, a new DS or something totally out of left-field. “Wii Fit,” anyone?

For those that missed the show, we’ll have all the goods next week. Until then, keep gaming.