Throughout my life my Mom always told me about the “Rule of 3’s”. She used to say that things in the world always seem to happen in 3’s. Good things and bad. Births and deaths. Happy times and sad times. They all seem to come in increments of 3. Makes sense really, School House Rock did teach us that “3 is the Magic Number” after all. Think about it. 3 point shot. 3 and out. 3rd and long. 3 strikes and you’re out. 3 goals for a Hat Trick. I think Mom was on to something.

Armed with my knowledge of the “Rule of 3’s”, I was blessed to spend 3 great days at E3 with some of my fellow OS Staffers. Yes, there were 7 of us there, but I did share a room with 3 other OS’ers and we did get lost at least 3 times a day so the rule was in full effect.

That being said, I have prepared some lists. A list of 3 to be exact. Good things and bad things about my experience at E3. So, agree with them or disagree, I can make one promise…they will come in 3’s.

Best Booth

1) EA Sports/EA/EA BIG – The EA family knows how to do it a few ways. Big, loud, bright, loud, state-of-the-art and, did I mention, LOUD. From the HUGE screen showing previews of all their titles in a constant loop to the air-conditioned, funky lit, DJ’d Ski Lodge that hosted SSX3, the EA Booths were something to see and hear. Add in the chance to play real sports celebs online during the expo, and you’ll understand why EA had the booth(s) to beat.

2) Microsoft – From the lush and plush white carpet to the abundance of titles to choose from, Microsoft whipped out a 1st class booth that was easy on the eyes and on the feet. The MS “booth” or area seemed to be the largest at the conference and certainly held a lot of my gaming time. A large section was dedicated to Microsoft’s rollout of XSN and, while it was always packed, they always had enough running systems so that you never had to wait too long to get your hands on Top Spin, Fever, or the rest.

3) Disney – Maybe not the most popular pick, but it has ulterior motives. After a long day of gaming and interviewing (tough gig, huh?), the OS7 would usually split up at least once or twice a day to kind of have some “free time” for gaming. An hour here or a half an hour there to go back and play the games that had really caught our attention during the “work” part of the day. Well, the Disney Corporation, as most of you know, owns ESPN. ESPN, as most of you know, is licensed by Sega Sports to use in their 2K sports titles. What most other people didn’t know is that Disney had a small ESPN area set-up in the back corner of their booth where I could play game after game of NFL2K4 without interruption. Thanks Disney!

Unexpected Surprises

1) XSN – We heard about the XSN announcement on the Monday before we left for E3, but it wasn’t until seeing the mock-ups that you really grasped the magnitude of it. And, even more so, I can’t help but get excited about the future of XSN and online sports gaming in general. The next few years is going to be amazing!

2) THQ’s Lineup – THQ was our last meeting of the conference and I, to be honest, didn’t expect much out of that visit. I was wrong! THQ’s lineup looks top notch. Motocross to Wrestling to top notch online Motorcycle racing, THQ is pushing the envelope for the “Next Gen” consoles.

3) (tie) NBA Live 2004 and NHL2K4 – I’ll be honest, I wasn’t impressed with this year’s version of either one of these titles. What a difference a year makes! I really enjoyed my time at E3 with both of these titles. Great? Not yet. And I still think they are both 2nd best in their particular sport, but they are closing the gap.

Biggest Disappointments

1) Midway – Let me preface this by saying I didn’t dislike the Midway titles. Ok, now that that is clear let me tell you why I was disappointed. Midway is trying to sell the public a change in direction for their titles. Blitz is now Blitz Pro. What does that mean? Well, based on what I saw at E3, it means Blitz with 11 players. It’s not more SIM, it’s more players. Granted, it was early build (I hope because it was so slow), but I don’t see anything new or encouraging.

2) Madden Modes – Maybe this isn’t fair to just smack Madden with this distinction, but when you are THE sports title, I expect you to be the leader. Madden 2004 has two real claims to fame on tap: Owner Mode and PS2 Online. The Problem: Neither one was really demo’d at E3. Madden is going to sell a gazillion copies this year. Unfortunately, I think EA knows that and doesn’t bring their ‘A’ game to E3 anymore.

3) NCAA College Basketball 2K4 – From the build that we played at E3, it appears to be 2K3 without the “Jump Steal”. Now, getting rid of the “Jump Steal” is huge, but I hope that isn’t it. Plenty of time to go, let’s hope Kush Games steps it up.

Friendliest Exhibitors

1) THQ – Cool, cool, cool guys. Not only did Kendal and the guys at THQ give us hours of their time to talk about their lineup, but they sat down with us, fed us a great lunch, and talked about sports gaming, E3 in general, sports, and our site. Top notch, good guys from top to bottom.

2) Microsoft – Uncle Bill had reps everywhere! If you grabbed a controller in the MS area, there was a rep on your shoulder like Gazoo from The Flintstones to answer any and every question that you can possibly think of. And, if you were lucky enough to get a “golden ticket” to the “upstairs” for an XSN demo, you were greeted by the actual creators and minds behind XSN to show you the future.

3) EA Sports/EA/EA Big – I give these guys credit, because they must have all been nursing sore throats for a week after E3. They shouted over their loud booth with a smile and a ton of knowledge. Special props going to Jeff Luhr from the NCAA 2004 team for giving us a very candid and in-depth session with the title.

I’m going to take a quick break from all the gaming talk and throw you a couple of lists your way about the E3 experience as a whole.

Best of E3 Experience

1) OS7 – My boys! Steve, Eddie, BK, Shawn, Aaron, and Brian were even cooler then they think they are. Over my years at OS, I’ve grown to call a lot of the Staffers my friends and it was just proven why by the way that we all got along flawlessly and had a blast. I would do it again even without the Expo just to hang out with the guys again. I just hope someone brings a Universal Remote next time and someone else volunteers to drive!

2) OS Love – I knew we were big and growing, but I had no idea how respected Operation Sports is in the gaming community. People knew us and weren’t afraid to call themselves fans. Plus, not a single person called us “Nazi Mods” or Sega Fanboys. Highlight of the conference had to be Greg Thomas of Visual Concepts droppin’ big love on OS during a panel on “The Future of Sports Gaming” with John Schappert (EA) and Trip Hawkins (3DO).

3) Adult Disneyland – My brothers and I deemed Las Vegas with the title of Adult Disneyworld years ago. Well, if they can have two Disney’s, then I can have 2 Adult Disney’s. Games, babes, music, babes, lights, and babes! E3 is not like any other event you can go to. It’s an experience that I will never forget and I certainly hope that I have a chance to repeat!

Worst of E3 Experience

1) Driving in LA – My first trip to LA, if not for future trips to E3, would have easily been my last one. There is no rhyme or reason to how the road system in the greater Los Angeles area works. We got lost EVERYTIME that we got in the car! And, if we weren’t lost, we were in completely parked traffic. That town is largely uninhabitable by civilized folks.

2) $$$ - We almost had to sell Eddie to buy a McMuffin in this town. I’m not a cheap man. I’m not one to complain about prices or money (that’s my Dad’s job). But, there is something moralistically wrong with paying $1.50 for a 12 ounce Mountain Dew or $5.25 for a couple Krispy Kreme doughnuts. If you are lucky enough to make it to E3 in the future, bring the Gold Card!

3) Driving in LA – I know that I already mentioned my distain for it, but it deserves 2 spots!

OK, let’s get back to the Expo.

Better Luck Next Year

1) 989 Sports – I loved their booth. Their exhibitors were as friendly as can be. I love the direction that their products are going in. BUT…this year’s products just leave a lot to be desired. They are trying hard to compete and I hope it continues.

2) Midway – What they said and what they showed seemed like two different things. I think they need another year to get this revamped line on the market and tweaked to its full potential. Don’t change the booth babes though…very nice.

3) Acclaim – I couldn’t even find their booth for a large chunk of the Expo. When we did find it, we were some of the few who did. Like their All-Star Baseball franchise, they have a ton of great ideas, but their execution leaves a little to be desired. I expect more next year.

Best of Show

1) NCAA 2004 – I was in the minority amongst the Staff when we voted best of show, but I had to give it to the College title from EA. They kept everything that was right, tweaked and fixed what was wrong, and implemented some great new functionality that will set a precedent in the gaming world. Operation Sport’s 2002 Game of the Year has only gotten better.

2) NFL2K4 – My personal choice for Pro Football titles (mostly due to XBL) last year, admittedly had some problems. The “Super Dive” is now gone. The DB AI is tighter even in the early build that we played. Defensive Linemen even get upfield pressure this year. However, perhaps most impressively, the NFL2K team actually got time to implement the ESPN license this year and it shows. Yes, gameplay is the key, but I felt like I was watching an ESPN broadcast even on a 40% build.

3) XSN – True, we never actually saw a working version of XSN. But, I don’t care. They sold me. I am jacked about this functionality and the ground that it is breaking in the industry. I don’t necessarily know where exactly the future is going, but XSN feels like the first real tip of the cap to the Sports Gamer. This is going to be huge.

Most Excited About For E3 2004

1) EA Sports – Like the “Rule of 3’s”, EA Sports seems to redefine itself every 3 years or so. I can’t help but think next year is another one of those boom years for EA. Plus, EA Sports + XBL? We’ll see.

2) PS3 and X-Box Next – Will next year’s E3 be the first look at the next “Next Gen Consoles”? Most experts think we’re looking at Fall of 2005 for their release. But, don’t lose sight of the fact that the video game industry does billions of dollars a year. Competition gets more hot and heavy each year. Will Sony or Microsoft try to strike the first blow by 2004? Don’t factor out Nintendo either.

3) XSN – Call me a Microsoft Fanboy or some kind of Bill Gates flunky, but I can’t help but get excited about the future of XSN. Maybe I just want to be the first on the bandwagon to make sure my seat is reserved. Write it down. It’s going to change sports gaming.

That was my E3 in a nutshell presented by way of the “Rule of 3’s”. What did I learn? The future of gaming is even brighter then I thought and driving in LA sucks. Everything else I already knew. 66,000+ hit the LA Convention Center this year. More will do it next year. If you can, try to be one of them.

*WARNING: Non-Gaming Moment – Read at your own risk**

I opened this article by mentioning my Mom’s “Rule of 3’s” that she always told me about. Sadly, my Mom passed away on Memorial Day after a valiant 10-month fight with cancer. My Mom was in Intensive Care while I was in LA at E3. She made me promise that no matter how bad she got, that I wouldn’t miss my opportunity to make the trip. She beamed everyday that I spent in LA. As my fellow OS’ers can attest, I spent a big chunk of my evenings on the cell phone with the wife back in Detroit checking on my Mom’s condition.