Genre: Hardware
Publisher: Razer
Release Date: Q4 2005

During our E3 experience, we were able to meet up with hardware manufacturer Razer. Razer caters to the real gamer, the one with the twitchy hand who demands nothing less than accuracy during split-second moves that'll make your head spin. While they are known for making high quality mice, they are now going to make a gamer keyboard as well. You won't find any ps/2 mice here; the resolution of their top of the line mouse, the Diamondback Plasma, is 1600dpi so USB is a must here. Another way they distinguish themselves is

Sail the Caribbean, marauding all on the high seas or ally your ship and crew as a privateer in search of riches - the life you choose is up to you. Face dogged enemies, raid unsuspecting villages, woo fair maidens, avoid capture or dig for buried treasure. Discover what it takes to become one of the most famous pirates in history!

The game is set in some African country. A coup d’etat and the country gets a dictator as its governor. And it slowly but steadily plunges into chaos. White farmers have been drawn from their land and now groups and fight with looter bands for the control over certain territories. The U.N.O. is involved and tries to give humanitarian help. As for the ex-rulers of the country they try to sit back. What makes the new game differ is that it’s up to the player to decide whose part to support. There are several starting points in

Genre: Action/RPG
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: Fall 2005

If nothing else, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness answers one question I’ve had for a while about the Castlevania series. Simply put, it’s this: when you leave and come back into a room in a Castlevania game, where does the fresh wave of monsters come from? Is there a hidden wing of Dracula’s castle that’s entirely dedicated to the care, feeding, construction, and breeding of new monsters to replace the ones you’ve been hacking to bits?

Apparently, there is, and it’s staffed by people like Hector. As a Devil Forgemaster, Hector

Gears of War

Genre: Action
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Epic Games
Release Date: Q1 2006

Going into E3 2005, the game I was most excited about seeing was by far the very impressive Unreal Engine 3-based Gears of War for the Xbox 360, and it sure didn't disappoint.

The story behind Gears of War paints a pretty bleak picture for humanity, thanks to some really nasty creatures that will send chills up and down your spine the first time you see them, and many times after that as well. The setting is the planet Sera, which is very much like Earth, just slightly more

"Our 2007 E3 lineup truly reflects our product strategy to develop top quality titles in a wide range of genres across all major platforms," said David F. Zucker, president and CEO, Midway. "With exciting next generation games such as Stranglehold and proven brands like Mortal Kombat, along with games for the younger market and handhelds, this is Midway's most diverse and strongest line up yet."

Midway's E3 line up with expected ship dates include:

Stranglehold (PS3, X360, PC; August) - Experience exhilarating, next-gen action for the PS3, X360 videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC, as you continue the story of

"Our E3 2007 lineup highlights Namco Bandai Games' unparalleled commitment to delivering a collection of core franchises, licenses and original properties that will appeal to everyone," said Genichi Ito, president and CEO of Namco Bandai Games America Inc. "As our industry continues to evolve and captivate the next generation of gamers, we are prepared to meet this market change and engage those who enjoy interactive entertainment with appropriate high-quality content across all platforms and genres."

Below is additional information on Namco Bandai Games' E3 2007 lineup:

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Xbox 360)

Ace Combat 6 marks the debut of Namco Bandai's

NCsoft North America CEO Robert Garriott said, "NCsoft strives to deliver the highest quality online entertainment possible, and these products represent the next generation of online games. This E3 meeting will provide a window for the public to see the breadth of the variety of game genres and business models NCsoft provides, as well as show off how advanced and exciting our products are."

NCsoft products to be featured at E3 are:

Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa has been in closed beta testing since May and is set for launch this fall. Tabula Rasa is poised to evolve the massively multiplayer online

Genre: Action
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Seven Studios
Release Date: Q3 2006

In case you missed the memo the first time around, here’s another copy of it:

Pirates Are Cool.

Heck, just go ask Guilty Gear X’s Johnny, or the entire cast of Skies of Arcadia. Pirates are always fun to play as in video games. There’s just something about being able to break all the rules, play dirty, and fight as underhanded as one possibly can whenever one feels like it that translates wonderfully to the genre.

Few pirates are better at all of this than one Jack Sparrow, and he’s going to