E3 2006 has not even started yet and the buzz is already going, good and bad.
Last year all three console makers announced their new consoles, in summary:
MS/Xbox360 - to launch 2005, HD capable, looks cool, great graphics. world wide launch planned
Sony/PS3 - to launch 'sometime', HD capable, looks cool, great graphics (which turned out to be rendered CGI instead), Bluray player, ridiculed MS for attempting global launch
Nintendo/Revolution - looks cool and ... well, that's about it, launchs 2006
So Xbox360 launched in Nov 2005, sold out and continued to sell out for a long time. Fastest selling console yet.
PS3 didn't come out in spring 2006 as they had later announced
Nintendo showed off their motion sensing controller
No here we are at E3 2006 and each maker had their Pre-E3 announcements
Sony/PS3:
pricing announced, $499 for the basic cut down model (which cannot be upgraded) and $599 for the full version.
World wide launch planned for Nov 2006
Boomerang controller is gone, now we have what was referred to as Dual Shock3 - looked like the Dual shock 2, but wireless and a few tweaks, some motion sensing but no 'shock' functions
launching in Black.. not silver.
There was a great deal of disappointment, after Sony's promises, the games shown failed to live up to the hype, look just the same as those released (already) on the Xbox 360, with only a couple looking truely next-gen (and again, not looking any better than the true next-gen 360 stuff)
also disappointment with the price, with the cheaper model not being upgradable (not being capable of the 1080p HD resolutions that Sony have been hyping up), you really have to get the expensive $599 version instead and on evidence shown so far, it does not offer anything more (in terms of 'what you play') than the $399 Xbox360.
Of course, there are games on the way, with Heavenly Sword and Gran Tourismo HD both looking stunning, of course, there was also Final Fantasy XIII which also looks incredible. The Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer also looked good, although it's unknown if that is in real time or not (the quality of other in game videos would suggest that this is not real time though)
Nintendo were next to have their party, showing off the 'Wii' (no longer called revolution) and games that will be available for it.
As usual, plenty of interest in what Nintendo are doing, although no offical price announcement for Wii (expected to be $200 - $250 though).
Microsoft were last of the big 3 to have their conference. with the 360 already out there, the overall success of the launch was taked about and the plans for the future.
True to Bill's comment last year, with the PS3 making it's first proper public appearance, here was Halo3 - looking incredible and getting people very excited. Gears of War looks stunning (as Epics CliffB said, 'like the Killzone video, only in real time'). Forza2 is on it's way. And the surprise announcement, GTA4 for the Xbox360.
The press reaction so far certainly indicates overall disappointment with Sony's announcements - I guess everyone they must have been hoping that Sony were going to be surprising everyone with a really low price point.
Even Microsoft were feeling confident enough to make a few digs at the expense of Sony this year (after Sony stole the show last year)
There are a huge amount of videos of the games and the conferences available here:
http://www.eurogamer.net/tv_index.php