Michael: We've thoroughly picked apart the best and worst games of E3 2003, as well as lavished praise and taken shots on the companies that produced them. Now, let's talk about our personal experiences at E3. Whose booths looked like it cost the GDP of a small nation to put together? Where were the hottest booth babes? What about your coolest piece of swag? Or, what wasn't at E3 that you wish was there? We can also complain about the high food prices. Onward!

Zachary: Nobody can attend E3 without at least some inkling as to the existence of the 'booth babe' phenomena (head to www.g4tv.com to see for yourself). In general the booth babes were just kinda... There. Aside from the Perfect 10 models at the Konami booth and one or two scattered around, no company dominated with sexy blondes this year. Counterpart though the booth babes might be, they do manage to lure people into the booths themselves. Although a majority of the booth complexes were relatively simple or given over primarily to displaying titles or meeting space, massive giants link Nintendo and Microsoft had essentially erected their own temporary castles in the convention center. Very impressive to behold.

Nathan: Honestly I was very disappointed with E3 this year. It seemed more of updated info on games we already knew were coming out. There weren't really many new titles announced. Also the "swag" was a bit on the downhill side. Last year they gave away a lot more shirts and a lot more free games. I remember there was a point where the line to win a Game Boy Advance was around a 3 and a half hour wait. This year I think I saw a total of maybe 10 different shirts, a lot of fliers, and some GBA SP cases. I believe I had more fun in my hotel than I did walking around the convention center. Getting chased around town by homeless people trying to sell me their melons were more appealing than some of the booth babes. The girls at the Sudeki booth on the other hand ;) I do hope though with the launch of several new systems next year that E3 will be a lot better. Another bizarre thing I do remember from E3 though was the fact that G4 was giving away free tattoos as long as they had the G4 logo in them, and much to my amazement it seemed to be a really big hit.

Michael: Zachary was right about those Perfect 10 models. Too bad the line was extensively long; otherwise I'd have gladly squeezed in between the two for a photo. Other than that, there weren't very many other booth babes to behold. I was disgusted with the appearance of Anna Nicole Smith at the Eidos booth though. What game was she of all people promoting? Backyard Wrestling! Go figure. Luckily, I stumbled upon those Perfect 10 models after seeing Anna Nicole's ugly mug, so it wasn't too bad. Anybody get as little sleep as I did? I averaged about three hours of sleep each night, but the convention was so loud, and there was so much to do, I didn't get tired at all. That was three days of pure adrenaline fueling me, and I can't wait to do it again in 2004. Next time I'll remember that the Media badge is akin to VIP status in some booths!

Wesley: Having never been to E3, the experience was certainly wonderful. I enjoyed every minute of it, except for the aching feet, and the atmosphere there is something you have to feel to believe. As far as booths go, I feel that Capcom had one of the more impressive booths. Not so much in size, but in comfort level... it was well organized, and never felt crowded. Sony gets my vote for worst vendor there. For some reason, all the employees working in Sony's area were quite... well, rude, to be honest. They weren't giving away press kits which would have really helped, and not a single person stopped to help me or talk with me. Rather unprofessional, if you ask me. All in all, it was a great trip, and I look forward to next year. I'd definitely like to see more new announcements and surprises, though, as I definitely agree with the idea that this year was for showing off games we already knew about.

Alex: Since this was my first trip to E3, it was inevitable that I would be blown away. For a gamer, there is no other event to attend. Well, maybe the Tokyo Game Show. At the end of the week, I was exhausted, but it was worth it. I got to do something that I've wanted to do my entire life. Probably my favorite part of the show was getting to meet loads of people from the industry, from journalists to developers, PR folks to CEOs, and, of course, the rest of the staffers. It was exhilarating being surrounded by 60,000 people, most of who were there for the simple unifying reason that they loved games.

Gabriel: In terms of general E3 feelings, my first thoughts are that I was impressed. Going beyond even the general presentation and grandeur of the show, I was simply amazed at the level and quantity of RPGs which were present. Sure, tons of them were of the MMORPG flavor, and even more were of questionable or downright ludicrously low quality. Finally, there were just those that we've seen for the past 8 years, in various states of development, and just want to see produced whether they're good or not. (Preferably good) Yet, even removing those, we are left with one of the largest crops of potentially interesting RPGs ever for the coming year's enjoyment. And to boot, there's a decent mix of classic, strategy, and adventure to fulfill pretty much all of my tastes.

On the other hand, by this very reason I am also irked, as I got to be one of the home team rather than the lucky folks wandering the floor. As such I am full of angst over the lost opportunities to meet celebs, see the hottest stuff, and bring home the treasures of swag. Thankfully though, Alex was kind enough to put up a comprehensive journal which managed to convey much of the personality, flavor, and general excitement of the E3 experience, so I, and those like me, wouldn't feel too left out. Since I also unfortunately can't comment on the quality of the swag this year, I'll also have to let that go. That is until I receive my promised treasures of Mega Man bobble heads and demos galore.

Zachary: As collectible swag went, this year's E3 was extremely stingy. The WarioWare swag shirt absolutely rocked, I snagged an embroidered Nintendo shirt, and I got two items with half-naked elf chicks on them out of the NCSoft meeting, so it wasn't a complete loss. I managed to meet Gabe and Tycho of Penny-Arcade fame and Charles Martinet, the voice actor for Mario. Easily the biggest name that I saw in the flesh was the deity of gaming himself, Shigeru Miyamoto. Between him, Tooru Iwatani (Pac-Man's creator), Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear's creator), and Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil's creator), the Nintendo press conference was celebrity bedlam.

Alex: I don't really have all that much to say here that I haven't already written about. I will point you to my E3 journal, which Gabe mentioned. It has all my thoughts from the show, and a lot of pictures as well. E3 is sensory bedlam, and it's something that every gamer should try to experience for themselves some day.

Michael: Who wins praise for being most hospitable to me in the entire show? Believe it or not, Nyko wins that distinction. I shall no longer know them as a producer of inferior third party peripherals, but as a fine company that bothered to wine and dine me. As Day 1 was coming to a close, they had a little media-only gathering in their booth. So, Andrew Duff, Brian Hagen, and I ventured over to see what was up. Turns out they had free drinks and food! And by drinks, I mean the good hard stuff like vodka. Of course getting trashed at the show was not my goal, so I had to settle for Coke. The thought was what counted. As for the food, free meat-on-a-stick and egg rolls simply can't be beat after an exhilarating first day. To top at all off, as our crew left the booth, we were all given these nifty controllers as swag. It's a PC controller with a fan inside, which blows air onto your hands. It's also a comfortable controller, so that is definitely the best piece of swag.

As for just plain swag, many of us got the WarioWare tee-shirt, but I was able to score two Dot Hack shirts by racing the Grunty twice. Waiting in line sucked, but it was worth it. The Exarch poster also rocks. I'm going to get myself a frame for it sooner or later. Finally, for most humorous swag, ATI made sure to accommodate us with sensitive ears with some handy-dandy earplugs. It's that extra something which will keep me a loyal ATI customer!

Zachary: Sadly, not all of our extra-curricular activities went quite so well. Mikel Tidwell and I went to a McDonalds with an armed guard. And I'm not talking billy-club here. I mean full out sorted with a nine and ready to bust a cap in our collective white ass. That aside, the RPGamer staffer bout of Four Swords for the 'Cube was gnarly. Michael was the rupee whore, most definitely, but I won, so who cares ;)

Michael: That was merely on the 'Cube Zachary! I absolutely owned everyone when we linked up to play on the GBA. Too bad I didn't get to play Mikel in Smash Bros.

Nathan: On the topic of McDonalds I'd like to point out that the one next to my hotel was pay to pee. I on the other hand took up my pants and went in my hotel instead.

Michael: Well, all the zaniness aside, I think we can all agree that E3 was an experience not to be topped by much else in the world. But now the Roundtable must draw to a close, so I'll give all of our panelists one final word.

Alex: If you made it this far, thanks for reading. If you see me at E3 next year, come say Hey. In the meantime, you can catch me every week in the Japandemonium section. Later.

Zach: I would heartily suggest seeking any possible venue from political assassinations, to bribery, to blackmail to get yourself to E3. Even paying the $300 price tag for the 'super pass' or whatever it's called is an acceptable solution if it gets you in on the action. Peace!

Wesley: All in all, the experience was awesome. I can honestly say I'm really surprised at how much the staff agreed on games this year... we're normally a diverse lot, and our tastes run in many different directions. My first E3 trip will remain etched in my memory forever, along with everyone who attended. Until next year!

Nathan: Well it was fun working with you all and I hope the readers out there enjoyed my thoughts and opinions. I'll be at E3 again next year so feel free to try and find me. :) And if you ever feel like looking at any of my pictures from last e3 feel free to visit my page. http://www.gameshopinc.net

Gabriel: Although I have to admit that it was interesting being on the receiving end of a constant barrage of information and impressions about the most expansive gaming show on the planet. At the same time, there is also really no substitute for being there and taking it all in with your very own senses. Hopefully it won't require the extremes that some have suggested to make it happen, but next year there will assuredly be one more newbie gamer walking the labyrinth of E3 for the first time.

Michael: Finally, I'd like to say thanks to Wes for being a generous host by letting me stay at his place for free during E3. It was great to finally put voices and faces to these nicknames I see online and on IRC. This concludes our special E3 Roundtable. Thank you for reading, and remember to be cool, and stay in school.