Ahhh, the Electronic Entertainment Expo.  Every year, game companies show off their best wares at the event.  Some are clearly anticipated from previous announcements, while others are huge surprises that come out of left field.  Konami is no exception to this rule, as they’ve dominated E3 in the past with announcements such as Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.  But even we’re left to wonder just what the company will announce at this year’s expo, as they’re planning a huge announcement.  That won’t stop us from guessing, though…

Electronic Arts never fails to showcase a strong array of third-party titles for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as other consoles each year they attend E3.  Last year was a huge highlight between such games as SSX and Mass Effect 3, but what does the company have to lean on this year?  Well, besides big sports hits like Madden NFL 13 and the upcoming Overstrike from Insomniac Games, we’ve got a few ideas as to what the company should officially announce at the show.  With that, here are our suggestions…

It’s really weird how some of these April Fools jokes are turning into actual products, isn’t it?  Take a look at the iCade, a miniature iPad arcade cabinet that was first shown as an April Fools joke, but has since become a best-selling accessory for the market.  Now, THQ has confirmed yet another April Fools gag that’s becoming a reality, one that introduces a whole new way to play through the world of Steelport in Saints Row: The Third.

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin’s Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratohnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Players become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date. Assassin’s Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier to bustling colonial towns and the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington’s Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army. Ubisoft Producer Alex Hutchinson talks about the new game in this exclusive video interview below.

Once upon a time, fighting game giants refused to work with one another, instead competing for attention in the arcades with their own individual products.  But then someone got the crazy notion, “Hey, we should team up our franchises and see what comes up.”  And thus, crossovers was born.  Many companies have done it, including Capcom and SNK with their Capcom vs. SNK games, respectively, and soon Street Fighter x Tekken will be knocking around the streets, set for a release tomorrow.  But are you possibly ready for…Sega versus Tecmo?

There’s no question we’re on a fever pitch for the new Marvel’s The Avengers film.  How could you not be?  Between Robert Downey Jr. doing his slick Iron Man thing, Samuel L. Jackson playing the baddest Nick Fury on the planet, and the return of the Hulk (and not the Ed Norton Hulk), it’s crazy how much anticipation is going into it.  Which leads us to wonder…why is there not an Avengers video game that ties in with the film?

Wedbush Morgan Securities videogame analyst Michael Pachter is always good for stirring up controversy with his opinions. Pachter was the keynote speaker for the fourth annual Ayzenberg A-List Summit in San Francisco, where he said Nintendo was in disarray and Electronic Arts is f*cked in social games. Watch the question and answer part of his speech in the exclusive video below.

Penny Arcade continues to expand. With PAX East coming up in April in Boston and PAX Prime set for later this year in Seattle, the comics are now helping educate consumers about game ratings. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has unveiled a new PSA campaign featuring artwork designed by the creators of the hugely popular video game webcomic Penny Arcade. The three-part national print and online campaign features caricatures based upon real parents and gamers, each of whom conveys a unique perspective about the ESRB ratings and tools like rating summaries and the ESRB mobile app. These ads will start appearing this spring in parent-focused and game enthusiast media outlets nationwide and can be viewed here.

While Nintendo remains a formidable force in the game industry, the company has seen better days, recently posting a net loss in its business and trying to figure out its next move with the Wii U, and whether a renaming of the system is necessary or not.  That said, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata remained confident in the future of the company business, and (finally) introduced a dedicated gaming network coming soon from the company, one that should offer simplicity to those picking up a Nintendo 3DS or, later this year, a Wii U.

We do love ourselves a good Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game.  Just ask us how many countless hours we spent on Xbox Live Arcade playing the original arcade game, beating the crap out of Shredder's thugs while having some laughs with friends.  Well, another kind of good game may just be right around the corner, as Rocksteady Studios, the team behind Batman: Arkham Asylum and its Arkham City sequel, could be working on an all new game featuring the New York-based quartet.

LAS VEGAS -- Executives from business, government, entertainment, automotive, consumer electronics and every major industry converged on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012) to experience new ways of doing business at the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow. Games were everywhere as Sony showcased PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, Nintendo had its Wii U playable, Microsoft showed Kinect for Xbox 360 and PC, and game publishers had titles across all platforms, including tablets and smartphones. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), CES 2013 will return to Las Vegas January 8-11 2013.