Will 
Santa come before Christmas this year? Game makers certainly hope so.
As publishers and console makers in the video game industry gather in Los Angeles for E3, their annual trade show, sector players are looking for a lift ahead of the holidays.
The 
U.S. is the profit center of the video game industry, and has been for years. But if trends continue, China might be taking that title before too long.
China represents a huge opportunity for U.S. publishers, which are quickly exploring ways to monetize the country’s growing appetite for gaming. Meanwhile, some of the biggest firms in China are eyeing the U.S. market.
Although 
brick-and-mortar video game sales are down 14 percent year to date, a few titles have managed to stand apart from the trend, capturing players’ imagination and cash—even when they’re part of a 10-year-old franchise.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops II,” which got off to a stellar start out of the gate hasn’t lost much momentum. Catalog sales of the title have been much higher than 2011’s “Modern Warfare 3.” Plus, downloadable content sales have been strong enough to offset Activision’s lost revenue from declining “World of Warcraft” subscriptions.
E3, 
the annual video game extravaganza, has mostly been a closed gate. Industry insiders can attend, as can media and retail partners, but the heart of the industry, the gamer, has been forced to watch from afar.
The Entertainment Software Association hasn’t changed its official policy on the show, but that’s not stopping E3 2013 from breaking out of its cage this year.
One 
of the tentpole events of E3 won’t be taking place this year.
Nintendo shocked the gaming world late Wednesday by announcing that it has decided not to hold its annual E3 press conference. Instead, the company said, it plans to focus on smaller events and will address the gaming world through a series of Nintendo Direct broadcasts, essentially cutting out the large, noisy middleman.
The 
Electronic Entertainment Expo is staying put in Los Angeles. The annual videogame trade show ended more than a month of speculation about a possible move Monday, announcing it will remain in downtown L.A. for another three years.
The Entertainment Software Association (which owns E3) and the city have been butting heads about the show for months over pending construction of the new Farmers Field stadium, which will require the demolition of the West Hall of the LACC — eliminating 210,000 square feet of show floor space — roughly one-third of the Center’s capacity.
After 
weeks of uncertainty, the video game industry finally knows where the next E3 will be held.
The Entertainment Software Association (which owns E3) and the City of Los Angeles have settled their differences and signed a deal that calls for the video game’s premiere trade show to be held in the city for the next three years.
Chris Morris: Journalist 