It’s 
a tradition at the end of every E3: the Entertainment Software Association hangs a banner on the last day of the show, thanking attendees and simultaneously announcing the dates of next year’s event.
But as people limped out of the Los Angeles Convention Center last Thursday, that banner was noticeably missing.
Nintendo 
and Sony took pains to avoid mentioning their next-generation console systems at this year’s E3 videogame conference. But their publishing partners had plenty to say.
While no independent publishers were willing to come out and call the graphically-intense games they had on display “next generation,” many quietly confirmed that they were showcasing what consumers can expect to see when the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 finally hit the market in late 2013.
The 
videogame industry might have lost some of its retail strength, but come the holiday season, games still regularly top people’s gift lists.
There’s no better place to get a look at what’s coming down the road than E3 – but too often, the games that get the bulk of the spotlight won’t be out until the following year (or two, or sometimes three). Selecting a “best of show” game is a fool’s mission, given the number of titles on display and the limited time to see them all. But it is possible to get a better sense of which games will connect with players.
Judging 
by the lines at Nintendo’s E3 booth, Nintendo’s Wii U is a hit, but the system could have been a lot different if Nintendo had listened to its inner demons.
Global President Satoru Iwata says the idea of a two-screen video game system was something the company went back and forth on—and didn’t finalize until nearly a year and a half into the development process.
Zynga 
will participate in E3 for the first time. But instead of using the media-saturated event to showcase its titles, Zynga’s there with another goal in mind: capturing the eye of some of the industry’s best talent.
“It was an easy decision,” says Rob Dyer, vice president of partner publishing at Zynga. “We have a number of potential partners who will be there. … We did this very purposefully. We knew when we signed up for the space we would have launched Zynga Partners and would have Zynga.com up and running.
Sales 
in the videogame industry have been declining for more than three years, due in no small part to competition from mobile devices. Yet it’s still a field that’s creating high-net-worth individuals at a rapid clip.
On average, rank-and-file videogame professionals pocket more than $81,000 per year, according to a study by Game Developer Magazine. That alone is nearly double what the typical American takes home. But a few game-box heroes (who undoubtedly weren’t part of that study) blow the curve. Click ahead for some of the industry’s most affluent individuals.
Nintendo 
fortified its position in the family videogame market Tuesday, showing off the launch version of the Wii U, out this holiday.
Oddly, the Japanese gamemaker was light on details of what’s inside its next-generation console or how it will let users access apps from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video; instead its hourlong presser at the Nokia Theater was laser focused on the games that will appear on the new console.
Nintendo
is coming late to the world of high definition gaming, but it’s hoping its often-unique take on the industry will be enough to turn heads.
The videogame company on Tuesday rolled out a string of top franchises that will support the launch of Wii U, its next generation home console system and gave fans a better idea of what will make that system unique.
While 
Microsoft cast a wide net at its E3 press conference Monday, covering entertainment and gaming options, Nintendo came to talk games — and nothing else.
As part of its ongoing rollout of the new Wii U system, the company showcased a variety of first party titles and gave a peek at some of the third party titles in the works for the system. It did not, however, give a launch date or price for the system, which is expected to be available later this year.
J.K. 
Rowling is about to cast a spell on PlayStation owners.
The author of the “Harry Potter” series and Sony on Monday announced a collaboration that includes new stories from the wizarding world she created that will be brought to live on the PlayStation 3.
Chris Morris: Journalist 