Last 
week’s E3 conference was a celebratory look at the growth that’s expected to come in the gaming industry’s near future. This week, though, it’s back to the present — and its harsh realities.
Retail sales of video game hardware and software were down 25 percent in May, according to The NPD Group. Total software sales — combining console, portable games and PC titles sold at retail — were down 44 percent compared to last year to $187.6 million.
Sony 
was E3’s big winner in large part because of the company’s decision to price the PlayStation 4 at $399, a full $100 cheaper than Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One.
But the man in charge of Xbox maintains Microsoft is offering an incredible deal.
The 
epic saga of Duke Nukem has taken another unexpected twist.
3D Realms, the creator of the iconic gaming character, is suing Gearbox Software, saying it is due $2 million in royalties over sales of Duke Nukem Forever.
The 
main event at this year’s E3 may be the slugfest between Sony and Microsoft, but the undercard is pretty interesting, too.
Ouya, the forthcoming Android-based console that raised millions on Kickstarter, has gotten into a feud with the Entertainment Software Association, the host of the show – one that has been steadily escalating and may or may not have included a call to the Los Angeles police department.
There 
are a lot of really, really great games, hardware and accessories on display at E3 this year.
Then there’s this stuff.
Technology wasn’t exactly polite at this year’s show — both Sony and Microsoft had notable problems at their respective press conferences — but it sure got weird. Poke around the strange little corners of E3 and you’ll find all sorts of bizarre bits, such as these five:
Microsoft 
seems to be making a habit out of shooting itself in the foot.
With gamers still smarting over the company’s $499 pricing announcement for the Xbox One, the head of the Xbox division has ruffled more feathers in addressing concerns about the system’s demand for a internet connection.
Game. 
Set. Match?
Sony did something very un-Sony like at its E3 press conference this year: it went into ferocious attack mode, identifying every one of the Xbox One’s perceived weaknesses and exploiting them.
And in the process, it earned some new fans. Lots of them.
The 
next generation isn’t going to be cheap — but it’s going to be cheaper on the PlayStation 4.
On the heels of Microsoft’s announcement that the Xbox One would be priced at $499, Sony has confirmed that the PS4 will cost $399, a full $100 less. It’s due out this holiday.
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.
Ever 
since Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the world’s been abuzz over conflicting information about whether you’d have to keep the console connected to the Internet, exactly how intrusive the new, improved Kinect would be, and the fate of used games.
With E3 2013 looming, Microsoft has finally given clearer answers to those questions — though they’re not going to make everyone happy.
Chris Morris: Journalist 