Despite the problems it is experiencing, E3 is still an important show in the gaming calendar. You only need to look at the buzzing forums during the show to see that people pay very close attention to what is going on at the convention, and to regard it as unimportant is to underestimate its ability to capture the eyes of the gaming world.

This is why Nintendo have issued a statement such as this. Not only did they make a huge miscalculation concerning the audience they were addressing, and the subsequent content of their presentation, but they also seem to be surprised by the sheer volume of discussions it has caused. The fact that the vast majority of opinion has been negative must be of great concern, despite the Wii and DS's ongoing astronomical sales.

This is the first olive branch to the core gaming community. Something tells me that we will we see many more soon; fingers crossed that they will be games rather than promises.

It is astonishing that mature games should apparently be banned on the Wii. When did it become a toy for the under-12s? (Well, I can actually hear the cynics crying out that the E3 Wii Music 'Pop Goes The Weasel' incident may have done that, but I digress....)

The Wii should be admired for the way it has worked its way into the casual market, but to say that it should only cater for that audience is totally misguided. The backlash against Grand Theft Auto 4 was depressingly predictable, and perhaps we should have expected the same on Mad World as a game in itself. But to propose that because this is on the Wii every child, impressionable teenager and elderly relative will end up playing it is infuriating.

For the 'hardcore gamers' Mad World is one of very few rays of light in the Wii release schedule. To think that its release may be in jeopardy for the sake of column inches is a sad prospect indeed. After all, they have at least another 6 months to bombard the BBFC and PEGI.

This is fantastic news, and precisely the kind of story that Xbox Live Marketplace should be providing. Braid would have been buried at retail, where unfortunately is seems that the 3D world is king. Now not only have we had the chance to experience one of the most innovative 2D platformers for years, but we can also look forward to Blow's next game with calm anticipation.

On the matter of price, it certainly concerned me when I saw the 1200 point tag; it almost feels like Microsoft dipping their toes in the water and seeing if they get bitten. Quality will surely endure in the end, however, and if average games are released and priced the same as Braid, one must hope that they will face the inevitable consequence of poor sales.

Braid has overcome the slight unrest over its price through sheer word of mouth, so I feel it is only fitting to say that this is about as charming, intelligent and inventive a game as you will find. Buy it and you'll soon forget about the extra 400 points.......

Halo 3's greatest achievement is how effortless everything feels; taking a step back and looking at the implementation of its ideas reveals just how polished and well integrated the innovations are.

This is a game whose community has continued to grow not on the back of the franchise, but instead through the unparalleled work Bungie has put towards nurturing its fan base. Halo 3 was always going to be huge, it was always going to feature in the Xbox Live Top 10 for a long time, but it stills sits atop the mountain nearly a year since release, despite continually being nipped at the heels by all newcomers.

Take Grand Theft Auto 4 as an example: admittedly, it is a game whose single-player experience is the focus, but the multiplayer numbers have declined alarmingly. Here is a game whose sales were astronomical, it is part of arguably the biggest franchise in the industry, but the online community is sinking. This is a trend with a huge number of games at the moment, and Bungie have shown the industry how to progress away from this.

Halo 3 will build a legacy through the integration of its ideas in other console games. If that is not innovation, then what is?

However are you not concerned that we are now faced with the prospect of buying multiple iterations of the same console in one generation? The manufacturers of DVD players do not get revenue from DVD sales, and the release of new DVD players makes for sound and fair business practice. Console manufacturers receive a steady stream of income from our software purchases however, and the hardware should be supported rather than rendered obsolete. An add-on drive is a simple solution, and it is my hope that they introduce a more reasonable one than the £129.99 120GB version.

Imagine how you would feel if Nintendo announce that they are not opening up the SD slot for storage, but instead intend on releasing an entirely new Wii with increased memory. I am sure this will not happen, but it would be a kick in the teeth (and the wallet) if it did.