I approached the build up to this year's with mixed emotions; of course it's always nice to see a high-profile international gaming event on one's own doorstep, but recent years have proved somewhat of a let down as company's cut costs and instead, generally-speaking, focussed their budgets on E3 stateside. 2003 look like it might just buck the downward trend however, especially with a spate of publishers not seen at the show for years confirming their attendance (EA and Vivendi - hoorah!), and the mainstream media more interested in the event than ever thanks to accompanying London Games Week, and the unavoidable Playstation Experience in the next hall at Earls Court. Yes, I'm hoping that ECTS will be rolling back the years to the best showing since the tech boom busted, and in the process get us all very excited about how great games and the is in general. Either that, or I'll leave the city tomorrow feeling physically expunged, mugged by food and drink purveyors, sweating like a P.I.G., and generally f*cked off with the cramped and unhygienic state of London's underground system. Fingers crossed for the former, then. The line-ups certainly sound promising, especially if you're a anorak considering heading west for the Playstation Experience, which looks most assuredly ace, boasting a humungous array of games, and generally being much bigger and much better than last year's already commendable effort. The fun runs from Thursday to Sunday if you're interested. Sony's consumer-orientated show first, then. Well, as well as games there'll be a whole host of other entertainments to excite the masses, such as acts ranging from the Big Bruvaz to Jamelia, and DJs such as the "hilarious" Colin and Edith, as well as the rather excitable Zane Low from Radio 1. Unsurprisingly, you'll also be able to get your hands on the very cream of future PS2 releases, these being our top picks from the plethora of titles on show: Acclaim (Alias, Gladiator)
Activision (Pitfall Harry, Secret Weapons Over Normandy)
Atari (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Kya: Dark Lineage)
Capcom (Chaos Legion, Outbreak, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter)
Codemasters (Club Football, Rally 4)
Eidos (Legacy of Kain: Defiance, The Italian Job, Whiplash)
Electronic Arts (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, James Bond: Everything or Nothing, Football 2004, Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, Medal of Honour: Rising Sun, SSX 3, Need For Speed Underground)
Konami (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, 3, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Dancing Stage Fever, Karaoke Revolution)
Midway (Area 51, NARC, Spy Hunter 2, RoadKill)
Sega (Sonic Heroes, Worms 3D, Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution)
Sony (Amplitude, A Dog's Tale, EverQuest Online Adventures, EyeToy: Groove, This Is Football 2004, 4, Jak & Daxter 2: Renegade, My Street, 2, Time Crisis 3, World Rally Championship 3)
THQ (Sphinx and The Shadow of Set, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon, 40k: Fire Warrior)
Ubi Soft (Beyond Good & Evil, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, XIII)
Vivendi (Judge Dredd, Metal Arms, The Hobbit)

So, quite an impressive line-up for you non trade-types to get your teeth in to - all of course presented with the style, panache and amplitude we've come to expect from Sony's marketing machine. On to itself then, something of a little brother to the Playstation Experience, but home none the less to an impressive array of company's and their wares spanning all the formats. Most notably absent are of course Microsoft, who'll be treating us Journos to a wee trip to southern France next month to show off their stuff, and who'll just be gracing the Playstation hall with their presence. will however be there in sorts, having parked a bloody great juggernaut near one of the show's entrances showing that they're once again going for an 'alternative' and 'imaginative' approach to pushing their products. Once again then, here's the company's on-show and the games we're most looking forward to getting our teeth into:

Atari (Driver 3, UT2004, Terminator 3)
Bigben (Dance: UK, Soldner)
Cenega (Shade, Korea: Forgotten Conflict)
Codemasters (Club Football, Colin McRae 4)
Electronic Arts (FIFA, Lord of the Rings, Medal of Honour: Rising Sun, SSX 3)
Just Flight (Titans of Steel, Club Manager)
Konami (Pro Evolution Soccer 3, 3)
Nintendo (Mario Kart: Double Dash, F-Zero GX, Pikmin 2)
NVIDIA (STALKER, Worms 3D, Hidden & Dangerous 2)
Oxygen Interactive (March Offworld Recon)
THQ (Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon) Ubi Soft (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, XIII, Beyond Good & Evil, Rainbow Six 3, Far Cry)
Vivendi (Half-Life 2, Ground Control 2, SWAT: Global Strike Team)
Whiptail Interactive (Postal 2 multiplayer, Gangland)

See you in London bright and early to bring you all the news and full write-ups from the show, as it progresses.

By Luke Guttridge