Nintendo Wii Fanboy

The Entertainment Software Association has announced that they will award Shigeru Miyamoto with the 2009 ESA Champion Award -- because if Miyamoto needs anything, it's some more awards for his lifetime of achievements. The award will be conferred at the organization's "Nite to Unite for Kids" event on October 22, a fundraising gala for various children's charities. In the press release announcing the award, Michael Gallagher, CEO of the ESA, said that Miyamoto "truly has defined video games as we know them today."

The ESA Champion award has been given in previous years to various well-known rich people, including Sega's Isao Okawa, GameStop's Dan DeMatteo, and George Lucas.

60,000 gamers crammed together in one sweaty convention center. Women in skimpy outfits, paraded like pieces of meat. A gigantic, deafening, cacophonous din.

Yep, the old-style E3 really was glorious. But in all seriousness, it seems as though most of the internet would kill for a return to the old format. Whether it's because of the muted reception to this year's horribly empty E3 Media and Business Summit, or simply a hangover from Nintendo's ill-received press conference, the majority of fans want E3 to return to being the spectacle it once was. Significant industry figures seem to agree.

And now, it might just happen. Kotaku claims that the idea of returning to the E3 of yesteryear and opening the doors to the public has been officially proposed, and is currently being discussed by the ESA board, the folks who organize the event. Maybe the "old E3" won't just be a story we tell our grandchildren, decades from now.

With all the recent controversy over Manhunt 2, we can't help but think that maybe it's time to relax a little when it comes to games rated AO (Adults Only). The average age of the modern gamer is rising all the time, and we all know that games are no longer just for kids. The Entertainment Software Association has some interesting statistics on just who is buying -- and playing -- games these days; according to them, 83% of all video games are purchased by someone who is over 18, and 69% of the gamers themselves are over 18. Despite the growing number of adult gamers, however, the industry still remains behind the times on the issue of mature titles.

We're interested in hearing what you have to say on the issue. It's not about whether or not we think this particular game is appropriate -- we know some of you are pretty anti-violence, and we respect that. It is, however, a matter of intellectual freedom. In America, we have movies that are restricted to adults, and books and magazines that are restricted to adults ... so what's with crippling games for adults?

According to numerous inside sources, it's all over. Next-Gen is claiming that within the next 48 hours, ESA president Doug Lowenstein is expected to announce the cancellation of the industry's most illustrous event: the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. Twelve years running, the show has been stated as being far too expensive for what companies received in terms of exposure and publicity; it was simply too big for its own good. This comes as a shocking blow to gamers themselves, who look forward to the show for the biggest announcements and reveals from their favorite companies.

Specifics can be found in the Next-Gen and Joystiq articles, but we at Wii Fanboy want to hear what you think about this travesty. Do you regret never having gone, and are you sad to see it go? Nintendo's press conferences were certainly one of the most beloved parts of the show, and the days of giddy excitement waiting for Reggie and Iwata to take the stage may be long gone. Does this reinforce the idea of the Spaceworld expo coming later this year? Whatever the case may be, it is truly a sad day in the magical land of video games.

[A GameSpot article is slightly less doom-and-gloom, stating that E3 may only be heavily downsized and more focused on meeting room-style exhibitions and displays. We'll wait for official confirmation from Mr. Lowenstein.]