"So this is where E3 went."

　　That was my first thought when as I stepped into the main halls of the Leiziger Messe Convention Hall. Though most of the booths on hand were still in the process of being set up, it's easy to see that Leipzig is the spiritual successor to E3, at least in terms of flash. I suspect once the show opens up to the general public--and word has it the convention is expecting 130,000 folks this weekend--it will prove to be a far cry from even the maddeningly chaotic E3 of yore.

　　There's no doubt the city of Leipzig is taking games seriously. Everywhere you go, you see signs for the Games Convention, along with placards for GTA IV. One of the biggest department stores--Karstadt--had displays on hand for Forza MotorSport 2, Boogie, and a huge Nintendo DS display just inside the main entrance. Compare that to Los Angeles' E3 of old, where you were lucky to see a sticker on a telephone poll anywhere outside of one mile from the convention center. It's refreshing to see a game convention that's determined to keep things focused on the folks that matter: the consumers who actually buy the games.

　　A few choice shots from today:

　　Tyler dwarfed by a huge UT statue.

　　Iorek and Lyra from The Golden Compass. Just finished the book, btw. It's awesome.

　　A statue of J.S. Bach, taken just outside the Thomaskirche, his final resting place.