Alex Wawro is PCWorld's eternally optimistic editorial assistant, and he's already on the ground in L.A. to prepare for E3 2011.
What I Want: The short answer is simple--I want to see great games. Thankfully, E3 2011 seems well equipped to meet or exceed my expectations with blockbuster titles such as Deus Ex 3, Battlefield 3, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim available for play on the show floor.
The longer, more complicated answer is that I'd like to see games developed to satisfy the varying needs of a growing audience without snubbing any particular breed of player. I want to see great long-form single-player games like Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim, but I also want to see equally excellent titles designed to offer a unique and compelling multiplayer experience (Star Wars: The Old Republic or Battlefield 3, for example). And although Apple won't have a booth at E3, I hope that the company's stupendous success in facilitating mobile gaming positively influences how Nintendo and Sony market their respective portable gaming devices; the 3DS and NGP need to offer terrific games that are equally fun to play for a few hours on the couch or a few minutes on the bus.
What I Expect: I suspect that E3 2011 will herald a banner year for gaming hardware. We already know that we'll be seeing Nintendo's new console next Tuesday, and I expect Microsoft and Sony to respond proactively by teasing us with hints of new hardware in development during their respective press conferences. Game developers are pushing the limits of what contemporary consoles can do, and that means it's time to start talking about the next generation of hardware.
And since developers are learning to tap the full technical potential of modern consoles, I expect to see a slew of titles next week that take advantage of that knowledge and experience to deliver some of the best games we've seen this generation. (On that note, we've set aside plenty of time to play promising titles such as BioShock Infinite and Uncharted 3, so check back next week for our full report on the .)