Gamers rejoice: E3, the annual Mecca of gaming, opens once again in Los Angeles next week. The major three console manufacturers will hold press conferences annoucning new content early in the week, and press members will be able to demo new products in the expo's latter days.

Brent Molina at USA Today has ten things to expect from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft next week, as the Big N unveils their new console ("Wii U") and the others look to squeeze more life out of this current console generation.

Maybe it's just me, but this E3 doesn't seem to have the rampant anticpation that usually precludes the annual event. Most mid-generation expos lack groundbreaking revelations, but this generation has lasted longer than any previous one. (The Xbox 360 is going on seven years now, and there is little evidence that Microsoft will reveal new hardware this year.)

Blame the bad economy somewhat -- consumers aren't willing to spend several hundred dollars for a new console as they were in the mid-2000s. The Big Three have also lost gaming ground to smartphones and tablets -- Apple seems to be the greater challenge in the long term.

I'll have a TalkTech recap podcast up next week after the conferences -- perhaps we may have some groundbreaking news by then. Or perhaps more "Better With Kinect" games for the Xbox 360.

Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

Nick Ehrenberg is a gamer, geek, and Digital News Director for Twin Cities News Talk.