WRUP: E3 is upon us

This weekend, almost all of Joystiq will depart to the City of Angels for E3 2009 ... a return to what everyone believes will be a real E3. Were the last two years of toned-down expos more conducive to work? Sure! But, it was like an evening on the couch with a tub of Ben & Jerry's ice cream when you could be having a night on the town. There's nothing wrong with couch time, but the industry is still too young for events that feel like an Iowa Orthodontics Convention taking place in Palm Springs. Heck, even the middle-aged analysts and venture capital folks were bored the last couple years.

Anyway, this return to the old ways is sure to be hell for the thousands in the press, marketing, public relations, development and whoever else is working; but we hope that you'll join us for all the information, culture and shadowy things that are sure to occur. Remember, follow our Twitter accounts (listed after the break) for all the stuff that's not fit to publish. Now, what's everyone playing this weekend while we pack?

• Alexander Sliwinski (@XanderSliwinski): A little more Punch-Out!! and then sending it back. Worried I might be getting sick, so need to take it easy with blankets, tea and The Capital Wasteland.
• Andrew Yoon: I'm playing house with Ludwig. I'll try to find some time to play some Rock Band Unplugged on the flight over to LA.
• Ben Gilbert (@BigBossBgilbert): Desperately trying to finish moving before heading West. If Bangai-O Spirits will release me from its iron grip for a minute on the flight, I'll try my hand at some Dragon Quest V -- and then readers will take both games from me at our E3 meetup!
• Christopher Grant (@ChrisGrant): Like Randy AND Jem, I too will be racing to finish inFamous (on the final island!). As the first game I've played in months, it was a perfect experience to pull me back in – bravo, Sucker Punch. On the flight out to the E triple, I'll probably drag Resistance Retribution along, and whatever I've got on my iPhone. Say, what's this? Peggle, eh ...
  
• David Hinkle (@DaveHinkle): I'll be playing the game where I run around at the last minute like a mad man trying to get everything done before I leave on Sunday morning. During my travels out to LA on Sunday, it'll be mostly Chrono Trigger and Dr. Mario on my DSi that gets me through it.
  
• Dustin Burg (@SuperDunner): Packing for E3 using all the skills I learned from several years of playing Tetris and hoping, ne, praying that Richard, Xav and Alexander forget to bring Marmite to LA.
• Griffin McElroy (@griffinmcelroy): This weekend, I plan on traveling cross country without playing some iteration of Pokemon. See, I think I'm more than capable of oh who the hell am I trying to kid?
• James Ransom-Wiley: Loading my iPhone up with 99¢ games for the trip out to L.A.! One of 'em has to be decent ... right?
  
• Jason Dobson (@eToyChest): Most of my free time will be spent leveling up in Altus' criminally overlooked Dark Spire. Wireframe dungeons, for the win. Also, pac
• Jem Alexander (@Yembles): Pretty much identical to Randy -- trying to beat inFamous (I'm literally the only person I know who went down the evil route) before I fly to E3 tomorrow and continuing with my Peggle for iPhone addiction. I also grabbed Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time for the DS, since GAME had it on offer, so I'll give that a whirl on the plane over. Once in LA I'll be scurrying around Kevin's place, adding the letter U to all his words and saying "aluminium" until his head explodes.
  
• JC Fletcher (@jcfletcher): Mostly trying to keep from freaking out. Also Bubble Bobble Plus.
  
• Justin McElroy (@JustinMcElroy): You know what? I might put in The Sims 3. You know, just for larfs.
  
• Kevin Kelly (@gadgetguy): If I have any free time (doubtful) I'll be playing some inFamous, but on Saturday night I'm playing "house the Englishman who's flying in to E3 a day early", which might mean that Jem and I will be online playing some sort of crazy game. Who knows what. "English Toothbrushing Fun Time Hygiene Habits" on the PSN, maybe?
• Ludwig Kietzmann (@LudwigK): (Quality time with Andrew)
  
• Majed Athab: No games this weekend. Got tons of more important things to do. Like bathe.
• Randy Nelson (@DangerPenguin): Plan on finishing up inFamous before heading to L.A. After that, it's Peggle for iPhone and ... you really want me to list all of the games I'm going to play at E3?
  
• Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM): There will be three games with me in LA. Theresia and Desktop Tower Defense for DS and The Path for Mac. I also might break out Diablo II for those boring morning Joystiq meetings. Beyond that, I'll be trying to finish reading World War Z on the plane and fiddling around with my new HD camcorder -- this one, if you're curious. Oh, and I'll be packing some Marmite. If you know why, then you're probably as excited as I am.
• Xav de Matos (@Xav): As I trek to the far off place known as America (from my home and native land) I'll be playing a mountain of Puzzle Quest on PSP. Also, I'm trying to get my hands on a GBA Micro before I leave for quick burst sessions of Metroid Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion (my DS has gone AWOL!).
  
• Justin Glow (@justinglow): (Running level 1 diagnostics that Joystiq doesn't crash during E3.)