Wednesday - the third day of the convention and the show's going full throttle. I got to to the L.A. Convention Center late afternoon, just in time to be shut out of all the parking lots in and around the venue. Here's a lesson to all of you wannabe E3 attendees - DO NOT wait until 4:00 pm to arrive at the show unless you enjoy driving around and around the convention center for an hour praying for a metered spot to open up.

After finding a place on a side street to stow the car, I ran to the show swimming upstream the whole way in a river of exhausted, schwag-carrying, badge-wearing zombies. Upon entering the main concourse, I stopped to catch my breath and was greeted by the familiar Vegas-like din of music, announcers, blaring video screens and people yelling into cell phones. As I hesitated on the concourse stairs, Michael Madsen breezed by looking greasy in dark glasses. How Hollywood. Not five minutes in and already my first celebrity sighting!

Turning to my right to watch a huge LucasArts monitor assault the crowd with a raucous Indiana Jones trailer, I spotted another celeb - one of the guys from Run DMC (although I'd be hard pressed to say if it was Run, D or MC. Hardy har.) TWO celebs in ten minutes! Hooeee!

Ok wait a minute - I'm not here to stalk the stars - I'm here to cover the game convention. (Hey, cut me some slack. L.A's. distracting. Last time I was here, I was very nearly run down outside a parking garage by Tyra Banks. How cool is that?)

Having gotten to the show so late, I only had time to nod a few hellos to some industry folks and dash around the exhibit floor making note of things I'd like to check out in the next couple of days. I barely had time to get that excited game-induced gleam in my eye before things began shutting down for the evening and I had to leave. Ah well. Thursday and Friday will give me two long manic days to sink my teeth into all the tasty E3 goodness.