The mayor at the opening of E3

Amid the Ghostbusters and Star Wars characters, pro skateboarders, surviving members of the Beatlesand "booth babes" attending the E3 Expo today was Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The mayor spoke briefly under a banner for a soon-to-be-released video game called Crime Craft that encourages would-be gamers to "join thousands of players online as you learn the rules of the street, build your own gang and do whatever it takes to survive amidst the chaos. Earn a reputation. Build a gang. Kill the competition."

Not interested in joining a virtual gang because that sort of activity makes you a little jumpy? Nintendo today introduced a device called the Vitality Sensor that will alert you when you're taking the games a little too seriously. 

Also covered in our Tech blog was the announcement from Microsoft that it will be eliminating joysticks next year with "Project Natal":

Microsoft wants people to start using their full bodies to play video games. The Redmond, Wash., software giant showed off a sensor-based technology that recognizes faces, voices and body joints to affect the movements on screen. In a demo game called Ricochet, players can use their arms, legs, torso and head to block an onslaught of virtual projectiles. Another game called Paint Party lets users splash virtual paint onto an on-screen canvas. Players call out different colors to change the palette.

A-list musicians are also being drawn to E3. Yesterday Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney said a few words about The Beatles: Rock Band, and last night rappers Eminem and Jay-Z packed the Wiltern to draw attention to DJ Hero, the latest entry in the Guitar Hero franchise.

For more coverage of E3 through Thursday, check in with the Technology Blog, Company Town and/or follow our reporters on Twitter.

-- Tony Pierce

Photo credit: Tony Pierce / Los Angeles Times

More E3 photos

Comments

[m]

ViagraLaRaza speaking under a banner that promotes the lifestyle that he vehemently defends by allowing criminal aliens to run free in the city...business as usual for this pseudo-politician

[Dr. Peter Evans]

LATimes and fellow readers all over the world.

Again, THANK YOU....and...Oh my god!

Dr, Peter

[M]

This is what happens when a tiny percentage of elligible voters show up to elect our mayor!

[Ruby Jackson]

He is an embarrassment.

[Astonished]

This is shameful Mr. Villaraigosa!

[Peter Ingle]

I've actually played the game and it is great. Perhpaps that is why mayor Villaraigosa spoke under the banner?