On Monday, several of the gaming industry's top names hosted lavish news conferences previewing their upcoming games and products in anticipation of the expo's official opening on June 5. It will be held through June 7.
"This is the build-up, this is the exciting part before everyone gets to play," said Chris Dring, a British journalist and one of the estimated 45,000 people attending the expo.
Microsoft Corp. unveiled some high-profile new titles, including "Dance Central 3," which got some help from Usher, who performed at Monday's event in the Galen Center in Exposition Park.
An upcoming high-definition console will feature a touchscreen controller, which Nintendo announced Sunday would be called the Wii U GamePad.
According to studies, American consumers spent about $21 billion on video games and hardware last year.
