The second day of the annual E3 convention in Los Angeles on Tuesday (June 5) lived up to the hype as fans and industry insiders got a taste of what the gaming community has been cooking up. The likes of X-Box, Playstation, Nintendo, Capcom, Konami and Namco had impressive displays that took up entire sections of the massive Convention Center.

Gamers, fans and media flocked to see the new Halo 4 demo and it did not disappoint. The Halo franchise continues to be a favorite among hardcore and causal gamers and a cornerstone to Microsoft’s gaming division. Halo 4’s trailer has created a strong buzz leading up to it’s November 6th release just in time for the holiday. And what’s a holiday without Madden Day? Yes, EA had playable demos of Madden 13 available for gamers. The NBA2K series is also returning with some new additions to it’s already amazing simulation.

Nintendo showcased it’s WiiU handheld console with the very cool Tank! Tank! Tank! which is exactly what it sounds like. Nintendo also announced several new games for the console including the very promising Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth. The Nintendo display was one of the most busy displays at the convention, allowing gamers to play demos for nearly all the products they are offering.

Superheroes were very much a theme as usual at this years convention with the WB title Injustice: Gods Among Us being at the epicenter of the hype. The game was developed by the creators of Mortal Kombat and features a very different look at the DC universe, one which is much darker and more violent than before. It’s a fighting game that feels very much like the Mortal Kombat series, however, users are able to see iconic DC characters like Batman kick the snot out of villains.

Staying in the fighting game genre, Namco showcased Tekken Tag Tournament 2 during an official press conference. The Tekken franchise has sold over 40 million units worldwide and has a foothold in the fighting genre. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 plays just as fluidly as its predecessors and has impressive smooth graphics and controls. Tekken Tag Tournament will be available September 11th, 2012 and features new music from Snoop Dogg.

Square Enix is positioning itself to be a player beyond the RPG genre as they previewed the return of Laura Croft in an exciting trailer for the new Tomb Raider reboot and the Japanese gangster saga Sleeping Dogs. Each of these respective trailers got “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowds gathering to view their display. Tomb Raider releases March 5th, 2013.

Reboots seemed to be another direction that many developers are headed in as they try to introduce well-known characters to a new generation of consoles and gamers. Capcom has retooled the Devil May Cry series and it is amazing. DMC plays like the original with a few small changes that provide stunning visual eye candy and plenty of button-mashing madness. The Capcom display also featured a chilling trailer and game demo for Resident Evil 6 which drops October 2nd, 2012.

The overall theme of E3 2012 is innovation and the highlight of day two was Motion Sensor Technology of the big three console distributors. Playstation was keen on showing the ability of the Move system with games like the fantastically visual Epic Mickey. Nintendo was very adamant about the use of it’s interactive technology with both the WiiU and the Wii console. X-Box’s Kinect system continues to push boundaries with several games that make use of its very fun and addicting technology like Just Dance 4 and the new NBA Baller Beats.—Eric Montgomery

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