Part of what makes E3 so great is that the event isn’t just about business. It’s about having fun too. (And yes, I agree that anyone who complains about working in video games not being fun is nuts.) But even still, sometimes developers and journalists (and celebrities) need to unwind a little bit at industry events such as the Activision E3 Preview event which was held Monday night in the Staples Center.

Our own Chris Ulrich was present for the event where he got to see live performances from Jane’s Addiction, Usher, Rhea, Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, N.E.R.D., Soundgarden, Rhianna and Eminem. Eminem performed his track, “Won’t Back Down” to the trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops where explosions in the arena coincided with those on screen. Even Tony Hawk came down to announce his new game Tony Hawk: Shred amidst the gigantic halfpipe that was built in the middle of the Staples Center.

In addition to Chris, celebs Paris Hilton, Seth Green and comic book icon Stan “The Man” Lee walked the red carpet for the event.

Check out some video preparing for the event, some of the performances as well as interviews with Stan, Paris, Usher, Dave Navaro, Perry Farrell and Tony Hawk talking about the video game industry and how it affects them.

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It’s a beautiful day in Los Angeles as E3 kicks off in full force. We’ve been wondering the show floor and checking out as much as we can to bring you all the highlights of new games, booths, sights and more from the show.

First up today we’ve got a gallery of  the show floor and some of the booths from the various companies here at the show. Plus, we’ve got some shots from the giagantic and awesome Activision show last night that took place at Staples Center.

In case you din’t hear about it, the Activision show featured footage from their various upcoming titles including DJ Hero 2, Tony Hawk: Shred, True Crime: Hong Kong and, of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops. The show also featured performances by DJ Z-Trip, Tony Hawk, N.E.R.D, Jane’s Addiction, Usher, Chris Cornell, Rihanna, Eminem and more. Quite a show indeed.

Check out the gallery after the jump and keep it here for more as the E3 show progresses.

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Video games are a big part of the world these days. People love them and they far surpass pretty much any other form of entertainment in terms of revenue. Yes, they even beat the movies. One of the most popular game titles to hit stores in the last few years has been the Rock Band franchise. Rock Band 1 and 2 have sold millions of copies and now Rock Band 3 has been announced and looks to add millions more units sold to that already impressive total for the franchise.

Some of the new features and tracks announced for Rock Band 3 include access to the most music available in any video game with more than 1,500 tracks and growing, a new keyboard gameplay and three-part harmonies for up to seven players rocking together, Rock Band Pro Mode and much more. We could go into all the new features and song that will encompass Rock Band 3 but instead, why not hear it directly from the people who are bringing you the game. So, here’s all the info directly from an official Rock Band 3 press release. Oh, and at the end we’ve also included a couple preview videos for the game as well so be sure and check them out.

The Most Music. Period.

The Rock Band 3 disc soundtrack contains 83 of the best bands from around the world, including bands that have never appeared in a music game, as well as support for existing Rock Band tracks (Rock Band and Rock Band 2 discs, downloaded songs, track packs, AC/DC Live: Rock Band™ Track Pack, LEGO® Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band™).
Additionally, Rock Band 3 will give players immediate access to a music library approaching 2,000 songs by launch, with new content added regularly. Rock Band’s gigantic music selection dwarfs that of any other music game on the market.

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On Friday, Activision brought news of the latest installment to their smash music genre series Guitar Hero with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Instead of just being the traditional formula of playing through various setlists with no context or story behind it, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock looks to redefine the style of the genre using Quest mode. In addition, the game will feature an all knew “rock inspired” guitar controller, the largest on disc collection of any Guitar Hero game to date and an all new Quickplay+ mode as well.

David Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Guitar Hero said, “Guitar Hero has set the standard for music based gaming and with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’s all-new Quest Mode, robust and authentic set list, over-the-top challenges and rock-inspired new hardware, we are once again bringing the soul and energy of rock n’ roll to fans around the world.”

In Quest Mode, players will use eight Guitar Hero characters in any combination of instruments to help the Demi-God of Rock take down “The Beast” and save rock n’ roll. With “venues” ranging from the punk rock palace of CBGB’s in New York City to mythical lava fields, the game looks to have a fantasy motif under it somewhat similar to that of Brutal Legend. As seen in the trailer below, the game will put lots of focus on these eight characters and the respective beasts they become.

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