It seems like every family regardless of how large and/or dysfunctional it might be, has at least one member that the rest of the family tries to avoid, talks about incessantly behind their back and smiles real big and hugs them tight whenever they're around, even though deep down they really think this person is a raging lunatic. It can and often is the "in-laws" but could also be that crazy aunt or uncle who has a shady past and always seems to be in trouble with the law; or maybe it's that grandparent that smells funny and gets you horrendously colorful turtleneck sweaters for Christmas every year even though you've lived in Arizona for the past decade or so.

Its funny how this always seems to work out...heck I've done it and have witnessed other families do it. There is that initial dread when you first find out the visit is going to occur. It briefly subsides as you try to be positive about the ordeal and for a moment you convince yourself it will actually be a good time. This feeling is eventually overtaken by a certain level of frustration as the day draws closer, the realization sets in and you're no longer excited about the looming visit. You count the days as they seem to get shorter and go by quicker. The day comes and at first everything is happy and joyful; it's a glorious reunion and you couldn't believe you were dreading it at all. But the next day you wake up and they're still there. They disrupt your routine and make plans for you for the day. Your days are packed with activities as you are whisked away from one event to the next. The next day is more of the same. At this point, you are plumb worn out...exhausted...all you can think about is laying around playing Minecraft for hours on end. But then, the final day of the visit arrives and even though you were tracking its approach closely, it still feels like a surprise. You are reinvigorated as you're consciously aware your life is about to return to a degree of normalcy. You feign grief as say your goodbyes but inside you're already planning your recovery plan...what you're going to play first and what you're going to order for dinner...how late you're going to sleep in. You finally get the chance just to do nothing at all, and when you finally wake up after sleeping until well past noon, you realize you desperately miss your dear ole family member and can't wait for their next visit?

Sound familiar? Maybe, maybe not.

I'll tell you this though - that is exactly how I feel about the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) every year. At first I'm excited; then I dread it; then I enjoy the coverage for the first day or so while it's going on; then I'm ready for it to be over; then I miss it.

Maybe you agree, or maybe you think I'm crazy for not being overly excited about the biggest video game industry show on the entire planet, but I suppose the main reason I dread it at all is the overwhelming feeling I get that I can't absorb everything that is being published. With hundreds of vendors and nearly 50,000 video game industry professionals, investor analysts, and retailers attending the event over the course of three days, my memory buffer quickly reaches capacity and I start having buffer overflow errors. Speaking of overflow, the L.A. Convention Center only has 5500 public parking spaces...now that's overflow; must be a whole lot of carpooling going on. Just looking at the E3 website...the floor plan, vendor list and agenda...it's overwhelming to say the least...and if it's crushing from a distance I can only imagine how chaotic it must be actually attending the event. Who knows, maybe one day I'll have that privilege as a Valve or Lucasarts employee. Hah, one can dream, no?

I have other grievances with E3, but they're minor so I'll keep them to myself. If it's any consolation, I don't like going to Disney World for the same reason - 3 days just isn't enough time to see all of the activities (or ride all of the rides), yet after the first day you're tired and want to go home, too many people standing around in your way and making the lines long.

I think I am at that point where the excitement is starting to wear off and I'm getting a little frustrated with it. Several of the organizations I was excited to hear from have already indicated they were either going to be a no show or would have lackluster participation. That certainly doesn't help with my anticipation of the event. I assure you I and many others would be forging tickets or climbing the fence to get a glimpse of Half Life 3, if it were going to be introduced. I wouldn't be surprised if Valve still teased us with something HL3 related. They're such jokesters.

I guess my favorite part of E3 isn't even technically part of E3; it's the Game Critic Awards.

I'm not sure why that is. Maybe because I feel like it's a process that really separates the gems from the rest of the filler. In theory, it's an event that lets the industry experts reward the best games that were presented at the exhibit. While there is certainly no guarantee that a game that pulls down an award or two from E3 is going to be a blockbuster when it finally releases, it at least gives us a little insight where it stands in the development cycle.

Nomination and Voting Process

After the E3 show, the Co-Chairmen declare a date when nominations are due.  Based on the category definitions, the Judges submit their top five choices in each category, which are then weighted based on ranking. (For example, the top choice receives five points, whereas the fifth choice receives one point).  These results are tabulated by two independent parties, then compared to ensure accuracy.  The nominees are then announced, with five nominees in each category. In the case of a tie for fifth place, all tying titles are nominated.  The judges are then asked to vote for their top choice among the five (or more) nominees in each category.

These votes are tabulated by two independent parties, then compared to ensure accuracy.  The winners are announced at www.gamecriticsawards.com.  In the event of a tie for a winning slot, the weighted points from the nomination round are used to break the tie.  In the unlikely event that two games tie during the nomination process and during the final voting, both games are named winners in that category.

The best I can figure is that on June 19, 2012 the nominees will be announced and then on June 26, 2012 the winners will be announced. If you're wondering "what nominees", well...there are a handful of different awards:

Best of Show

Best Original Game

Best PC Game

Best Console Game

Best Handheld/Mobile Game

Best Peripheral / Hardware

Best Action Game

Best Action/Adventure Game

Best Fighting Game

Best Role Playing Game

Best Racing Game

Best Motion Simulation Game

Best Sports Game

Best Strategy Game

Best Social/Casual Game

Best Online Multiplayer Game

Best Downloadable Game

Special Commendation for Graphics (non-playable games eligible)

Special Commendation for Sound (non-playable games eligible)

Special Commendation for Innovation (non-playable games eligible)

I'm certainly not going to speculate on potential winners, I'll wait for the list of nominees to come out to narrow it down a bit. I will say I'm interested in hearing about games like Far Cry 3, Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed 3, and Borderlands 2. And since we're being honest, I think it's cool that Game Informer dropped the Gears of War bomb for the cover of their next issue, but I admit I was a little disappointed with that revelation. Don't get me wrong, I like the Gears of War series, but I liked that I thought it was over. I'm not sure I'm ready for another Gears of War game. I haven't seen or heard any real updates on Dust 514, but I sure do hope it's there and does well.

Ah, E3...

You crazy old coot. I sure am going to miss you...if you would just hurry up and get here and leave.