It's E3, and you've already ready 30,000 stories, so let's keep things short. These are a few quick hits on the media coverage of E3. Next week we'll have a more intensive review.

[Note: This story has been corrected to clarify the author's intent not to criticize IGN editorial, but rather highlight the fact that GameSpot has leapt ahead in terms of technology that helps readers feel more connected to the editors and the game community.]

GameSpot Impresses
Wow, Gamespot really cranked things up for E3. The site is now dramatically improved and is more interactive, more readier friendly, more connected to the editors and much, much better overall. It makes IGN looks like it has been standing still in comparison - not necessarily in terms of editorial content, but certainly in terms of NewWeb technology. We'll have more on this next week.

PS3 Backlash
I can't remember another console manufacturer facing a tougher E3 reaction. The $600 price tag, the unmentioned hardware omissions, missing games, and the me-too controller "innovation" has turned what should have been Sony's big day into a PR nightmare.

Media Backlash
Any journalist who parroted Sony's line about the feedback capability missing from the PS3 control because it "wouldn't work with the motion control", deserves to be booted from the profession.

Unfortunately I saw an embarrassing number of enthusiast press stories that blindly rubber-stamped Sony's ridiculous claim without even mentioning the most likely real (Immersion lawsuit) reason behind this omission.

Wii Mania
The controller is a huge hit with the media, but questions keep lingering about the game's graphics. The pressing balance seems be whether each title's Wiimote enhanced gameplay outweighs the lower qualities visuals. Super Mario Galaxy? Yes. Madden 2007? Probably not.

Wii Mania II
Nintendo pulled off the most effective press conference of the big three. The games weren't visually spectacular, but they all looked incredibly fun. Message received.

Microsoft
Microsoft scored by not overreaching. The company played it by the numbers at the Xbox 360 conference and came out looking unspectacular but good in comparison to PS3's disappointments and Wii's visual shortcomings.

Microsoft II
Kudos for the GTA IV surprise. One has to imagine that RockStar's Hot Coffee troubles have made the company more open to multiplatform releases in the future.

Best Tantrum - Konami
Konami banned gaming blog Joystiq from the Metal Gear press conference for not taking down some pre-show pictures. Kudos to the site for not buckling under to the pressure. As more independent voices cover E3, it's getting more difficult for PR machines to keep the genie in the bottle.

Here's a question: How many corporate enthusiast press sites would have shown the same fortitude? Although they'd all say they have editorial independence, not many would have done the same. Konami and other game companies still pay too many of their bills and press conference perks are often considered too much to pass up.

G4 - Ups and Down
Like last year, the daily wrap-ups are crackling with energy and a lot of fun. However, like last year, the prime hours of the show were filled with G4 reruns -- the functional equivalent of dead air. A single on-floor correspondent and B-team studio host would have been far more appropriate for the only videogame network during the biggest week of the videogame year.

G4 - Tarting things Up
G4's monthly revamp schedule continues with an infusion of models, embarrassing attempts at capturing the Adult Swim vibe and the soon to be ex-wife of Howard Stern.

Also, Mrs. Media Coverage surmised that the mere presence of former laddie mag model and monotone G4 correspondent Layla Kayleigh violated E3's strict new booth babe requirements. She might be right.

Worst E3 Headline
Sony to keeps PlayStation 3 prices low to stay competitive

I don't even know who either TMCNet or Thomson Dialog NewsEdge actually is, but rarely do you see a single headline that's both grammatically and factually so far off base.

Worst Problem for the Readers
I still haven't found any single major site that has found a way to make a day's worth of E3 news quickly understandable for readers who show up at the end of the day.

The Digg Solution
Digg still isn't game-focused enough to provide comprehensive E3 coverage, but other sites should look at the reader-selected story selection for future shows. This could potentially be the best way to pull some semblance of order out of the daily avalanche of E3 news.

Next Backlash - Madden Malaise
We're just starting to hear the opening salvos, but if Madden 07 doesn't improve greatly from what was shown at E3, the sports journos are going to turn on EA. The media is being nice right now, but the cracks are showing. Whenever EA starts to trumpet pointless additions such as "individualized RB animations" and 3D grass, readers start thinking about "liquid AI" and the bad old days before Madden had competition.

Media Coverage is an opinion column. The opinions expressed in this column are solely the opinions of the columnist and are not necessarily the opinions of GameDaily.com.