The Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) has always been a big event in the gaming industry. However, the upcoming 2005 E3 is shaping up to be one of the biggest events in gaming history, and a pivotal point in the battle for next generation supremacy. While little is known about exactly what each company will be showing, we've done our homework and came up with a pretty good idea of what you can expect from the pre-E3 press conferences, and the show itself.

Square Enix

While Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony stake claim to the larger, more widely known pre-E3 press conferences, several other companies have started to hold press events before the big show as well. Square Enix looks to be the first out of the gate this year with a press conference scheduled for Monday, right around lunch time.

It's fairly safe to assume the developer's two biggest titles, Dragon Quest VIII and Final Fantasy XII will be on hand, but we also expect a good number of surprises as well, including next generation content. Square Enix is boasting that E3 2005 will be the biggest show yet for the popular RPG maker. So what else can eager fans expect? Well, Front Mission Online will likely make an appearance, as well as the various Final Fantasy VII sequels and prequels that are currently in the works. We may even get an early look at the upcoming PlayStation Portable Final Fantasy due out in 2006, but don't hold your breath on that one. A new trailer for Advent Children is also a likely candidate and if we're lucky, a solid release date will accompany it.

Next generation content is sketchy, and there's a good chance Square will hold off and let the big three announce any big titles coming from the publisher. However, expect something to be shown or at least announced for the PlayStation 3, and we've even heard rumblings that there's a big X in Square's future as well.

Microsoft

Always the first of the big three to show off what they've got planned, Bill Gates and crew will be coming to E3 armed and ready to steal the show. This year things will be a little different though. Sony has taken the initiative and moved their press conference up to Monday afternoon right after Square Enix. Not to be outdone, MS will be showing the Xbox 360 on MTV on May 12. However, at the press conference we should see a much wider and more detailed showing. We expect Microsoft to kick things off with a slew of high profile Xbox titles, including but not limited to Conker: Live and Reloaded. While we're all eager to see how these titles have progressed, the big news will of course be the unveiling of the Xbox 360.

In addition to detailing the online and customization plans for the new hardware, we fully expect Microsoft to show several big name titles. Rare will step up to the plate with Perfect Dark Zero, and a surprise title that they've been keeping under wraps that could possibly be a third Banjo title (sorry, doesn't look like it's Killer Instinct... yet). Perfect Dark Zero will likely be the largest Xbox 360 demonstration of the night, but the fun won't stop there.

Tecmo has had close ties to Microsoft during the current console generation, and that trend will continue with Team Ninja's full support. Dead or Alive 4 should be shown for the first time, and announced as a launch title, but some fans may be eagerly awaiting the next bit of news. We've heard that in addition to the lovely Tecmo ladies, Itagaki himself will show off a teaser trailer for Ninja Gaiden 2. We... can't... wait...

Sony

We all know the PlayStation 3 will be the system to beat in the next generation of consoles, but Sony has a lot to learn about pre-E3 press conferences. While the company may have the hardware and software to fend off the competition, they'll almost certainly open up their annual E3 press event with a bunch of numbers detailing how dominant the PS1, PS2, and PSP have been. The audience will then be woken up by a plethora of high profile PS2 and PSP titles from big name publishers like Konami, Square Enix, and Electronic Arts, plus several first party titles.

To close out the press event, Sony will unveil the PlayStation 3 hardware specs, along with a few short trailers of games introduced by their respective publishers. The event will end with Sony announcing a tentative release date for the console, as well as several playable titles that will be on the show floor.

Nintendo

The true wild card of the next generation console race, Nintendo will have a spectacular, but likely baffling pre-E3 press event. They'll kick things off with a look at how much they've done over the last year, along with some talk about how successful the DS has been. They'll then move into new DS software, including Animal Crossing DS, and a new Mario title. GameCube software will follow, with a handful of first party titles shown, and the announcement that the new Zelda title will be playable on the show floor.

Then the real fun will begin. Nintendo will open up about the Revolution. While it's unlikely we'll hear a solid release date, or price point, we will see some software and hear about it's "revolutionary" features. What software do we expect to see? A new Mario title is a given, but we also expect to see a new Smash Brothers and Animal Crossing title tentatively scheduled or launch. Both titles will of course feature online play.