E3 show heralds social, virtual future for video games

Los Angeles

AS the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game gathering wrapped on Thursday, it was easy to envision a future of social play in virtual worlds with celebrity gamers broadcasting action.

While blockbuster titles tailored for consoles or personal computers remained stars of the annual show, an evolving face of play and its growing reach into Internet lifestyles were evident.

"The advancements in technology unveiled at E3 will redefine entertainment for the world," said Michael Gallagher, chief executive of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA…