As usual, the recent E3 2010 gaming convention had something for everyone: new games, new consoles & accessories, and there was even a automotive showcase that gave us a look at the cars and automotive technologies that we’ll see introduced in the next few years… as well as having an ultra-cool TRON lightcycle on display!

In case you weren’t there, here are the four consoles & accessories that made the biggest splash…

Nintendo 3DS

It was a real return to the spotlight for Nintendo this year, as their forthcoming Nintendo 3DS handheld stole the show.  There’s no definitive release date yet, but when it comes, you can expect the 3DS to cause the same long lines and longer back-order lists that the Wii created a few years ago:

• 3D effects without the need for glasses.
• One camera facing the player for use in head-to-head and online gaming.
• Two cameras on the outside let you take 3D pictures.
• The bottom display panel is touch sensitive.
• A motion sensor & gyroscope are built in, for use in game play.
• Graphics are improved over current DS technology.
• The device will actively search for WiFi hotspots, as well as other 3DS’s that are nearby.
• Remakes of popular Nintendo titles highlight the current list of games being developed, including Star Fox 64, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, and an unrevealed Mario title.

Sony has already tried to poke holes in Nintendo’s party balloons by claiming that glasses-free 3D for handhelds results in an image that is not particularly deep or dramatic, but early response to the 3DS has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

Xbox 360 Kinect Controller

Microsoft re-unveiled its Kinect motion controller for the Xbox 360.  Formerly known as ‘Project Natal’, the Kinect is designed to provide direct competition for the beloved Nintendo Wii.  The controller launches in November 2010:

• Use full body motion to control play, as well as voice-activated commands.
• Microsoft is promising that fifteen games will be available at launch, with dozens more in the pipeline.
• Kinect-compatible game Dance Central, which does for dancing & choreography what the Rock Band series does for music, was one of the biggest hits of the show.
• Older titles will not be backwards-compatible with the Kinect.

There is some confusion about what types of games Microsoft will be developing for the Kinect.  The early batch appear to be very similar to the initial Wii offerings: party games, bowling, and novelty titles.  Gamers are clamoring for compatibility with controller-based shooters like the upcoming Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops, but Microsoft has sent mixed messages about broad support for games of this type.

Xbox 360 Slim

The smaller, sleeker, quieter next generation Xbox 360 console is already on sale.  It offers substantial (some say overdue) improvements on the previous Xbox 360 design, including:

• 250GB hard drive
• built-in WiFi
• no more ‘red-ring-of-death’ system crashes

Xbox fans are already excited, but the built-in WiFi is earning crossover fans from Sony and Nintendo.  Combined with the excitement for the Kinect, this was a very good show for Microsoft.

PlayStation Move Controller

Sony’s entry into the full-motion controller market is still a work in progress, and the official demonstration highlighted developer tools rather than finished titles.  The only buzzworthy reveal was the Move Shooting Attachment, a gun device with an appealing old-school, Star Trek look.  A lot of PlayStation fans were disappointed that development was not further along, and it looks like E3 2011 will be the big reveal for this hotly anticipated controller.