E3 2009 is just about to wrap up, and already, we have a date for next year's event. Talk about having an early start. Waaaay early. But we can't complain. After all, with all the preparations they did for this year's Expo, we saw one of the most exciting gaming conferences in quite a while. So bring the early preps on!

The ESA is planning to bring more hype to the E3 in 2009, starting with a "huge" event in LA. Plans have been tightly guarded, but we'll know more on X-Play, tonight at 8PM ET on G4. Read more in the full article.

Activist lawyer Jack Thompson has been on the case of violent games and their developers for years now, and he's provoked the ire of gamers time and again. We're looking back at some of the most memorable quotes he's ever dropped, and we've chosen the twenty best out of them all. See the full list of Jack Thompson's most memorable quotes right after the jump!

If you've already finished Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC) and are now looking for your next conquest, this rumor might interest you.

On G4's TheFeed, it was mentioned that one of their sources has given word that Activision is conducting testing for Guitar Hero IV already. More information on this rumor can be found in the full article. Follow the "read more" link below to get there.

Tomorrow may be a big moment on the history of gaming as broadcast giant CBS formally becomes the first network of its class to show a video game tournament as a regular sporting event like other athletic spectacles such as the Masters and March Madness.

"There are an enormous amount of people of all ages who play video games these days, so we’re going to try to see if video games’ popularity can translate into a viable television audience," says CBS Sports Vice-President Rob Correa as he explores the possibility of people looking at this moment as a poignant event after a decade or so.

The tournament concerned is the World Series of Video Games which will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. Edited footage from the event will show highlights of face-offs between players in games such as Fight Night Round 3, Guitar Hero and other non-violent titles. First-person shootouts in Halo and Quake will sadly not make it on air because of the nature of the content.

The idea of the tournament and the coverage by CBS is pegged on the South Korean model which has an entire nation embracing gaming and making it a part of pop culture. A full-time coverage in the manner that ESPN covers sports isn't possible for video games just yet but for now, this is the biggest step game broadcasting can take in the US.

The CBS coverage is also a pilot test of sorts on how game programming in cable TV initiated by G4 and Gameplay HD can work in a bigger scale. The response of viewers will determine future plans on the coverage of electronic gaming as a sport on the network.

 

Gamasutra received details on IDG Entertainment's E For All (can we get to calling it E4 sooner or later? Saves on the keystrokes) that shows how the post-E3 is shaping up to the legacy of its predecessor. Never did the phrase "Meet the new boss; same as the old boss" ring any more true: heading up E For All for IDG is Mary Dolaher, previously operations head for E3.

And to that, as so far as Gamasutra had received updated info from IDG (as of March 6), E For All shall feature (subject to change):

• Currently, Sony's and Nintendo's booth presences in E For All, while considerable, will actually be a tad or two smaller than their E3 presence, because the main show floor is limited to the LA Convention Center's South Hall (nothing mentioned for Microsoft; we assume that IDG is still receiving details from Redmond about that)
  
• Other booths include Future Publishing, G4, DirecTV, and the World Series of Video Games Tournament.
• Noise caps are being enforced: nothing above 85 decibels, just like in previous E3.
• Also like in previous E3s: "family friendly fare" that prohibits full or partial nudity, "including live models" and "bathing suit bottoms." No booty calls here either.

Jack Thompson, whose 15 minutes of fame were up, is back yet again to try and steal some extra seconds! G4's 'Attack of the Show' featured Jack Thompson, Adam Sessler (X-Play co-host), and Mark Friedler (GameDaily CEO). The topic? The upcoming PS2 and Xbox title, Bully. Of course, it all revolved around the entire "Violence in Games" issue in general which is something relevant to every single console from the Wii to the PSP. I won't comment too much on the argument because I don't want to spoil anything. It's fairly short at just seven minutes. If G4 were smarter, they'd have dedicated the entire hour to this argument so you guys could watch some fireworks!