Sierra Event
Given the imminent merger with Activision, the state of Sierra's lineup has been an open question as of late. But I have to say that Sierra has some strong titles due for release over the next year. The most impressive game is Prototype from Radical Entertainment, the company behind the Hulk games and Scarface. In Prototype, you play Alex Mercer, an amnesiac superhuman who is let loose in New York City to discover his identity. Alex's coolest power is his shape-shifting ability, which lets him turn into anyone he wants (imagine sneaking into a military base by taking over the identity of a general). Combine this with open-world sandbox gameplay, such as the ability to pilot helicopters and tanks, and you have what looks to be one of the most ambitious games of the year.

Another key title for Sierra this year is the new Ghostbusters game. I was recently in Texas shooting a full episode about this game for my SpikeTV show GTTV. I have to say that Ghostbusters fans are going to be in heaven. The game is effectively Ghostbusters III (which never got made into a movie) and the full cast - Harold Ramis, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd - are back alongside Slimer and Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. You play the fifth Ghostbuster and use your proton stream to capture ghosts and throw them in traps. One cool feature: On the PS3 you can use the Sixaxis to “slam” a ghost down into the trap! The game’s physics also look promising with fully destructible environments.

Nintendo Event
Nintendo is on fire, as evidenced by the fact that the Wii sold more than 700,000 hardware units in March! My prediction is that number will continue to go up this summer with the release of Wii Fit, an exercise product that uses a balance board peripheral. Wait until you see the Hoola-Hoop mini-game. Nintendo’s Spring Gamers Day at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco focused on a number of upcoming Wii games. Mario Kart Wii was on display, although some journalists vocally expressed their disappointment with the removal of snaking - the ability to get a speed boost by waggling the controls left and right as you powerslide. While I doubt Mario Kart will sell as well as Super Smash Bros. Brawl it should hold gamers over until Nintendo finally unveils its big games for the second half of the year at E3. There are lots of rumors floating around that one of those games may be a remake of the NES classic Kid Icarus.

As for the rest of the event, a number of third-party games were on display, including Boom Blox, an innovative puzzle title based on an idea from film director Steven Spielberg. Think of it as interactive Jenga: You throw objects in an attempt to topple a tower of square blocks. Although the game skews a little young (it’s targeted at children ages 6 to 12), hard-core gamers will likely have a lot of fun with the Create Mode level editor that lets you build puzzles. You can also share them online over WiiConnect24.

Overall, Nintendo demonstrated a strong lineup for the press. While it’s fair to say there aren’t a ton of gritty hard-core games due out on the Wii this year, the system is carving out its own niche as a platform with unique titles that take advantage of motion controls. I just want to see another Wario Ware game soon!

Midway Event
Midway has had its share of struggles lately. The company recently lost its CEO and games such as Stranglehold did not perform as expected (which is a shame, since it’s an underappreciated game that deserves a spot in your GameQ). Will Midway turn it all around in 2008? Midway's Gamers Day event in Vegas featured a slew of game announcements and updates on titles like TNA Impact!, a wrestling game due out in September. Midway also showcased the open-world action game This is Vegas (think The Sims, but with more "adult" features) and Vin Diesel’s Wheelman, a car chase epic set in Barcelona. Both games are due later this fall. The Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament III was also on display. First released last year for the PS3, the 360 version features three new maps and split-screen gameplay.

The biggest announcement was the debut of the latest Mortal Kombat game - and this one has a twist. It’s called Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and stars famous characters like Sub-Zero fighting against DC heroes such as Batman and Superman. The game has a gritty look to it, although some MK fans may be disappointed to learn it will be T-rated and will not feature fatalities. I guess DC wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of you ripping out Batman’s spine! And check this: The game is being created on the Unreal engine. While the title wasn’t playable at Midway’s event, I’m hearing it will be playable at E3. That’s also when we should hear more about the other DC heroes set to appear in the game. It’s going to be a pretty great year for fighting fans with Soulcalibur IV featuring Yoda and Vader, and now Mortal Kombat with the DC heroes.

Next month the gamers days continue when I attend the Xbox Showcase event featuring the first live demo of Gears of War 2. Stay tuned for that report.