Known happenings:

• The Xbox 360 and Zune will finally become friends - Microsoft announced late Tuesday plans to integrate its two entertainment devices, with Zune taking over the video marketplace on Xbox Live. Bigger unanswered questions are 1) Will the Zune music system be incorporated onto Xbox Live a well? and 2) Might Xbox Live Arcade games be playable on Zune?
  
• Forza 3 – Word of the third installment in this racing series slipped out a few weeks ago during a press briefing in Brazil. The Prima strategy guide even slipped on to Amazon for a brief period. “Forza Motorsport 3” is expected to span two discs, have over 1,000 tracks and feature over 400 cars.
  
• “God of War 3” – No rumor here. Sony has confirmed the third installment in this juggernaut franchise will be at the show. The lines to play the demo will undoubtedly be ridiculously deep.
  
• New “Metal Gear Solid” title – The countdown clock on Konami’s teaser site is toying with fans of this franchise, but all signs point to Hideo Kojima’s next game being another in his much-loved series.
  

 Rumors, but pretty solid ones:

• A new PSP – The PSP was a good idea (and one that sold decently), but there were a lot of problems with the initial iteration of the device. Sony seemingly has accepted this and will unveil a revamped PSP that ditches the proprietary UMD media storage device for a beefy internal drive and lets players download games directly. 
  
• Microsoft’s motion-sensor camera – Microsoft has promised revolutionary changes at E3. This camera, which lets you control games by moving your body, would qualify. If it works, it might actually pry casual- and non-gamers away from the Wii. Make no mistake: While Microsoft loves its hardcore audience, it desperately wants to bring in more casual gamers. (Why do you think “1 vs. 100” is the first game for Xbox Live PrimeTime?) Don’t expect it on store shelves until late 2010, though.
  
• Sony’s motion-sensing remote – Sensing a theme here? While Sony already has motion-sensing technology in the Sixaxis controller, neither gamers nor developers have embraced it. Expect the company’s second stab at it to have a little more staying power.
  
• Nintendo will appease the hardcore crowd – Last year, when I was working at Forbes, I asked Nintendo president Satoru Iwata about the perception the company was abandoning the hardcore gamer. To my surprise, he quickly (and sincerely) apologized for the E3 briefing. The company won’t have to apologize this year. A new Zelda or Mario title is a virtual certainty. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two other fan-favorite franchises make an appearance.
  
• Alan Wake will emerge from the dark – We know this is an Xbox 360 exclusive, but we haven’t heard a whisper about it for over two years. Like they used to say in old western movies, “it’s quiet… too quiet.” Expect this to be a centerpiece of the company’s software lineup.
  
• Expansion of Nintendo’s downloadable store – The Nintendo DSi was a nice improvement over the DS Lite, but it came with a price. You could no longer play Game Boy or Game Boy Advance titles on your DS. Don’t expect that to be permanent, though. Expect the DSi Shop to begin stocking classic portable titles, maybe as early as next week. 
• Wii Fit Plus – Nintendo created an exercise monster with Wii Fit. EA just released “EA Sports Active” and Ubisoft has a title in the works as well. With news that Nintendo has patented “Wii Fit Plus,” it’s safe to assume we’ll learn a little about how the “MotionPlus” peripheral will work with the next installment of the game. 

Pure Speculation (aka One can dream, can’t he?):

• Halo 4 teaser – We’ll definitely see more of Bungie Software’s “Halo 3: ODST” at E3 this year, but could we see more from the “Halo” universe? It’s possible. A “Halo 4” teaser, priming the pump for holiday 2010, would be shocking, but isn’t entirely impossible.
  
• Max Payne 3 – Now that the movie is mercifully fading from memory, Take Two could revitalize the franchise by pulling back the curtain on “Max Payne 3”. Sure, Rockstar prefers to keep things secret right up until launch, but the company’s struggling, and a little buzz could appease shareholders.
  
• L.A. Noire – We haven’t heard anything about this game since 2006. For the same reasons as listed above, it might be time to talk a bit more about this ambitious effort.
  
• 1 vs 100 U.S. beta date – Canadians have been enjoying the game for a little while now, but U.S. players still haven’t had the chance to experience Xbox Live PrimeTime. If I were a betting man, I’d say Microsoft will not only announce the U.S. beta date, but that it will be almost immediate…
  
• More games for XBL PrimeTime – …and while we’re reeling from that announcement, the company will also list a few other games that will be part of the PrimeTime lineup. Launch and beta dates on those will be kept extraordinarily vague, though.
  
• The return of Gordon Freeman (or GLaDOS) – We’re long overdue for news on “Half Life 2: Episode 3” and word from the “Portal” world has been awfully quiet as well. Valve Software has been keeping a low profile leading up to the show, which could mean they’ve got something big in store for us.

Doubtful:

• PS3 price cut – As little as a month ago, a price cut on the PlayStation 3 seemed a sure bet. Publishers and retailers have been begging Sony for one. As we get closer to the show, though, it’s looking less likely. Sony still loses money on every PS3 it sells, so cutting the price doesn’t make business sense at this point. A better bet would be for a bundle of some sort now, with a price cut coming in the fall.
  
• Wii price cut – The Wii is still trouncing the competition, but its sales have been noticeably falling off lately, leading to speculation about a price cut. The introduction of the MotionPlus peripheral might seem a good jump off point to reduce prices, but it’s not likely. There’s a better chance in the fall, but the sales of “Wii Sports Resort” will have a lot to do with whether it happens.
  
• Duke Nukem Forever returns – It’s a bit depressing to have to include this, but there are conspiracy theorists out there who still believe the layoff of the “Duke Nukem Forever” development team at 3D Realms and the ongoing legal squabbles between the developer and Take Two are a smokescreen. Sorry guys. The game’s not going to be at the show – and it’s still up in the air if you’ll ever see it.