This is a category that's especially close to my heart, kudos to those who dared to risk all, who colored outside the lines and put the extra thinkin' effort into giving us something fresh.

Once again, a lot of our editors agreed on one very special title... Unreal Tournament III... just kidding!

A few months ago, Acclaim's David Perry said some pretty harsh words that got him into the headlines, saying that E3 is broken and an embarrassment, and that Sony has no chance of making money on the PlayStation 3.

Apparently he wasn't through speaking his mind. This guy gets into the news more often for what he says than for his games. More bashing from Perry in the full article.

Last week's 360 Weekend Warrior was basically an E3 extravaganza, filled with big-name news and announcements. This week is a lot more subdued, as we deal with the aftermath of E3, as well as talk about some notable new things in store for our favorite games.

Oh, and we talk about perceived racism and videogame legislation as well. Find all of it after the jump!

Despite getting a lot of bad rep and portents of doom this year, ESA has announced that they will still be holding an E3 event next year. They'd better make some changes if they really intend to push through with it though. More in the full article.

Yet another one boards the "hate E3" wagon. David Perry, founder of Shiny Entertainment and chief creative officer at Acclaim, has called the event "broken," "stupid," and an "embarrassment." More after the "read more" link.

Valve's Portal has certainly emerged as a true gem with its huge fan base and critical acclaim. With its Xbox Live Arcade release looming large, Doug Lombardi was asked about what's new with the downloadable version of the game. His answers follow in the full article next up.

Alternative rock appears to be the flavor of the moment, with Harmonix readying the release of Pixies' Doolittle album among Rock Band's (Xbox 360, PS3) newest downloadable content. More details on this bundle's track list are available in the full article.

 Some good news to football fans in the UK who still haven't picked up their copies of Konami Digital Entertainment's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008(PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, DS). A price cut is due when this month hits its halfway mark, so you'll have no excuse not to get it. Details in the full article.

We've been anxiously waiting for any news about 100 Bullets ever since it was first announced. If you feel the same way, then you'd probably want to hear about this rumor that the game will be coming out by next year. To find out more, head on over to the full article.

Pivotal Games and Eidos Interactive are confident that their February 2008 release Conflict: Denied Ops (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC) will carry explosive action and good graphics. Now they want to make sure that the musical score is just as intense. They've decided to get Richard Jacques for the job to do just that. Find out why in the full article.