So my great GameCube experiment continues...I'm enjoying it so far, but I have to say, my initial impressions of the controller are not positive at all. After the brilliance that was the N64 controller (at least, IMHO -- I know a lot of people hated it) I'm surprised by how much I don't like this one. It's cramped compared to the more relaxed PS2 and Xbox S gamepads, and the buttons simply aren't comfortable. Granted it's better than Microsoft's stock Xbox controller (even MS realizes how bad that is -- I only saw one regular gamepad at E3, and that wasn't in Microsoft's area) but after using it for an hour, my hands ache. Perhaps I'll look into third party gamepads for the system (and if there's demand, maybe I'll see if I can get review units and do a mass controller roundup).

• Hey look! A fourth major console system! Okay, maybe not. This seems to be about as "major" a competitor for Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft as the GamePark 32 is to the GBA (and to a lesser extent the WonderSwan).
• GameSpot has posted looks at the new hardware Nintendo showed at E3, with separate stories on the GameCube portable monitor (nice, but pointless), the GameEye camera for GBA (ditto) and the GameCube keyboard for Phantasy Star Online (which looks exactly like Logitech's leading me to assume they're one and the same).
• In other news, apparently during E3, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that Sega is working on a Phantasy Star card game to work with the GameCube monitor. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what we get instead of a new single player Phantasy Star.
• Some Square news: if you're holding out for an Xbox game from the company, it's safe to give that up now...SquareSoft has announced their intentions to concentrate on the PS2 for the time being. Along similar lines, their upcoming GameCube title that will interface with their GBA game is the only one in production.
• And now for good news...it's been confirmed that there are two Final Fantasy X spinoff games in the works. Go fig. This marks the first time FF characters have moved on from a single game (not counting cameos or the reappearance of characters with the same name of course). Frankly, if they were gonna do spinoffs, I wish they had brought back the characters from FF VI or VII (although I say this without having played X yet).
• Still more Final Fantasy news...following in the tradition of such games as World War II Online, Square has announced that they are extending the free period until July for current Final Fantasy XI users, while they work out some technical difficulties.
• The official Nintendo site has posted a Q&A with Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto, conducted during E3. This being Nintendo's own site, don't expect particularly hardball questions here.
• Sony has announced plans to release PS2 peripherals in a number of fruity colors.
• Here's PS2.IGN's interview with Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, conducted of course, during E3 (and posted a few days ago too).
• And finally, Team Xbox has posted the first part of their sit-down with Peter Molyneux. If you have a low tolerance for Project Ego hype, you might want to avoid this.