PlayStation 3 fans see the future

Thousands of excited gamers get their hands on the most eagerly awaited PS3 games at the Games Convention in Leipzig.

There was a real buzz about Hall Three of the Convention Centre as the air shook with a cacophony of gunfire, roaring engines, singing and laughter.

One of the most popular PS3 titles on show was LittleBigPlanet, and members of the development team were on hand to help players as they took on one of the game's levels, experienced four player co-operative play and sculpted their own creations in a full version of Create Mode.

SingStar always attracts the attention of onlookers, and Leipzig was no exception as visitors were invited to take to the stage and sing to an appreciative audience. SingStar Vol. 3 was on display for the first time and the latest track list had something for everyone. Particularly popular were Billie Jean by Michael Jackson and All Night Long by Lionel Richie.

Also drawing a large crowd was the Buzz!: Quiz TV stage, where visitors could take to the stage and experience the complete quiz show atmosphere on a specially made set, with Buzz himself attending in real life to compère proceedings.

Elsewhere, The Island came to Leipzig as attendees were able to experience MotorStorm Pacific Rift first hand. A special area complete with undergrowth, palm trees and burnt out vehicles saw players tearing up the Wildfire and Cascade Falls tracks in single player, as well as Raingod Spires in split-screen multiplayer.

Over at the Theatre, there were looks of intense concentration on the faces of those playing Resistance 2 and Killzone 2. Resistance fans were able to play through the Grim's Alley level in 1950s Chicago and take on the Furies - fearsome new enemies that can attack from both land and water. Killzone 2 also received rave reviews from gamers who stood in line to try out the game's second level, Corinth River.

Completing the trio of stunning first-person shooters was SOCOM: Confrontation and a special bunker was set up so that players could crawl under a canopy and play on floor mounted screens for the full combat experience. The Kasbah level was available to play in Suppression mode for up to 16 people.