That they are about the systems, not the games themselves. Sounds like Blasphemy, it does, but look at things through microsofts viewpoint. They need to showcase the new things they are adding while also showing how they work, that is how all these conferences are done. The Kinect stuff was much better this year and they did things much more professionally as a hardware manufacturer. Now there was a few games they did show, but were exclusive best of's. We should expect new stuff to come out in the EA/ubisoft conferences mainly. 
 
I expect the same out of the rest of the big 3's conferences. They are mainly dealing with hardware. not the software, the 3rd parties are in charge of that. 
 
PS Minecraft for 360 whoohoo!

You're wrong.  Microsoft has done better conferences in the past, and so have Sony and Nintendo.  A bad conference is just a bad conference.  If they're all that bad this year, it won't be just because "that's what the big three conferences are" it will be because they were all bad this year.

You're wrong.  Microsoft has done better conferences in the past, and so have Sony and Nintendo.  A bad conference is just a bad conference.  If they're all that bad this year, it won't be just because "that's what the big three conferences are" it will be because they were all bad this year.

The conference is about both the console and games. It would be stupid not to show games.

Yes they are there to promote the system/s they are selling, they do this by showing off new features and by showing big releases. 

They're about whatever makes the big three money and that's both the hardware and the software.

@EvilTwin said:

You're wrong.  Microsoft has done better conferences in the past, and so have Sony and Nintendo.  A bad conference is just a bad conference.  If they're all that bad this year, it won't be just because "that's what the big three conferences are" it will be because they were all bad this year.

Considering they are focusing on the system itself for the customer, things HAVE changed and I think it is just plain selfish and kinda fanboyish to expect 100 games announced in one conference about games they aren't even making but other companies are.  Expect the games at the EA/Ubisoft stuff. Expecting games at SYSTEM showings is just too much.

GENIUS.

I think the main mistake people make about E3 conferences is the importance they place on them.
 
Despite endless complaints about the Microsoft "Kinect Show" last year I don't think I don't think MS are complaining about the results.

ADVERTISE GAME CONSOLE, DON'T SHOW GAMES.

GENIUS.