Round Up: E3 Facts, F.E.A.R. For Xbox 360, Yee Slams ESRB

Today's round-up includes some canonical facts from the E3 organizers, F.E.A.R. confirmed for the Xbox 360, and California Assemblyman Leland Yee's response to the ESRB's re-rating of Oblivion, as well as the latest GameSetWatch posts, Serious Games Source news, product news and Gamasutra job postings. - More than 400 exhibiting companies representing 90 countries will contribute to next week's 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, according to organizers, who also explain that this year's E3 will take up 540,000 net square feet of exhibit space, an area equal to 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools. 60 percent of those products shown during the week of E3 will arrive on store shelves in time for the 2006 holiday season, and nearly half will launch one or more titles for the latest handheld platforms. Exemplifying the sheer size of the event, E3 organizers said that more than 5,800 flat screen computer and television monitors will be used by companies at the conference, and more than 850,000 pounds of equipment will run along the convention ceiling. - Vivendi today confirmed that Monolith Productions' popular PC FPS F.E.A.R. is in development for the Xbox 360. Set to be released this fall, F.E.A.R. For the next-generation platform will make its debut at E3 next week. The port is being worked on by Chicago-based Day 1 Studios, the studio most often associated with the Xbox titles MechAssault and MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf. - Following the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) opting to change the rating associated with Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, California Assemblyman Leland Yee issued a statement calling out both Take-Two and the ESRB to "to stop deceiving parents." In his statement, Yee commented: “The ESRB again has failed our parents and clearly has shown they cannot police themselves. Plain and simply, the current rating system is drastically flawed and here is yet another reason why we need legislation to assist parents and protect children." Yee has been vocal regarding both organizations in the past, criticizing them for for failing to appropriately rate Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas following the revelation of the now infamous 'Hot Coffee” mod. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister weblog GameSetWatch include exclusive news on Halo: Spartan for the Gizmondo, info on a port of BreakDown to the Nuon, and an interview with the Gish co-creator, among others. - Also updated today: news from Gamasutra affiliate Serious Games Source on a realistic USAF training sim appearing at E3 and the DISMOUT military training system, as well as product news including Anark releasing GameFace 3.6, and the latest Gamasutra job postings, featuring openings from Blizzard, Cranky Pants Games, Electronic Arts Tiburon, Factor 5, Harmonix Music Systems, LucasArts, Midway, The Collective, and The Illinois Institute of Art.