In traditional fashion for big corporate players, Microsoft put on an E3 show that was big on flash and surprisingly low on substance. They're not really to blame as this year's edition saw all the big players hold events where little new stuff was showed and where hyping up already announced projects seemed to be the most important aspect.

One of the most interesting revelations coming from Microsoft, apart from the news that Final Fantasy XIII was no longer a PlayStation 3 exclusive and would also have a Xbox 360 version, was the loudly cheered announcement that a game called Portal: Still Alive was set to arrive on the Xbox Live Arcade during fall.

Those who rejoiced when the announcement was made by Microsoft will be disappointed to learn that Portal: Still Alive is actually nothing more than a Xbox 360 re-packaging of content that is already available on the PC. You basically get the original game with new levels which are not story-linked and bear no relation to the original game. The new levels are all taken from the Flash Version Map Pack, which you can already play in full on the PC.

If you're not familiar with Portal, I highly suggest you to get the Xbox Live Arcade game and play it. Initially offered as part of The Orange Box and now available as a stand alone, the Valve developed title takes the concept of platform gaming to a whole new level. The player is armed with a "portal" gun, a device which can create instantaneous travel points by placing portals on different surfaces. Using it, the player will have to navigate through a certain number of puzzle levels to escape a research facility. The idea is extremely simple, but the production values of the game and the gameplay itself are so well created and interesting that despite being short, it managed to get numerous awards last year, including a few Game of the Year mentions.