The 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo wrapped up in early June and like every year, it was filled with excitement for the video game industry and its fans. If you missed this year’s show, not to worry; photos, trailers, demos, and more are available to watch from the comfort of your own home, safe from the crowds and the noisy show floor.

In this Tech Tip, I’ve chosen Five Things From E3 2011 You Have to See!

Bioshock Infinite:

(developer: Irrational Games, publisher: 2K Games) The third entry in the Bioshock series is not due for release until some time in 2012, but if the trailer debuted by Irrational Games is any indication, it will be more than worth the wait. The first-person shooter’s setting is the floating city of Columbia and the latest trailer showed off the city’s Skyrail system; a cargo transit system that you, as the player, can use to move throughout the city. Riding the Skyrail has the look and feel of hanging off a roller-coaster, and with the added elements of the chaos and combat you see in the trailer, you definitely get the sense of being on an explosive thrill ride. A comforting line at the end of the trailer reads: “This trailer was made entirely from in-game footage”, so you know it’s not just pre-rendered cinematics; that is what the game will look like.

Sony PS Vita

Sony’s next portable console, the PS Vita , was announced in January as the “NGP – Next Generation Portable”, months before E3, but the hardware, along with its new name, made its debut in the physical realm for the first time at the expo. The Vita boasts front and rear multitouch screens, high-quality graphics, WiFi and optional 3G connectivity, and PlayStation 3 integration, which Sony promises will be a seamless transition from home console to mobile and back. The PS Vita has a similar look to the original PlayStation Portable, but incorporates modern technology and is competitively priced starting at $249, roughly the same price as Nintendo’s 3DS.

Nintendo Wii-U

Nintendo’s Wii-U , the successor to the Wii, takes the Wii-mote design a few steps further, giving you a controller that is a 6.2-inch 16:9 touchscreen tablet. The new system will let you use the screen in conjunction with your TV to give you a new interactive window into games. The Wii-U also makes the jump to full HD (1080p) output, something the Wii lacked, and will be backwards compatible with all existing Wii peripherals. The new system will be released in 2012 and will feature entries from popular franchises like Nintendo’s own Mario, Smash Brothers, and Pikmin as well as other entries from well-known franchises by third party developers.

Three Big Threes:

It’s impossible for me to choose which of the next three titles is a must-see for you, so I have some conditions:

If you own a PlayStation 3, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is your exclusive must-see game. The game looks fantastic and there are some minor updates to the game play that add to an already excellent franchise.

If you own an Xbox 360, Gears of War 3 is your exclusive must-see game. At the expo, the game’s lead designer Cliff Bleszinski showed off some co-op play with musician and actor Ice-T and announced that the game would support up to four-player cooperative play.

If you have both systems or you don’t have a system preference, your must-see game is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. If you’re a real Call of Duty fanatic, this installment of the game will launch with a service called Call of Duty Elite, subscription-based service that provides extra features like downloadable maps (which are usually sold separately), an online community, and stat tracking. To see more of these games, head to their respective websites.

The Sims Social for Facebook

(publisher: EA) Electronics Arts (EA) announced The Sims Social for Facebook during their press conference. The Sims has been an immensely popular franchise and The Sims Social brings the experience to your browser for online play and lets you interact with your Facebook friends in the game. Unfortunately, due to the few details available, there’s nothing to see yet, but just think about it: The Sims on Facebook. It’s a chocolate-peanut butter situation.