So a few posts back I spent a decent amount of time explaining the big news stories of the Electronic Entertainment Expo(E3) from the Big 3. Well now I come bearing news of the status of E3 itself. The Entertainment Software Association(ESA) announced a few days ago that it is restructuring the E3 expo into a much smaller and controlled affair. Most video game media outlets are reporting that E3 is for all intents and purposes cancelled, and they're pretty much right. The beast formerly known as E3, and what will take place next year look to be so different as to warrant an entirely different name.
What is the reason behind this you ask? Well basically the publishers were saying that they weren't getting a good return on their investment. When you add up the cost of putting together very high tech booths with tons of demo stations, people to staff them, free swag to give away, and the time taken out of the development cycle to create demos specifically for E3, one starts to see how it can be a pricey affair for those trying to get noticed among the deafening noise. It's also been reported that many in the industry thought the attendance levels at E3 were getting out of control, making it difficult for the really important people to see as many games as possible. Just look at the lines that formed to play Nintendo's Wii this year.
Who is it that's been clogging the halls of the LA convention center you ask? Well even though E3 requires you be a member of the industry to attend the grandaddy of all game shows, it has never been very picky about where the line is drawn in that regard. It seems that beyond the major members of the media, retail chain inventory buyers, and other higher ups in the industry, that attendance has been trumped up by an army of game store clerks and managers who are for the most part just gaming fans trying to get a taste of the big time. Not anymore says the ESA, as now things will be strictly invite only.
So what will things look like come next July(not May as has been the traditional E3 month). Well the nicer and friendlier E3 will be much more focused on press events and small meetings, instead of the bright lights of the trade show floor that pulled most of the attention in the past. When one looks at it even briefly it's easy to understand why the decision to head in this direction is an understandable one. Already the major publishers had been forced to put on glitzy press events outside the show floor just to make sure all their big announcements didn't get lost in the shuffle.
I myself won't really miss E3. In the end, the gaming news is gonna come one way or another, only now so much of it wont be in a deluge over a mad week in May from strung out gaming reporters. Also, I hope this encourages more companies to consider pre-release events where actual gamers might get to try out their games, as opposed to being resigned to drooling over screenshots and videos. I think E3 basically just kind of outgrew itself. I heard an analogy some time back that if comparing the history of the video gaming industry to that of film, we are really still in the silent film era at best. Stuck in a studio system that limits creativity, there are gems to be found, but the greatest stories are still yet to be told. Moving past E3 in my mind is a step in the right direction.
What is the reason behind this you ask? Well basically the publishers were saying that they weren't getting a good return on their investment. When you add up the cost of putting together very high tech booths with tons of demo stations, people to staff them, free swag to give away, and the time taken out of the development cycle to create demos specifically for E3, one starts to see how it can be a pricey affair for those trying to get noticed among the deafening noise. It's also been reported that many in the industry thought the attendance levels at E3 were getting out of control, making it difficult for the really important people to see as many games as possible. Just look at the lines that formed to play Nintendo's Wii this year.
Who is it that's been clogging the halls of the LA convention center you ask? Well even though E3 requires you be a member of the industry to attend the grandaddy of all game shows, it has never been very picky about where the line is drawn in that regard. It seems that beyond the major members of the media, retail chain inventory buyers, and other higher ups in the industry, that attendance has been trumped up by an army of game store clerks and managers who are for the most part just gaming fans trying to get a taste of the big time. Not anymore says the ESA, as now things will be strictly invite only.
So what will things look like come next July(not May as has been the traditional E3 month). Well the nicer and friendlier E3 will be much more focused on press events and small meetings, instead of the bright lights of the trade show floor that pulled most of the attention in the past. When one looks at it even briefly it's easy to understand why the decision to head in this direction is an understandable one. Already the major publishers had been forced to put on glitzy press events outside the show floor just to make sure all their big announcements didn't get lost in the shuffle.
I myself won't really miss E3. In the end, the gaming news is gonna come one way or another, only now so much of it wont be in a deluge over a mad week in May from strung out gaming reporters. Also, I hope this encourages more companies to consider pre-release events where actual gamers might get to try out their games, as opposed to being resigned to drooling over screenshots and videos. I think E3 basically just kind of outgrew itself. I heard an analogy some time back that if comparing the history of the video gaming industry to that of film, we are really still in the silent film era at best. Stuck in a studio system that limits creativity, there are gems to be found, but the greatest stories are still yet to be told. Moving past E3 in my mind is a step in the right direction.
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