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On E3's Awards, Anticipation, Predictions

Posted by simoniker on from the are-we-nearly-there-yet? dept.

Thanks to HomeLAN Fed for its article discussing the state of the annual 'Best Of E3' game awards, in which the writer suggests that the "E3 awards are a bit of a sham and... a lot of games that get these awards are either not released in the coming year or if they are they are not as good as their E3 presentations make them out to be." He points out that "...out of the 16 categories that the Game Critics E3 awards had last year, 10 of them went to games that have not yet come out and won't be out until after E3 2004." Elsewhere, GameSpot focuses its 'GameSpotting' editorials on the forthcoming E3 trade show itself, suggesting that the show "is becoming a bigger and bigger source of stress and anxiety to the gaming industry as time goes by", even taking into account the excitement of "the biggest video game convention on God's green earth."

3 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Wish I was there by Killjoy_NL · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But since I can't be, I'll have to make do with the different webcomics that do go there (like Penny Arcade and their dancing robot)

    Can't find the link to that one,
    But this is basically what I mean

    http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=1999- 05 -16&res=l

    --
    This is the sig that says NI (again)
  2. Re:E3 Awards by yoyodyne · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The solution is don't give awards to unreleased games.

  3. The purpose of E3 by LordZardoz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And Yes, I am a game programmer...

    E3 exists for two reasons.

    1) So publishers can convince retailers to carry their games (which has already been pointed out).

    2) So Developers can sign publishers for their product.

    3) So Publishers can sign Developers.

    4) For the "Big 3" can sign publishers to their consoles.

    Essentially, E3 has a huge impact on the financial side of the game industry. It is where most deals are made. You need your stuff to look good so someone can use it to impress someone else.

    Its also a pissing contest among peers. Its onething to convince an end user that your game is kick ass. Its another to convince your competitors that you are the 'hot shit'.

    Unfortunately, E3 can screw with the schedule of a project. The tightest crunches on any project will be for its Beta / Gold milestones, and for E3. This is because if you show at E3, then people will want to play your game. And if you crash, it gets around.

    Ever try to get software to a non-crashing state when its between 40% and 60% done?

    END COMMUNICATION