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E3 2007 A More 'Targeted' Event

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the smaller-is-better dept.

simoniker writes "Following some rampant media speculation over the weekend, the ESA trade organization has released an official statement on the future of the E3 game trade show, revealing that it is not cancelled outright, but is rather 'evolving into a more intimate event focused on targeted, personalized meetings and activities.' E3 2007 will still take place in Los Angeles next year, according to the ESA's Doug Lowenstein, but 'will not feature the large trade show environment of previous years.'" Which is to say, it's not really E3 anymore.

6 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. What is E3? by Doches · · Score: 3, Informative

    What is E3? Is it just a convention, a convenient vehicle for putting developers in the same room as producers and distributors? Or is it...a spectacle, a chance to throw out some massive hype and drum up interest in upcoming games?

    Please, that's not even a question. E3 may have started out as a business-oriented conference, but the name "E3" is now completely associated with booth babes, demos, drool, web comics, vaporware, and Sony press releases of Epic proportions (Forgive the pun...). E3 is dead, this announcement notwithstanding. It's also a clear example of the Theseus paradox, but that's not really relevant.

    Goodbye, ridiculously endearing media event. Hello...business thing.

  2. What do you want to bet... by Ryan+Amos · · Score: 3, Informative

    All they're gonna do is make it a "closed door" meeting by charging $3k for a press pass. The entry fee will keep most of the autograph-seeking kiddies away while allowing all the media coverage of the old show and making a tidy profit to boot.

    E3 has not always been open to the public, either. Only in the past couple years have they started selling general admission tickets, though it was never hard to get a press pass if you had even a moderately popular web site.

    I bet the ESA looked at the industry and realized that because of consolidation and an off-year for consoles there are only a few big players left who can afford to support E3, and they're already throwing their own events.

    1. Re:What do you want to bet... by Doytch · · Score: 2, Informative

      How is parent modded Informative?

      It used to be easy to get into E3, but recently, it has become harder and harder to get in if you weren't part of the industry or press. The only time tickets were up for sale was an eBay auction for a pair of press passes, but that was taken down quickly. Parent seriously has his info mixed up.

    2. Re:What do you want to bet... by Jugalator · · Score: 2, Informative

      Our webmaster isn't really a member of an active gaming press site, just a fansite, and he got in. I wouldn't say it's too hard given the right contacts. But yes, grandparent may be wrong in that there are autograph-seeking boys running around there or something. But it sure isn't *that* limited, and I know another guy who let people in our community have tickets if anyone wanted to come, just out of kindness.

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  3. Bleh, E3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    The outright death of E3 would probably be the best thing to happen to game development teams. E3 costs us tons of time each year -- the event itself takes up a lot of our time, but so does preparing for it and recovering from it. E3 dictates ship schedules and major milestones and sometimes even the ultimate fate of entire projects or even studios. The whole show is all about the hype and not about the substance.

    Of course the perspective of a marketing persion will be the opposite of that of a developer. But I think that marketing departments are half the problem with the industry -- the drive has become one to create guaranteed sellers using big IP licenses and tired old game formats rather than to create excellent products that sell on their own merits.

  4. Re:backslash backlash? by mrbooze · · Score: 2, Informative

    The previoud "dupe" was about the unconfirmed rumor. This article is about the officially-confirming press release from the ESA.