E3 Dead?

[[MyIS]Spetsnaz]

This is fresh off the newswire, so we won't go beyond the facts and hold the assumptions. Here's what we do know: E3 has been heavily downsized and has lost a massive amount of funding.

What does this mean?

1) E3 will no longer be held at the LA Convention Center and will be moved to a much smaller space.
2) The amount of attendees will shrink from 60,000+ to merely a few hundred.
3) The "new E3" will be focused on industry professionals, not the average gamer looking for a scoop.
4) The show will never been the same again.

Official ESA Press Release:
Click Here (http://www.theesa.com/archives/2006/07/for_immediate_r.php)

Next Gen's Analysis:
Click Here (http://next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3538&Itemid=2)

Gamespot Update:
Click Here (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6154897.html)

If any major developments arise, they will be posted.

[domino]

thats terrible :(, e3 has been the outlet where companies have showcased all there new material.

[Venomous]

oh i got a email about this, its sad stupid companies complained that they were rushed to show there products.....bs

[Harmor]

Is this an omen? Is gaming peeking?

[lisp]

damn it!... just when i was planning to goto my first e3 convention.. they crap out on me!!! BAH!!! *smashes keyboard and knocks over monitor*

[Sir. Chauncey]

*cries in corner* i was planning to go to e3 next year

[chrisavick44]

wow that $uxs =[ =[ =[

[Hairstylist]

Well, E3 can show off new games and content on the web instead - and let eager gamers play demos of upcoming releases.Allthough the 'experience' of actually being there will be sorely missed ;(

[HkSniper]

I always wanted to go to E3, now it looks like I'll never get to live that dream...

I could aim for the Tokyo Game Expo though.

[Tren]

:shock:

That sucks... I also had wanted to go to E3 someday.

[hashhockey69]

Wow this sucks, after seeing a short clip of pure pwnage (http://www.purepwnage.com) of the E3 Special, i was thinking of attending, but that idea was just lost, this sucks, damn baby companies.


HH

[Desertfox]

Why is it being "downsized"

[[MyIS]Spawndemon]

Why is it being "downsized"

"One reason behind the downsizing of the show can be attributed to the dollar cost of the event to exhibitors, including the demands on companies to assign large numbers of staff to focus on the show, expenses associated with travel to the show, and the added expense to polish game builds and demos to be shown to attendees."

[fuzzy901]

Oh no, an event that the vast majority of gamers never get to go to just became the event that a vaster majority of gamers never got to go to. I'm crying so much. Sob, sob.

Seriously, the internet coverage of E3 and the ways in which the gaming industry have changed since E3's introduction render this a pretty moot issue, if you ask me. The big shot press conferences will remain, but the fact is that game hype and info travels like never before, and the industry doesn't need the massive orgy of E3 any more.

[imported_Calaros]

Damnit! I was planning to go to E3 this year as well :(

[Sir. Slug]

lol... fresh off the newswire... well... it was a couple of days ago :p

But yes, sucks... :(

[Tiny]

**** Happens.

[ThIrD-EyE]

i feel like fo stupid for not going when i ahd the chance last year and this year. it would ahve been my first E3. just so you know, my cousin went last year and this year and would have been able to take me with him, because he is a 'member fo the press' sort of. he works for an isp in maine which is the only reason he was able to go.

[SpeedyLilBugger]

Man I HATE THIS me and a mate have been planning to go for the last two years :( thank god we didnt order flights or anything :p

[Lt.Kris]

That sucks.

[silky_z]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!
now I will never attend an E3 ever!

[RedDot]

Damnit!!!

[Bullit_toof]

Seriously, the internet coverage of E3 and the ways in which the gaming industry have changed since E3's introduction render this a pretty moot issue, if you ask me. The big shot press conferences will remain, but the fact is that game hype and info travels like never before, and the industry doesn't need the massive orgy of E3 any more.

Yes but where will the spodgy, ugly game's developers going to get their yearly ration of beautiful booth girls. Surely there is no point working in an industry were there is no chance of an annual fondle. The jazz banks of many a geek will be truly depleted.

Dam these penny pinching exec's!!

[sonny]

dang. i was ready to go.

[AP_piano295]

Good all E3 did was focus on the games with high budget.

[Sir. HackerX4]

Thats to bad...I (like half of the other people around here) were planning a trip to go one year....

[Chalk.One]

This sucks. I finally might have had a chance to go to E3 and now they're downsizing it... too bad.

[IneedaMedic]

Eh, it'll be back. Almost sure it'll be back in a couple of years, It helped promote more games, maybe costs alot, but hell, If you're selling a console for 600 dollars you better friggin Give me a free E3 Ticket.

[SuperTyphoon]

Damn that really sucks. Even though i go to los angeles every summer, i miss E3 every time and never have been there.

[Sung_Do_Chuck]

hmmm ... doesn't annoy me: I'm going to the gamesconvention here in Germany ^^

But it's sad... e3 was the biggest :<

[AgamemnonRex727]

Spetsnaz']This is fresh off the newswire, so we won't go beyond the facts and hold the assumptions. Here's what we do know: E3 has been heavily downsized and has lost a massive amount of funding.

What does this mean?

1) E3 will no longer be held at the LA Convention Center and will be moved to a much smaller space.
2) The amount of attendees will shrink from 60,000+ to merely a few hundred.


Yeah, let's not go beyond the facts...I didn't see anything in the ESA's press release about moving the location out of LACC or the number of attendees being shrunk to any specific number.

I think the change will be good for game companies; bad for gamers...

[[MyIS]Spetsnaz]

lol... fresh off the newswire... well... it was a couple of days ago :p

Gamespot had the scoop on it 2 days ago -- but it was only a rumor then. It was officially announced yesterday. Maybe not "fresh" fresh... but ripe would work?

[CensoredByGod]

Good thing I went this year then......

[Makaber]

It might even be good that the E3 is "dead".
So think about it, what did we get from E3?
Lousy streamer videos where you can't understand a word because of the noise? and then after 3 months the company releases their E3 video as a new trailer, wtf?!
You "hear" about some demo from a game, which demo you will never see?
And the booth babes don't do anything to really represent game content.

E3 doesn't really have something to do with game development. As already said, companies are pushed to do some video or demo, which in some cases don't really represent the future game.
There are tons of people who don't have anything to do with real game development. I mean those people which booth just consist of a PC they brought from home where a crappy selfmade game or video is running. Or what about those "press"? There is an huge amount of press people which magazines, newspapers, whatever don't have anything to do with games! They just wanted to get to the E3, no matter what.

I think this is a good step forward in game development. Companies don't anymore spend alot of money just for the E3. They will show content when they feel it's really worth to show.
The informations given to the public may become smaller. But you can still only play the game when it's out.
E3 goes back to what it was meant, developers can talk with other developers.

For me, I don't whine.

[imported_The_Revrend]

Much as it may suck for gamers starved for the attention of booth girls and information on their favorite franchises. This is actually MUCH better for the industry. E3 was supposed to be an industry event geting movers and shakers together to promote changes in the industry and promote the various game technologies (Engines, Advancements, Etc) that had come out.

It DEVOLVED into what it became, an orgy of spending that was costing game makes MILLIONS of dollars a year and promoting rushing buggy product out the door to be ready by the time it rolled around. Companies actually stopped going to save money, set up in surrounding hotels and had the important meetings there to save money.

Rev

[Hook&Hammer]

Ea is great the way it is!

[topdogger]

I don't really care. Kinda glad actually. Less pressure on the developers so they can make better products. I have never gone to a gaming show. I'm up in canada so its to expensive to fly to the states.

[Bird Killer]

E3 was supposed to be a convention for professionals in the game industry to meet together and create or discuss business opportunities, not a game festival for media and gamers. If you wanted news, trailers, images, and other features about the industry, you have websites and magazines such as Gamespot and PC Gamer to bring such info for you.

At least now big-title or hyped up games will no longer be pressured to showcase a polished game that is still in development, many not even being close to finish.

[SpeedyLilBugger]

Wel i wouldnt say that there arent going to be any big names at E3 anymore, Nintendo have just confirmed that they will be attending E3 next year:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5238138.stm :D

its still not going to be the same without the buzz of anticipation though :(