“The world of interactive entertainment has changed since E3Expo was created 12 years ago. At that time we were focused on establishing the industry and securing orders for the holiday season,” said Douglas Lowenstein, President of the ESA. “Over the years, it has become clear that we need a more intimate program, including higher quality, more personal dialogue with the worldwide media, developers, retailers and other key industry audiences.”
With these words E3, the world's largest videogames tradeshow, ended in it's current form. The enormous 3 day bash/binge in Los Angeles was simultaneously the most exciting and interesting game show in the world and the most dreadful chore of the year for those involved.
It attracted everyone. Literally everyone from the world of games. No matter who you worked with, wherever they were, you were almost guaranteed to bump into them on the E3 show floor at some point over the course of the event. It also attracted enormous numbers of people who's involvement within the industry was 'peripheral' at best. No, not the joystick guys. They were all rightfully confined to the Kentia hall. We're talking the fans, the retailer assistants from Egghead in Arkensaw and their girlfriends / buddies / immediate family.
That, for most people who went to the show, was the real value. You met your contacts, you renewed old acquaintances and you were introduced to important new people.
Yeah, OK, there were lots of big stands and you could go play some very cool games as you cruised past the huge publisher stands, but you were drowned by enormous numbers of people who were there for the 'show', the glitz, the glamour and the games. Slow moving heards of booth babe ogling guys in baggy shorts, who could hoover up ever freebie from a stand, locust-like, regardless of whether it was actually for them or not.
The problem was that the publishers were spending huge amounts of money to be there. They were the ones who were in effect paying for the whole thing. The question is, for who? Almost every stand had private or VIP areas for retailers and many of the important media people had appointments confirmed weeks in advance, again behind closed doors, or in a quieter, more private civilised area. With chairs and cooling drinks.
So who was the enormous show floor for? The herds? The rest of the industry ecosystem, most of whom were meeting in the nearest Starbucks / cafe / corner / staircase / wall outside (for a quick fag)?
This was the core of the problem for the show. All of the important deals and business - which was the point of the whole damn thing - was carried out off the show floor, or at least in private areas within it. The huge stands and associated cost was a throwback to earlier days, when the publishers were all fighting for space and attention.
So while it's sad that the experience is coming to an end, it makes a great deal of sense, at least for the major publishers. As long as the ESA makes allowances for the smaller companies and the rest of the industry who want to show up, hang around, talk to each other and keep the games business evolving, ticking along and healthy, then we'll probably all be better off...
No matter where it is, what size it is and how many people are there, the proud tradition of eight hours solid drinking each evening will no doubt continue.
E3 2007 - Artists Impression
