E3 2007 - A Horse of A Different Color

Despite the smaller size and scope, there's still going to be a lot of games news coming down the pipe this week: the E3 Media and Business Summit 2007 kicks off soon. The big news starts with Microsoft's press conference on Tuesday, but already journalists are on the ground getting stories in order. E3 predictions are available from 1up and Gamespot's editorial team, while Eurogamer has a piece from their newsletter describing what's different about this year's E3. Not everyone is going this year that went last year because of those differences, and it will make for a wholly changed experience. "While a number of the publishers GameSpot contacted said they would consider participating in next year's E3 (some on the condition that the format is further tweaked), multiple representatives said they didn't believe there would be an E3 at all next year. Gamecock is even referencing that notion in its EIEIO event, which will cap off with a funeral service for the ESA's long-standing trade show. 'We're going to have some fun on the beach and say good-bye to the magical beast of yore that was E3,' Wilson said. 'I'd say there's a fair chance there won't be a show called E3 anything next year, which is why we're saying farewell to it on the beach. But I can't wait to see what emerges.'"

The Real action is at the GDC

[dave1791]

The thing with E3 was that gamers drooled over it and dreamed of going. How many webcomics have sported subplots about sneaking into E3? The new format seems about making journalists happy and giving a press conference venue. So it is strictly a PR venue. If you want to read the heartbeat of the gaming industry, the GDC is the place to be. That's where devs talk to each other.

My God

[TheThiefMaster]

At the time of posting, anonymous comments about horses outnumbered real comments by 11:1. Now it's 11:2...

Can we please stop anonymous comments for the first X (10, 20...) comments?

That said, I'm still interested in what's going to happen at this year's E3, hopefully it'll still be worth hearing about. If not, the GDC is looking to be a promising substitute.

Re:The Real action is at the GDC

[ofcourseyouare]

Good point. But my question about E3 is this -- when will Sony, MS and the developers of games for their platforms sit down and say something like this: "we're selling expensive consoles, with expensive games to match; we're being being thrashed by Nintendo, selling lower cost (and often) semi-casual games; we had the most famous industry event in the world outside the film business, attracting massive press and throngs of hardcore fans -- okay it cost a bit, but the PR value was huge... and we decided to just shut it down?!? And replace it with a bunch of low key meetings in Santa Monica!?!?! What were we thinking... or were we thinking at all..."

Time will tell of course, but I think in a few years time they may well try to revive E3, and find it's not so easy to get a media event like that back, once you've thrown it away.

I think closing E3 reflects clouded thinking of the same kind that got the PS3 into its current mess -- assuming the fans will always be there and will always buy, regardless of treatment/ marketing/ price, etc.

E3's failure

[Aladrin]

I've been wondering how E3 was going to survive the specific non-invitation of everyone that cares one whit about it. It seemed they totally misunderstood what their show was actually about, and tried to jerk it back 'on course' without asking -anyone- what they thought.

I wonder exactly how surprised they are that their 'customers' no longer care? Publishers and developers can access the media -any time they want-. They don't need to pay thousands of dollars to set up a booth somewhere. On the other hand, to work the consumers into a frenzy, a big, semi-exclusive expo is great advertisement. They manage to get consumers waiting in line for pictures and crappy video clips to see exactly the same content that would have been available online, if the show didn't exist.

I'm guessing they thought that consumers would still be in a frenzy just over the name, and the reduced size and scope wouldn't matter.

There's a reason that every major developer was willing to pay massive amounts of money to be there. Reducing the price and forcing a reduce in size does not appeal to them as much. For smaller developers, it was a chance to get seen a little, and possibly get some free media attention by riding the coat-tails of the big guys.

Will E3 realize their mistake this year, and attempt to regain their status? Will GDC become the big show? Will the US gain another major game expo instead?

Everyone under the sun is offering official coverage of E3 this year, so I suspect that E3 thinks they can handle the issues without actually listening to anyone again. We'll see.

On the subject of horses... Are there REALLY people who have never heard the phrase 'a horse of a different color'? For those who haven't a clue, it just means that despite the name, it's a different. In other words: Even though it's called 'E3', it's not the same as it was.

Re:The Real action is at the GDC

[Anonymous Coward]

E3 became decadent. [gamespot.com] I was there working at the NCsoft booth and it really was ridiculous. Our stage act was The Mutaytor [mutaytor.com] and they might as well have shut off their amps for how quiet they had to be on stage. There really were people at the edge of our booth space weilding decibel meters like tricorders, just waiting for any excuse to lower the boom. We really did work hard to keep everything within the new limits for noise.

But the whole Police State mentality of the thing just brought the scent of doom with it. How can you expect an entertainment industry trade show to survive if everyone is expected to be quiet? Well, welcome to the New E3, which might as well be a medical or insurance trade show with everyone all monkey-suited up carrying on in hushed tones around their tame, standardized booths.

Not my GDC!

[metroid composite]

Leave GDC alone! I don't want it to be marred by corporate meetings formerly associated with E3. I don't want it to turn into a plastic press conference. The sessions at GDC are actually useful.

Take over that new "E for All" that's supposed to replace E3...or possibly even PAX (attendance has been growing exponentially) but don't corporatize GDC, please!