E3 07: Good or Crap?

An interesting question, but I have to say I thought E3 07 is one step forward, two steps back.
Through filtering its now labeled as a share holder event (bit of a cop out that one). Its lost its bite and teeth. Seems it also lacked atmosphere, I'm not surprised some of the japanese developers Capcom and Kojima especially, were like what's going on here, its awful. Its like E3s been sanitised with bleach to get rid of its demons while creating new ones.

Perhaps a better question should E3 only be a trade show anymore? I believe that with a growing games industry, its immature and rather unhealthy for the industry big wigs not to mix with their customers. In fact I think the games industry is the only one I know that treats its customers so badly in this regard.

TGS by comparison lets the public in to sample the product, as well as press etc. Why is it TGS can get the balance right and E3 can't seem to?

My verdict, definitely worse than last year.

give it two years and it will be back where it was last year. the big publishers just can't help themselves trying to one-up the competition, and they know that the consumers want a big show

Perhaps it might be an idea to have seperate the large and small developers in the show, then they might all be able to withstand the gravity of each others stuff and egos.

That show was crap though. Could have been so much better.

I'm a little unsure, myself. The idea certainly sounds good - give press more time and freedom to cover all the games that developers had to offer - but it was executed a little poorly to really capitalise on that factor. I'm not pummelling that fact though, because when you change something like E3 so radically, you're going to get initial problems as organisers figure out what works and what doesn't. I'd lay it down to 'teething problems'.

For instance, from what I hear (I wasn't there, myself) there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing from many different locations. I don't think journalists were moaning about the length of travel (hell, if I can manage journeys like that...) but more it appeared rather silly to proclaim how E3 is now better for coverage of everything when everything was... well, all over the place. I've not seen SPOnG, Kotaku or many other sources really publish much hands-on previews of games at the event, and I don't believe there was a shortage of games, certainly.

Which leads me to another point. A colleague of mine said today that in speaking to some attendees at E3, they responded that they hadn't much to show because they were holding everything for Leipzig later this year. Which is strange. Almost sounds like developers are ditching E3 as serious business, before the new system has really come of age.

Then you have the psychological side of things. Developers and Publishers are quieter at this smaller E3 because the event itself has been downsized and downplayed. It could have been very easy for MS, Nintendo and Sony to provide something really exciting, but because E3 is now business and whatever, they'd rather be more sedate about any future announcements.

Even then, you did have a few 'big' announcements that each company expected to get rapturous applause from - Wii Fit/Mario Kart Wii for Nintendo, Halo 360 for Microsoft and TV Out/Chewbacca for Sony - yet didn't, because E3 has now locked out all the bit-part bloggers and general fanboys from the event. By and large, you're not going to get a room full of game journalists providing insane massive whoops and cheers when you're announcing new material - I can guarantee they'll be clapping at best and taking notes/using laptops for sure.

I think the way it's going, E3 could very well be America's version of the Develop Conference in Brighton. Not that's necessarily a bad thing, just a less glitzy, showbizzy thing. Which is something I don't think suits America really.

F#CK NO IT DOESN'T!!! we need BIG AND LOUD!!!!


... also T&A helps ;)
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But i like the whooping fanboys when watching a live video feed...anyone remember E3 2005 and the new zelda trailer...best E3-moment ever!

Ugh. You're just so outlandish and outspoken. Bounder!
;) (T&A all the way)

EDIT:


Don't get me wrong, I thought it was boring without some brainless fanboys going "WOOOOoooooOOOOOoooOOO!" all the time. Speaking professionally though, when you have work to do (i.e. cover all those games) you don't really want to be waiting for some fanboy as they spend ten years playing through the latest Zelda when you're tight on a deadline. No amount of "WOOOOoooooOOOOOoooOOO!" would make up for that.

Indeed, there must be balance. :)

Perchance the time has finally come for my greatest invention... the WOOOooOOOOooOOOOoo track! Much like the "laugh track it would be placed at appropriate places during conferences to help the sheep know when to Woo along.

Patent Pending.
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We could call it the 'Woo' and capitalise on Nintendo's success.
You'd need to find a 17-year old snotty kid to do the tracks though. Actually, make that several, then you can have a "multi-Woo" to emulate more than one fanboy in the audience.

Or maybe, much like how pets can be taken on planes, journalists can register to bring their own chosen 'fanboy in a box' only to be let out in circumstances required of them.

Would it have been so hard to throw up a few velvet ropes for the press?
I think the real solution is to have two shows running simultaneously and synergistically coexisting. The glitz and gnurds, with access-only sections and (offsite?) events for the press and pros.

That's what they tried in the last few years of E3. However the companies that were exhibiting their games spent so much on stands and merchandise in trying to stop the fanboys from infiltrating the press areas that they decided it wasn't worth it.

The trouble was that E3 was a trade-only show, you needed a company registration or press pass to get in. Hence the invention of the 14 year old CEOs. Hence the fanboy atmosphere that snowballed into the overblown mess we saw last year. Giving a day over to the press when any old blog counted as press was also a bit of a mistake. See the Wii race on the opening day and 4-5 hours plus queue to try it out for examples of why.

A trade/press show should be based around pre-arranged appointments with small stands to facilitate impromptu meetings and general information regarding products. The only give-aways should be press packs and maybe a bag. Chuck in some keynotes and a few demo pods and you have a perfect trade/press show.

Anything more is a consumer show and should be run as one.


I like the off-site side of your idea. Only I'd take it a bit further. Have an E3-a-polooza in LA/LV and a business summit in NY at the same time. Demos, glitz and T&A for the fanboys, serious business and roadmaps for publishers and devs. So far away from each other that one can't interfere with the other. Press can cover either or both depending on their audience.

That's not a bad idea Tyrion. Perhaps the real problem is that the industry has no event for the public. If there was such an event only for the public, to keep them away from the business bit that might work out.

Organisers really have to sort out their sercurity criteria for entry too. If the security checks were tighter they wouldn't get 14 year old CEOs in there. Is it so hard to ask to see some form of ID, plus your ticket? In a post 9/11 world it still amazes me how easy you can get into these shows.

If bloggers for gaming sites want to get it that badly, they should apply in writing, giving their site link and any other relivant info needed. Loop holes like retailers will always provide a way in though.

Even so, I still don't find it so insane, that any gamer would want to have a go of games coming out next year. Organisers should be looking at that and providing that service to the public, instead of punishing the average passionate gamer. Perhaps they could just provide a similar show like that, but with developers that can't afford to get into E3, grouping their resources for doing public shows or something. I do feel when there's a public event that's not half arsed, things will change.

Spong, I'd like to request that your man in japan, try to investigate why TGS, can get their shows right, and open to the public and press and make it work, but E3 monkeys seem to have so much troubling lack of courting their customers, the gamers, that said gamers feel the need to sneak into trade shows, to experience a side of gaming they won't see.

E for all in october.



I dont think the "14" year old CEO's are the whole problem. The issues in my eyes has always been that anyone could just buy a ticket. Not a commonly advertised route but they sold passes. Plus its been 18+ only for the last 2 years I believe.



That's how a lot of bloggers have worked. Much as the blogger community (the readers more than the writers) irritate me, I can't see excluding them. The sad fact is while most of them are fluff and nonsense they are at least an alternative to the 1ups and IGN's. Though Idealy everyone woudl realize how great we are and just come here ;)



e for all



I'm already planting the seeds to try and get out there for it this year. Part of the reason I skipped E3.
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Good one Lupos. I'd really like to know what the organisers of TGS have to say, on what there winning formula for their shows is (and what they think E3 are getting wrong), and then perhaps that info can be passed to the E3 organisers. Perhaps an interview with both E3 and TGS organisers might also be a good idea.

So they did a lousy job of it. I don't think having seaparate bicoastal shows is a good idea at all. If E3 went wrong by letting too many people claim press status, and allowing too many attendees...well, tighten up the press creds and restrict attendance.