E3 Scales Down

Press Release

July 31, 2006, 12:22 pm EDT
Total comments: 16

The ESA says the new Electronics Entertainment Expo's more "intimate" environment will no longer cause ears to bleed.

Entertainment Software Association Announces Evolution of E3Expo for 2007

Monday July 31, 1:46 pm ET

WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 2006--To better address

the needs of today's global computer and video game industry, the 2007

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3Expo) is evolving into a more

intimate event focused on targeted, personalized meetings and

activities, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced

today.

"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, the trade association representing

U.S. computer and video game publishers and the owner of E3Expo. "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."

The new E3Expo will take shape over the next several months. As

currently envisioned, it will still take place in Los Angeles,

described by ESA as a "great and supportive partner helping to build

E3." It will focus on press events and small meetings with media,

retail, development, and other key sectors. While there will be

opportunities for game demonstrations, E3Expo 2007 will not feature

the large trade show environment of previous years.

"E3Expo remains an important event for the industry and we want to

keep that sense of excitement and interest, ensuring that the human

and financial resources crucial to its success can be deployed

productively to create an exciting new format to meet the needs of the

industry. The new event ensures that there will be an effective and

more efficient way for companies to get information to media,

consumers, and others," said Lowenstein.

Additionally, the evolution of the video game industry into a vibrant

and expanding global market has led to the creation of major events in

different regions, such as the Games Convention in Leipzig, the Tokyo

Game Show, and company-specific events held by Sony, Nintendo,

Microsoft, and others around the world. As a result, Lowenstein said,

"It is no longer necessary or efficient to have a single industry

'mega-show.' By refocusing on a highly-targeted event, we think we can

do a better job serving our members and the industry as a whole, and

our members are energized about creating this new E3."

Additional details about the new E3Expo event will be forthcoming in

the next few months.

The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and

public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for

video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the

Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of

the $7 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2005,

and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more

information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com.

Talkback

PryopizmStan Ferguson, Staff AlumnusJuly 31, 2006

While I'd like to know more specifics about the changes taking place, I tentatively consider this good news.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorJuly 31, 2006

Sounds to me like we will still get the major press conferences competing with each other anyway...

MaleficentOgreJuly 31, 2006

so all they're doing is getting rid of all the fluff and stuff?

Smash_BrotherJuly 31, 2006

MS and Sony are likely pissed because they each dropped a couple million dollars and Nintendo absolutely overshadowed them at the show, making it all an exercise in futility to have been there.

I guess when thousands of people run right past your booth to get to a competitors it's hard not to take it personally.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterJuly 31, 2006

If it's true that E3 is canceled for good, then E3 2006 will not only be known as the last E3 ever but the E3 Nintendo RULED with an iron fist.

NWR_LindyJon Lindemann, Associate EditorJuly 31, 2006

I think the point of all this is that that larger publishers (THQ, Midway, EA) finally realized that it's better to have a captive audience than competing for attention with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. For me personally, this year's E3 had me at the Nintendo booth 85% of the time, and another 10% spent touring the PS3 and 360 booths. That left 5% for everything else, like the publisher booths. If there were more people like me, I can see why publishers saw it as a waste of money. Why not have a more intimate setting where you can spend money more efficiently, have a better event (like renting a bar for instance), and force journalists to play even your crappy games because there's nothing else?

ruby_onixJuly 31, 2006

So first Nintendo cancels Shoshinkai/Spaceworld (the original videogame trade show which they invented back when they invented Nintendo Power, the original videogame magazine), because they say you need to experience the GameCube "hands on" in order to believe it. And that they can't afford to put on their own show anymore, since they lost all their third party attendance with the N64.

Then they don't join TGS, because apparently because putting on all those Fusion Tours leaves Nintendo with less money than... let's say... HAMSTER Corporation.

Then after that strategy generally fails, they say they won't go to TGS or bring back Spaceworld, because they'd rather focus all their money on E3. And because they only have enough big guns to unload once a year anyways.

Then after a few years of that, they finally win an E3, despite holding back most of their info because they say the non-people who aren't interested in games aren't watching E3 and aren't interested in it (which doesn't even make sense), and they decide that it wasn't worth going to E3 (despite everyone now talking about how Nintendo might take first place this gen, instead of a distant third). And we're supposed to believe that they're going to use the money they save by not going to E3 to let us have some personal "hands on" time with the Wii in order to believe it.

And IIRC, wasn't Nintendo initially opposed to the creation of E3, insisting that CES was sufficent, even though a year previous they had been the only ones threatening to pull out of CES?

Edit: Here's a good link that was in the other thread.
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3548&Itemid=2

Michael8983July 31, 2006

Could this bring about the return of Spaceworld?
Let's hope. As has been said, at least Nintendo will go down in history as the undebateable winner of the last "true" E3.

ShyGuyJuly 31, 2006

Nintendo won the E3 where Reggie first appeared and Twilight Princess debuted. The one true Megaton

DjunknownJuly 31, 2006

Word from trusty Gamespot says they're reducing capicity from 60,000 attendees to just 5,000. Now that's major shrinkage.

Not only that, it's being pushed towards July. Looks like we'll have to be a little extra patient starting next year...

The source

If their plan holds up, E3 information overload will just mean 'busier' news days during the dog days fof summer.

Avinash_TyagiJuly 31, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: DjunknownNow that's major shrinkage.

They were in the pool too long

Bartman3010July 31, 2006

Looking at all the stuff they do for those E3 booths, you'd think they should've just used all those setups for a fun park or something. I mean, prize giveaways? Statues? Booth babes? I'd say its a good thing they're shrinking it down. You'd think they're attracting the wrong kind of people...

Berto2KJuly 31, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: Djunknown
Word from trusty Gamespot says they're reducing capicity from 60,000 attendees to just 5,000. Now that's major shrinkage.

That is not going to make it any easier on us media who get to attend. It means more work to have to get done each day per person. I already only get 3-4 hours a night at most the last 3 years.

vuduAugust 01, 2006

But it means you'll have less downtime waiting in lines and more hands-on time with the games. So you'll be able to cover the same amount in a third of the time (or three times the amount in the same amount of time).

KaironCarmine Red, Associate EditorAugust 01, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
But it means you'll have less downtime waiting in lines and more hands-on time with the games. So you'll be able to cover the same amount in a third of the time (or three times the amount in the same amount of time).

That's what they fear, lol.

The relentless american corporate drive for productivity! Do videogame journalists get overtime pay?

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

vuduAugust 01, 2006

Why would they get overtime pay? They'll be working the same amount of time. Same reason Berto shouldn't be worries about getting less then 3-4 hours of sleep.

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