We’re going to E3!

Keen and Graev are going to E3!  After many years of watching live feeds on the web and suffering through G4’s coverage, we finally have the opportunity to attend E3 in person on behalf of IGN’s Vault Network.  E3 has changed a lot the past two years.  It’s no longer about the show; it’s about the games.    Here is a bit of info from the official 08 summit site:

The 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit will take place from July 15 – 17, 2008, at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today. The event will continue to focus on the business of the computer and video game industry, with an emphasis on press events and small meetings with media, development, and other key sectors. While there will be opportunities for game demonstrations, the 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit will not feature the large trade show environment of previous years.

“The US is the world’s number one video game market and the E3 Media & Business Summit is its premier video game conference. The 2008 Summit will provide a professional and efficient environment for suite-based meetings with media, and other industry leaders,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA, which represents US computer and video game publishers and organizes the E3 Media ” Business Summit. “We look forward to welcoming the media and top industry executives to a centralized, business focused and personalized experience. Our program of high-level meetings, networking and personal dialogue, and industry-shaping panel discussions will capture the explosive growth we have seen in 2007 and lay the foundation for the 2008 video game marketplace.”

The event will be open to ESA members and non-members alike. Companies involved in console, PC, online, and mobile game publishing and developing, as well as makers of video game hardware and peripherals will be eligible to participate. Attendance at all events, meetings, and demonstrations will be by invitation only.

The event is still over two months away but if anyone else is going let us know!  We would love to try and get together even if it’s only for a few minutes.

  • *Turning as green as a Greenskin with jealousy right now.*

    -Grats! Take many pictures and books of notes, while your there. I want to know all!!-

  • Well, keep in mind that we’re going as representatives for the VN. 😉 I wish blogging were the reason. But thank you. 😀

  • Ahhh I’m not going this year, but have fun guys. The ‘new’ E3 isn’t the same big party it was (E3 ’98 was insane!), but it’s always been the ability to see so many games and talk with so many developers within a short frenzied few days.

    Plan out your days, seriously, and start making any interview appointments right now. And invitation-only doesn’t mean you can’t ask to be invited. But I’m sure you’re getting this stuff via IGN so I’ll shutup now, I just miss going to these things. =)

  • Gratz guys!

    What did happen to E3 btw was it gone last year or something ?

  • E3 isn’t about the show, the booths, or the babes anymore. It’s about the publishers and companies working with video games to come and share their information with the media and businesses of the world. In my opinion it is much better now. We’re able to get better info at less cost to the companies. It’s all about the games now instead of the flashy costumes and expensive elaborate booths.

  • Yeah, last time I went (2005, when we got a guided tour of an EXTREMELY early build of AoC by Gaute Gaudager) it was beyond insane. (One of the most popular freebies was the free earplugs being handed out at the Tylenol kiosk in the breezeway.)

    It looks to be a better event now, despite many of the major publishers pulling out.

    You’ll have a blast guys, and learn a TON of stuff.

  • Hey Keen I want to ask you an important question. I have already preordered AoC but now am split between that and WAR. I haven’t played WAR so I am not sure what to base it off of but I haven’t been in the beta for AoC either. I want to know which one you would reccomend more right now? I may wait out for WAR if you think it will be much more fun than AoC.

    Please e-mail the response because I cannot check here as often as I would like: [email protected]

    Thanks!

    -Damen

  • Well to be fair, as press, E3 was always about the games. You stepped right past the other nonsense into the back part of the booth or up to a conference room to see the game and talk to the developers privately.

    What was a serious distraction were the after-show parties each night: the free booze and all night socializing kind of left everyone burned out during the day. It did make for some amusing interviews with hungover designers but was mostly a detraction from E3’s usefulness.

    Realize that E3 was originally meant to be two things:

    1. A show for press. The first few years had so few press that you were treated like royalty just from having a press tag. Now, the industry has more press than they can manage, so that’s what the changes are about, managing the press.

    2. A thank-you party for all of the developers that work insanely long hours on these games. It was often said to the developers “this is your show”. So while the common belief is that the change was to get rid of booth babes, it was really about saving money and keeping the developers working throughout.

    You would not believe some of the expense of these parties: Cirque de Soliel @ Nintendo dinner, Michael Jackson @ Sony party, David Bowie @ Eidos.. it really was over the top crazy.

    It needed to be made smaller, but I can’t help but think all that “thanks” to the developers is just gone. While I expect the parties will still go on with a smaller scale, most of the developers stay back at the office now while just a few producers and designers go to E3.

    LOL and my apologies to K&G for using their blog comments as a soapbox again, although hopefully there’s some interest in this stuff. =)