So is there ANYONE here I'll be able to meet at next E3?

[Nev]

Seriously, I've been exchanging messages with y'all for long enough now...anyone going to E3 next year?

[Tortolia]

Bit far off to even think about making plans.

[SineSwiper]

Yeah, move it back to Atlanta. Of course, fat chance of that happening, considering that they need to hire a titload of California girls for each E3 show.

[Zeus]

Seriously, I've been exchanging messages with y'all for long enough now...anyone going to E3 next year?

Come hell or high heaven, I'm there next year. It's going to be one helluva kick-ass show

[Nev]

Yeah, move it back to Atlanta. Of course, fat chance of that happening, considering that they need to hire a titload of California girls for each E3 show.

I think a very great number of them are just L.A. models that get hired locally through Craigslist or similar, or through trade-show modelling agencies. I don't see the booth-babe factor as a serious "we can't move this to another state" limiting point. The fact that Atlanta is a longer flight from Japan/Korea and that L.A. is an increasing game-development center I think has more to do with it.

[Zeus]

Yeah, move it back to Atlanta. Of course, fat chance of that happening, considering that they need to hire a titload of California girls for each E3 show.

I think a very great number of them are just L.A. models that get hired locally through Craigslist or similar, or through trade-show modelling agencies. I don't see the booth-babe factor as a serious "we can't move this to another state" limiting point. The fact that Atlanta is a longer flight from Japan/Korea and that L.A. is an increasing game-development center I think has more to do with it.

The fact is that a lot of the US development houses are on the west coast (Nintendo and Microshaft in Washington and Silicon Valley). When it moved to Atlanta, they bitched endlessly about the travel and whined, so they brought it back. They WERE going to go back and forth but decided not to 'cause of the developers

[Blotus]

Get me in and send me a plane ticket and I'll be there.

[Anarky]

if i still work at bestbuy or some place with video games I will be able to get in for free

[Nev]

Get me in and send me a plane ticket and I'll be there.

You can get in if you pay, even if you don't work in the industry. It's sort of one of those unwritten things. It's expensive though - last year it was around three bills ($300 US), with a little variation depending on registration date.

[Tortolia]

Yes, the exhibits only people that swarm E3 like locusts. Feh.

[Nev]

Yes, the exhibits only people that swarm E3 like locusts. Feh.

Huh?

Most of the "Exhibits Only" people are people who do work in the industry - that's the free pass level. Anything else has to be paid for. My guess is that most people who pay I would think are less likely to warrant the kind of derision you seem to have, since I suspect most of the fanboy-types either don't have or don't want to spend that kind of money on an E3 pass. Faking one's credentials is a much cheaper option, and it happens all the bloody time - my friend's been doing it for years.

[Garford]

I was at E3 several years back, covering stuff for a Taiwanese magazine and I swear never to return again… Too many damn people ogling at woman and blocking pathway, developers sprouting nonsense and purposely evading questions, yada yada.

Was a bad experience for me then. You have to club and drug me to convince me to go for it again….

[Imakeholesinu]

How much is b33r there? Is LA a Toll free zone? I'm definitely not driving. Mental, can I crash at your pad? I think I might consider going since I'll get close to 2400 in cash from the parents for schooling, I'll just say this goes towards my education. Hell I'm flying to Japan on it this december!

[Nev]

Barret: If you're serious, e-mail me at f-a-seidman-at-comcast-dot-net, with "at" replaced with the symbol, "dot" replaced by a period, and no dashes (even in my name), and we'll discuss it. Sorry for the paranoia, but I really hate losing good e-mail accounts to spam-spiders and the like.

[Tortolia]

E3 is supposed to be a media event, not a venue for Joe Video Game Store Worker to wander around looking at random shit simply because they want to.

Pop says it better than I could, anyway.

[Nev]

I don't feel like arguing today...

Well, that's not strictly true. Lately it seems like I always feel like arguing.

I disagree, because what if Joe Video Game Store Worker sees E3, really likes what he sees, and decides that this is what he wants to do with his life? This is pretty much what happened to me; I'd regard it as a pretty positive event all around, and I still enjoy E3 very much.

Honestly, I think it's very easy to be sarcastic about it, and much harder to offer constructive advice. But that's just me.

[Kupek]

I disagree, because what if Joe Video Game Store Worker sees E3, really likes what he sees, and decides that this is what he wants to do with his life? This is pretty much what happened to me; I'd regard it as a pretty positive event all around, and I still enjoy E3 very much.

That argument can be made for any event. But that really doesn't change Tort's point: the intent of the event is for companies to dispense information to journalists, not to be a videogame free-for-all for hobbyists.

[Imakeholesinu]

Mental: If I knew some dates when it would be happening I'd be able to check and see if and when graduation is. I'd really like to go since I've been wanting to go since I was 16. I'll let you know as time moves closer and I know as much as you would like to finalize plans, I would too but I've got a shit storm of stuff going down here in the coming months with me graduating college possibly, my girlfriend, and my mom moving from STL to Florida in possibly after I graduate. I will let you know as soon as I know, just remind me.

[Nev]

It's more than just a media free-for-all, guys, it is a *trade show*. There is a conference program, workshops, industry parties affiliated with E3 at night, etc and etc. It is a way for those working in the industry (and, I would argue, those who desire to do so) to make and renew connections as well. Is media coverage of upcoming games a major part of it? Yes. But it's not all of it.

Our hypothetical videogame store worker is a more capable videogame store worker if he/she (don't we wish) is aware of upcoming titles. As far as hobbyism goes, I really do think that the $300 price tag keeps most of the armchair developers out, and if someone wants to invest that much to learn about the industry, or, quite frankly, just gawk at the games, I don't think it's a sadder experience for anyone. Honestly, as far as the media goes, any dork with a website and a yen to be considered a game journalist can get up the credentials for a media badge, and many do. The people I enjoyed hanging out with at E3 this year the least were some rather dubious "journalists" of this variety, and those who enriched my experience the most were pretty much everyone else.

I think it might be a sadder E3 if someone with a passion for games couldn't pay to get in. It defrays the cost of holding a convention like this as well. Now, the convention center looked like it was strained to bursting this year and the industry isn't getting any smaller, so something will most likely have to give, and I don't know what the right answer is on that. But I would like to challenge the idea that E3 is this purely-media event, and reiterate the point that there are dorkuses gawking at games wearing badges of all kinds.

By the way, Tort, have you even been to E3?

[Nev]

Mental: If I knew some dates when it would be happening I'd be able to check and see if and when graduation is. I'd really like to go since I've been wanting to go since I was 16. I'll let you know as time moves closer and I know as much as you would like to finalize plans, I would too but I've got a shit storm of stuff going down here in the coming months with me graduating college possibly, my girlfriend, and my mom moving from STL to Florida in possibly after I graduate. I will let you know as soon as I know, just remind me.

Well, E3 just happened, so you've got a year. It'll be sometime in May next year.

[Kupek]

It's more than just a media free-for-all, guys, it is a *trade show*.

Trade shows are not intended for consumers. Nor are they intended to be recruitment vehicles for people interested in the industry. E3 might have inspired you to work in the industry, but did you actually make contacts there that led to your job? I doubt it. Companies aren't there to recruit employees. They're there to show off their products.

Our hypothetical videogame store worker is a more capable videogame store worker if he/she (don't we wish) is aware of upcoming titles.

A videogame store clerk has no need to physically be at E3 to get the information to do their job, nor do they really need to have detailed knowledge of the industry. If they did, they'd be paid a lot more.

[Zeus]

E3 is supposed to be a media event, not a venue for Joe Video Game Store Worker to wander around looking at random shit simply because they want to.

Pop says it better than I could, anyway.

The whole idea is to get the people who work in the stores excited so they'll sell the games, they'll never deny them access. Do you know how much the free marketing is worth? Look at Katamari. Would have been nothing without the excitement. I know my bud sold a few copies of Rome:Total War after seeing it at E3. It's vital to the industry, it's their lifeblood

[Nev]

I disagree, mostly. (Not with you, Zeus.)

Briefly, I would agree that, no, trade shows are not intended as recruitment vehicles. I don't think most people who pay are there for that. But though I didn't make any contacts that directly led to employment at Jamdat, the love of the industry that previous shows inspired in me was a factor in keeping me interested enough to eventually look for work in that capacity.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to argue any more today, but I think you're being incredibly cocksure right now. Quite frankly, in my opinion, you don't know nearly as much about the show or the industry as you seem to think you do.

And as an aside, I'll ask the same thing of you I asked of Tort - have you even been to E3?

Andrew "so much for my high-toned anti-disparagement speech" Seidman

[Kupek]

No, I have never been to E3 since I do not work in the videogame industry in any capacity, and I have no plans to. I think the points I've raised are still valid, and apply to analogous events in other industries.

As for being cocksure, you probably get that impression because I state my views simply and without qualifiers. This is purposeful on my part because I think writing that way is concise and clear. I try to cultivate that way of expressing myself whenever possible. Related to that, I think you might put too much emotional investment in a discussion of a media event.

[Don]

It's pretty obvious that whatever the old way was it sure didn't bring us to gaming nirvana so why does it matter if they're commericalizing it? It's also pretty easy to rationalize that people must do something they know ahead of time would be a waste of time (for them) before they're qualified to say that such an activity is a waste of time.

Personally I could care less about what the old or the new way is because I've no intention of going there either way. But you're free to go if that kind of thing floats your boat. If Nasu Kinoko from Typemoon is coming to US for a fan convention I'll be sure to head there too, and with my genius and his writing ability we'll take over the gaming world. Or, more realistically, since he probably doesn't even speak English he probably could care less what I have to think about his game and if such an event actually happens he'd probably end up answering stuff like if Fate's characters faced off against Dragonball, who would win? Just because you're going to a circus with no profound impact doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. Now if you're looking for something with a profound effect while going to a circus, then it's your own problem for going to the wrong place.

[Tortolia]

I have been to E3 twice, in 2001 and 2002. Guess what? I was there on a media badge, working for RPGFan, and I spent all three days both years busting my ass running between the media center and appointments. The crowding then wasn't as bad as it reportedly has been in recent years, but there were still plenty of booths I couldn't get a good look at simply because they were overcrowded.

And as a side note, the discussion thread for the Corp article I linked had quite a few people in the industry agreeing that the exhibits only badges are the problem, not the media. When people who actually are trying to be productive there are being inhibited by people there just to take a day or two off work, something is wrong. The thread's a good read if you didn't look.

Video game store employees don't need to be at E3 to do their jobs, because aside from maybe hyping an extra pre-order or two out of naive customers, it's not going to change sales volume. By the time the games actually come out the hype will be forgotten, and it's not like the store employees won't have easy/early access to titles to hype up when they actually come out.

Still, E3 is a loss. If I go in the future it'll probably mainly be to meet up with the Corp crew and take in an appointment or two, not out of some misguided impression about the wonderfulness of E3.

[Don]

I don't see how E3 is a big deal for media anymore than the average guy. It's not like every media don't already have access to the same exclusive info that only they're supposed to know about. It's not like you'll be talking to Sid Meier or Hideo Kojima whoever and they'll say 'Whoa that's a great idea! Let's rule the galaxy together!" The developers are there but you're still going to get the same old PR stuff.

[Flip]

I don't see how E3 is a big deal for media anymore

Because the media want to have those pictures of the new systems/games/whatever just as fast as Joe Blow's blog site.

[SineSwiper]

I think you're being incredibly cocksure right now.

Hehheh, you said cock. COCK! I actually had to look that one up.