E3 to be Downsized?

From Ars Technica: E3 game trade show not cancelled, but will be downsized

Contrary to reports across the web, E3 has not been cancelled. Next-Gen had hoped that they would blow the lid off of a hot story by revealing that the show had been cancelled, but some quick fact checking shows that they are simply incorrect.

Sources close to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) tell Ars Technica that the show can and will go on, but that big changes are planned. The "Electronic Entertainment Expo" (hence E3) started in 1995 as a small but interesting annual convention for gaming, following roughly six months after the once-popular annual COMDEX computer trade-show in Las Vegas. The show has grown immensely in popularity, and that appears to be the problem.

The article goes on to talk of game companies trying to out do each other by putting on a better "dog and pony show" and not getting enough return. It also mentions floor folks not being able to speak freely and of "the show in a show" system where one needs to get an appointment to get the real scoop.

I went to E3 this year and to tell you the truth, it was less crowded than last year. That doesn't mean it wasn't crowded though, it was still a mass of industry geeks and there were still hour long lines for some things, like the Spore demo. I can also attest to the existence of the "show in a show" system. I had appointments with the folks I interviewed and they were held in areas not accessible to the floor public. However, it has been like that for a few years now and I don't think the system will go away entirely. It just makes sense that the CEO of a company is not the one on the floor doing the demos for the week.

One thing they did this year was to have a Press only time slot, if the game companies want a chance to interact with the press more perhaps that time period could be extended. As far as the expense goes, maybe a cap of some sort might help. Of course that may fall prey to the old "only bring a $20 gift" syndrome and companies will still try to push it.

I don't have the answer but I do know one thing. E3 has taken on a life of its own. It's true that information is dispersed more quickly than ever, especially information geared towards a net savvy crowd like gamers, but E3 is still a trigger for the industry and the gaming public. There's still nothing that can compare to it that will get us to sit up and take notice. A press release here and there is not the same as the convenience of being able to play and see the games all at once, even if it is in the cacophony that is E3.

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