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In three weeks, about 40,000 people are expected to flood the Los Angeles for the 14th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). I spoke with Entertainment Software Association (ESA) VP of communications and research Rich Taylor last week to discuss his company's promises for the new-and-improved show and how it might change in the future -- including whether fans could be involved.
Taylor and the ESA began preparing for this year immediately last E3 wrapped. "We've been counting down [to this E3] for probably 364 days since the last one," laughed Taylor. "We're just trying to set a table that makes it the best show possible for our members, for our publishers and all those who are attending, too."
After major publishers who attended E3 2006 complained the show was becoming too big and too expensive, the ESA has been experimenting with new models. E3 2007 took place in Santa Monica and spread the event across much of the city, frustrating everyone involved. Last year, the ESA took E3 back to downtown Los Angeles but only invited a couple thousand attendees. The show lost some of its flair.
In an X-Play interview with G4's own Adam Sessler last October, Taylor claimed publishers had provided a "clear direction" for this year's E3, based on their experiences from the past two years. I asked him what that clear direction was.
"The clear direction," he explained, "was [publishers saying] 'make it work so people can see the new titles coming down the pike, so the media can have time with those titles, so the analysts can have time with those titles and allow there to be the energy and buzz that is so reflective of this industry so folks who walk in know they're in a special space.'"
Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have been not-so-quietly suggesting major announcements are coming out of the show, from new games to new hardware. While Taylor admits his access to publishers makes him aware of certain news that's coming, largely, he claims to be in the same veil of darkness as us.
"We try and have the monkeys with our hands over our ears and eyes," said Taylor. "Because if we don't know, then we can't be asked and we can't tell. I know they're [publishers] really working to find an opportunity to roll out exciting news during E3 and we're hearing that's exactly what's going to happen. There's gonna be some interesting announcements coming out of there."
One of the hot rumors surrounding this year's E3 was allowing a limited amount of the public into E3. Both Tokyo Game Show in Japan and Games Convention in Germany have press-only and free-for-all days. The ESA quickly dismissed these suggestions last year, though Taylor wouldn't rule it out for the future.
"E3 is not something that's been chiseled in stone and one year passed onto the next," he said. "It's evolved every single time. What it'll look like in 2010, 11 and 12 versus 2009 -- I can't tell you 'till we get through 2009. We'll get through that and do the same kind of evaluation, we'll do some qualitative and quantitative research, [and] we'll be talking to folks during the show about their experiences there. We'll look at what future editions might want to consider to include or to excise, as the case may be."
more here
Taylor and the ESA began preparing for this year immediately last E3 wrapped. "We've been counting down [to this E3] for probably 364 days since the last one," laughed Taylor. "We're just trying to set a table that makes it the best show possible for our members, for our publishers and all those who are attending, too."
After major publishers who attended E3 2006 complained the show was becoming too big and too expensive, the ESA has been experimenting with new models. E3 2007 took place in Santa Monica and spread the event across much of the city, frustrating everyone involved. Last year, the ESA took E3 back to downtown Los Angeles but only invited a couple thousand attendees. The show lost some of its flair.
In an X-Play interview with G4's own Adam Sessler last October, Taylor claimed publishers had provided a "clear direction" for this year's E3, based on their experiences from the past two years. I asked him what that clear direction was.
"The clear direction," he explained, "was [publishers saying] 'make it work so people can see the new titles coming down the pike, so the media can have time with those titles, so the analysts can have time with those titles and allow there to be the energy and buzz that is so reflective of this industry so folks who walk in know they're in a special space.'"
Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have been not-so-quietly suggesting major announcements are coming out of the show, from new games to new hardware. While Taylor admits his access to publishers makes him aware of certain news that's coming, largely, he claims to be in the same veil of darkness as us.
"We try and have the monkeys with our hands over our ears and eyes," said Taylor. "Because if we don't know, then we can't be asked and we can't tell. I know they're [publishers] really working to find an opportunity to roll out exciting news during E3 and we're hearing that's exactly what's going to happen. There's gonna be some interesting announcements coming out of there."
One of the hot rumors surrounding this year's E3 was allowing a limited amount of the public into E3. Both Tokyo Game Show in Japan and Games Convention in Germany have press-only and free-for-all days. The ESA quickly dismissed these suggestions last year, though Taylor wouldn't rule it out for the future.
"E3 is not something that's been chiseled in stone and one year passed onto the next," he said. "It's evolved every single time. What it'll look like in 2010, 11 and 12 versus 2009 -- I can't tell you 'till we get through 2009. We'll get through that and do the same kind of evaluation, we'll do some qualitative and quantitative research, [and] we'll be talking to folks during the show about their experiences there. We'll look at what future editions might want to consider to include or to excise, as the case may be."
more here