Gamertell

E3 2008 was an unmitigated disaster.

This singular sentence summed up the reaction that gamers felt towards this version of the long-running video-game based trade show. Once an event celebrated as much for its extravagance as its large variety of video games on display, the 2008 version of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, now known as the E3 Media & Business Summit, was a shadow of its former self, stripped of its style and verve which resulted in its popularity with gamers plummeting faster than the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The reason E3 lost its luster can be attributed to various factors, however, its chief source of frustration was the decision to close off E3 to the public. A decision that I disagree with wholeheartedly.

I believe that an E3 that allows the public access will help in allowing the show to regain its luster.

When perusing opinions on the current state of E3, I was reading an editorial saying why the show needed to be restored to its former condition. While I found myself agreeing with what was stated, one line stood out: “by opening E3 to the public, the relevancy of the exhibition takes an immediate upward turn.”

Reading this quote had me thinking: When I was just starting out in the world of video gaming and observing the various trade shows that were present, I only wanted to go to E3. I didn’t care about PAX or the Tokyo Game Show. I only wanted to attend the show that had the grandest spectacle available. I wanted to attend what was, at the time, the greatest video game show on earth, and that show was E3.

When E3 was at its apex in popularity, members of both the gaming and mainstream media profiled its attendance, publishers not only had the opportunity to speak with the ‘official’ personnel there, but also had the chance to interact with the fans and gain genuine feedback on the state of their product. A fan could take a look at the latest Call of Duty game, let the publisher know that some errant bugs existed, and then the publisher could use that advice to improve the game proper, thus ensuring it greater sales.

An E3 that saw attendance by the public would also allow hammer home the point that at the end of the day, it is consumers who decide the fate of the gaming industry. The people who wait in sub-zero weather for hours on end to purchase a Playstation 3 or an Xbox 360, or even a Nintendo Wii are the people who need to be catered to the most, not industry and media officials. We already know their taste in games; it is time an event was figured out with the sole purpose in gauging the public’s tastes. This rationale is the main reason why events such as PAX and the Tokyo Game Show are attracting, and will continue to attract, large audiences. These shows cater to the consumers, which is why they have had no problem in stealing E3’s thunder, and will continue to do so unless the powers-that-be step in and do something.

Whatever happens at the next E3, it is clear that changes need to be made; as I have stated before, E3 used to be the reason that gamers went to trade shows and now it is a mess beyond repair. Inviting the public back into it would go a long way to restoring its glitz and glamor.

E3 - Open, Closed or Who Really Cares?

• E3 should open its doors, let the people flow
• Keep those E3 doors closed
• It doesn’t matter whether E3 goes public or not