Say Goodbye to E3
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is thinking of getting rid of E3 and creating a new expo – if you could call it that. The new convention would be considerably smaller. This would mean that the number of attendees would be in the hundreds and not in the thousands as they currently are. Not only that, but the show would be moving from the 540,000 square feet Los Angeles Convention Centre to a smaller venue. Instead of large exhibits, like the elaborate Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess booth in 2004, we’ll be getting small meeting rooms in which the press is demoed games.
Why is this being done? Well, the costs associated with E3 is becoming a concern for some publishers. Travel costs, living expenses during the show, and the costs of hiring the large amount of staff members is a bit pricey. A smaller show would mean less people travelling, staying in hotels, and nobody needed to walk around booths looking pretty and helping out gamers with games.
There are considerable downsides as well though. The Los Angeles hotel and service industry makes an estimated $50 million (USD) during E3. They’d be hit pretty bad by this change. Smaller publishers will also be hurting because they wouldn’t be able to get some of that meeting space in a smaller venue. They’ll need to find a different way to market their games without E3.
It might be better for some press members who hate the environment of E3 in its present form, but I don’t think this change benefits gamers too much. It seems to be aimed at increasing the profits of the big publishers while giving a kick in the shins to smaller developers and gamers. The official word is expected tomorrow. What do you guys think?
Via Next-Gen
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is thinking of getting rid of E3 and creating a new expo – if you could call it that. The new convention would be considerably smaller. This would mean that the number of attendees would be in the hundreds and not in the thousands as they currently are. Not only that, but the show would be moving from the 540,000 square feet Los Angeles Convention Centre to a smaller venue. Instead of large exhibits, like the elaborate Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess booth in 2004, we’ll be getting small meeting rooms in which the press is demoed games.
Why is this being done? Well, the costs associated with E3 is becoming a concern for some publishers. Travel costs, living expenses during the show, and the costs of hiring the large amount of staff members is a bit pricey. A smaller show would mean less people travelling, staying in hotels, and nobody needed to walk around booths looking pretty and helping out gamers with games.
There are considerable downsides as well though. The Los Angeles hotel and service industry makes an estimated $50 million (USD) during E3. They’d be hit pretty bad by this change. Smaller publishers will also be hurting because they wouldn’t be able to get some of that meeting space in a smaller venue. They’ll need to find a different way to market their games without E3.
It might be better for some press members who hate the environment of E3 in its present form, but I don’t think this change benefits gamers too much. It seems to be aimed at increasing the profits of the big publishers while giving a kick in the shins to smaller developers and gamers. The official word is expected tomorrow. What do you guys think?
Via Next-Gen
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