The "Evolution" of E3?
Derek Hidey
Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: The AT Wire
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In the May 10th issue of The Bottom Line, I wrote a column regarding one blogger's opinion about E3. He gave ten reasons why you should be glad you aren't going to E3. At the time, such reassurances provided comfort for those of us without the time or money to travel to Los Angeles. However, certain events of this past summer have caused me a great deal of pain.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) broke the news about the "evolution" of E3 in a press release given on July 31st. The press release was prompted because of an online gaming publication called Next Generation, which broke the story on the 30th. Doug Lowenstein, ESA head, told the media that E3 would be scaled down in the future to allow for a more concentrated event. He went on to discuss how the huge mega-show that was E3 was too costly, and that publishers were putting more into the show then they were getting out of it.
So, here we are. Another industry being hijacked by the publisher's greed and need for cost efficiency. The Electronic Entertainment Industry no longer needs to cater to its consumers. They know that gamers will continue to buy there games no matter if there is or isn't an E3 in the future.
I'm sure many business majors on campus would give the argument that if the publishers don't worry about cost efficiency, they would go bankrupt and then they wouldn't be making games at all. I will not pretend to know more about business then an English major commonly would. However, as a gamer, I feel betrayed.
So what if it costs a lot of money for game software publishers to put a booth with belly dancers and giant, flat panel monitors displaying demos of their latest games? It is their responsibility to give back to the people who made the industry the giant it is today. Do musicians just record a CD and then disappear until their next CD is for sale? No, instead they go on tour and give back to those who love their music. The game software developers and publishers need to do the same. They release a game and then disappear until their next title hits the shelves. E3 was the game industry's equivalent to going on tour.
I feel a personal loss since the announcement of the end of E3. Being a gamer, it has always been a goal of mine to make it to at least one E3 before I got too old. On the bright side, the GO3 Electronic Entertainment Expo 2007, a high-profile event similar to E3, is something to look forward to. The bad news is that it is being held in Merth, Australia. There are rumors that, depending on its success, it may end up closer to home the next time around.
I'm still waiting to see the blog title on Gamespot: "The Top Ten Reasons Why I Should Have Gone to E3."
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) broke the news about the "evolution" of E3 in a press release given on July 31st. The press release was prompted because of an online gaming publication called Next Generation, which broke the story on the 30th. Doug Lowenstein, ESA head, told the media that E3 would be scaled down in the future to allow for a more concentrated event. He went on to discuss how the huge mega-show that was E3 was too costly, and that publishers were putting more into the show then they were getting out of it.
So, here we are. Another industry being hijacked by the publisher's greed and need for cost efficiency. The Electronic Entertainment Industry no longer needs to cater to its consumers. They know that gamers will continue to buy there games no matter if there is or isn't an E3 in the future.
I'm sure many business majors on campus would give the argument that if the publishers don't worry about cost efficiency, they would go bankrupt and then they wouldn't be making games at all. I will not pretend to know more about business then an English major commonly would. However, as a gamer, I feel betrayed.
So what if it costs a lot of money for game software publishers to put a booth with belly dancers and giant, flat panel monitors displaying demos of their latest games? It is their responsibility to give back to the people who made the industry the giant it is today. Do musicians just record a CD and then disappear until their next CD is for sale? No, instead they go on tour and give back to those who love their music. The game software developers and publishers need to do the same. They release a game and then disappear until their next title hits the shelves. E3 was the game industry's equivalent to going on tour.
I feel a personal loss since the announcement of the end of E3. Being a gamer, it has always been a goal of mine to make it to at least one E3 before I got too old. On the bright side, the GO3 Electronic Entertainment Expo 2007, a high-profile event similar to E3, is something to look forward to. The bad news is that it is being held in Merth, Australia. There are rumors that, depending on its success, it may end up closer to home the next time around.
I'm still waiting to see the blog title on Gamespot: "The Top Ten Reasons Why I Should Have Gone to E3."
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