E3
 

Can somebody tell me what happened to E3? Why was it canceled, or downsized? Is anything going to take it's place? I think it's a bummer that this happened. This was always one of my favorite times of year because of E3.

It was made smaller since it basically became an anime convention.

The new E3 is in July.

How much smaller did they make it? Down to how it was like 10 years ago?

It's now closed to the public and the number of invites that went out has been drastically reduced.

E3 2006 attendance was around 60,000+ people. The new E3 will have a total of about 3,000 to 4,000 people. The old E3 was held in a giant convention hall in downtown L.A.. The new E3 will be within an airplane hanger and a series of hotels in Santa Monica.

You don't have much to be bummed about. You will still get a ton of info on new games for the upcoming year. Just without all the ridiculous circus sideshow.

But I like the circus :sad:

As far as I know it was always industry-only, though they were pretty lax on who was considered industry. I worked in accounting for Vivendi and I got passes every year (I went 5 years in a row). I believe every EB Games employee got a pass, etc.

I used to always get an extra pass an bring a friend too.

I think it went from something like 300-400 exhibitors to 30. But you have to understand that there were a bunch of small peripheral companies, magazines you never heard of, etc.

I imagine the 30 still around are all the big developers/publishers.

PAX is the new E3. ;)

Yeah, that's spot on. There were tons of no-name companies stuffed down in Kentia Hall in 06. Sure there were a few gems down there (Red Octane), but it was mostly crap.

Specifically, the exhibitors at E3 07 will be:

1C Company
Activision Publishing Co.
Akella
Atari Inc.
Atlus U.S.A. Inc.
Bethesda Softworks
CAPCOM Entertainment, Inc.
Codemasters
Crave Entertainment
D3 Publisher of America
Disney Interactive Studios
Eidos, Inc.
Electronic Arts
Foundation 9 Entertainment
GSC Game World
id Software
Konami Digital Entertainment America
Logitech
LucasArts
Majesco Entertainment
Microsoft Corporation
Midway Games, Inc.
Namco Bandai Games America
Natsume
NCsoft
Nintendo
Nyko Technologies
SEGA of America
Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc.
Sony Online Entertainment
Square Enix
Take-Two Interactive
THQ, Inc.
Ubi Soft Entertainment, Inc.
Vivendi Games
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc.

That's pretty much makes up the booths that were worth visiting at E3 06.

*shudders*