E3 Redefined

News of E3's demise came tumbling down onto the game community in a hurry, and while not necessarily accurate, the vastly redefined Electronic Entertainment Expo does warrant questions about how news, updates, and game announcements will be handled going forward.

Why the Change?
The Electronic Entertainment Expo offered that single place, that one opportunity per year to announce new games, new products, and new services on a massive scale. The world's media gathered and the world's gamers listened intently for each scrap of news.

While last year's Expo was massively popular, the cost in terms of money and time taken directly away from game development has rapidly been spiraling upward. Initially, E3 offered the one chance to be heard, but with other conferences (Game Developers Conference, Tokyo Game Show, Leipzig Games Conference), and new opportunities for delivering content directly to gamers (like Microsoft's Xbox Live® Marketplace), the logic behind spending millions atop of millions at E3 has failed.

The Marketplace Revolution
Perhaps the most substantial reason for change in E3 is the ease with which publishers and developers can get their information directly to gamers. With each major online game website updating on a daily basis, it is now a simple matter to get major press coverage for a new announcement.

Now, with Xbox Live Marketplace and other similar services, it has become that much easier to not only get coverage, but get high-quality video and even playable demos directly into the hands of gamers. This "let the gamers make up their minds" opportunity is a boon for publishers, who now no longer have to rely solely on game media outlets to evaluate their titles before gamers can see for themselves.

What it Means
Thinking in purely selfish terms as a gamer, the shift in focus for E3 can only be a good thing. There are two primary reasons to consider:

1. News as it Comes: Before, with publishers and developers focused so entirely on this one event, important news, coverage, and announcements would be held back. Now news will be released when it's news, and not when it's E3 season.
2. Less Break in Development: The early versions of games you see displayed at E3 or other conventions, are not reflective of the natural development process. Developers spend months crafting one level or experience just for E3, which takes them away from general game development. Without E3 as we know it now, game developers should be able to focus more on speed and quality in their production.

E3 Evolved
Let us now, however, make the mistake of believing that E3. While the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) has yet to divulge specific details, we do know that E3 will continue as a much more intimate, invitation only affair.

What is most likely is that it will return as something closer to what it originally was, allowing developers to establish relationships with would-be publishers, and allowing gaming media to cover major announcements on a slightly more relaxed scale.

Though most gamers were taken aback at first, it is rapidly becoming apparent that the scaling back and redefinition of E3 isn't bad news, but is, in fact, good news. With publishers having the opportunity to spread out their announcements and game coverage, and more importantly, spending less time creating special "E3 builds", the benefits to the gamer community should be felt almost immediately.

Article by Ryan Treit