Treit and True

Anticipating the New Look of E3

Published June 20, 2007

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo has always been marked on the calendar by avid gamers. Its May timeframe of years past brought forth a whirlwind of gaming news, hands-on reports, hundreds of trailers, thousands of screenshots, and perhaps most importantly, the unveiling of previously unknown games and even consoles. But the new look of E3 has changed.

Are we a little excited about Halo 3? What do you think?

When last year's E3 closed its doors, it said goodbye to much of the rambunctious, party-like chaos, eardrum bursting sound systems, and (thankfully) the sweaty crush of thousands of people jammed uncomfortably together, trying desperately to get to that next booth or meeting.

From Microsoft to Ubisoft, EA, Activision, Take Two,
SEGA, LucasArts, and more, nearly all the heavy hitters
are present and accounted for.

E3 Rebirth
My time at E3 in 2005 and 2006 taught me one thing. I love the purpose of the conference but found its execution exhausting. Just trying to navigate the suffocating crowds required a remarkable level of patience, and an unnatural aptitude for body contortions. Appreciating the subtle merits of a game with a cacophony of ear-splitting music and sound effects pouring out from every conceivable angle is simply not ideal.

While a bit of the glitz, glamour, and insanity may seem to have been peeled away, the newly revamped E3 conference provides greater benefits to the media covering the event, and the fans reading about the upcoming games.

• Time to savor: Where once I had to stand amid a throng of attendees under swirling lights and blaring speakers, hands-on time with games will now take place in a designated area (the Barker Hangar) a great deal less frantic than the E3 booths of old.

Time to go hands-on before BioShock's release.

• Simply less: Where last year the Entertainment Software Association reported 60,000-plus attendees trundling through the gates at E3 in Los Angeles, this year's event will host a more modest crowd of three to four thousand. It may seem less like a party, but that means shorter lines and a great deal more time for well-researched reports on your favorite, most anticipated games.
• The interview: Though hundreds, if not thousands, of interviews have been conducted yearly on the show floor, it was nearly impossible to take notes and properly record a conversation even behind closed doors. With the "booths" being held offsite this year, and interviews conducted in hotel suites and conference rooms, you can count on even deeper, more revealing interviews with greater frequency.
• Big boys are back: Many feared that with a retooled E3, several larger publishers and developers would shy away from the new conference, but that hasn't really been the case. From Microsoft to Ubisoft, EA, Activision, Take Two, SEGA, LucasArts, and more, nearly all the heavy hitters are present and accounted for.
• The pre-conference: A staple of E3 for years has been the press briefings held a day or two before the event. These pre-conference blowouts have largely been responsible for the biggest, most ground-breaking announcements of the entire show, and they remain just as integral a part as ever.
• Better depth: You may have noticed that many publishers have been holding pre-E3 events to announce games and allow hands-on time to reporters well in advance of the show. While it's merely conjecture, it's my hope that this points to more elaborate, in-depth demonstrations of gameplay for games during E3. After all, if they've already introduced the game to the world, they can spend more time during E3 digging deeper into their various features.

Too Human is ready for redemption.

My Own Musings
For my own part, I'm anticipating this year's E3 more than before for a few reasons:

• Two years experience: After covering two E3s, I feel like I'm seasoned enough to avoid classic pitfalls. No more lugging my laptop through the show floor, or booking back-to-back appointments. Now, I can take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, like weaseling my way into a behind-closed-doors showing without an invitation.
• Surprises: Even though I cover all things Xbox® and Xbox 360™ related, E3 is always ready with a surprise game or blockbuster announcement I hadn't even guessed at. There's nothing more exciting than being on the ground floor of a breakout surprise.
• Camaraderie: E3 show goers all share a certain bond in their common quest to survive the show, so catching up with other writers or getting to spend a bit of time with developers I respect and admire is a rare treat, and one of the most rewarding aspects of the show.
• Shared experience: Feature rundowns of newly announced games and straight-up question-and-answer interviews are well and good, but part of the spice of E3 is relating not only the nuts and bolts of the games, but the experience of discovering them during and within the conference, as well as relating the various shenanigans that ensue on the show floor. It's always a hoot to spot celebrities, run into innovative developers, or receive a surprise invitation to a closed-door event.

Even with the crowd winnowed by several thousand people, E3 promises to be a hectic but rewarding experience. There's simply no better time to be a gamer as the whole next year of gaming and beyond is laid out before us to see and anticipate. It should be a fun ride.

Article by Ryan Treit