E3 2009 - Open To The Public, Capped ar 40,000 attendees? Bloodbath almost certain.

Rlan · (10-21-2008, 12:59 AM)

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/level...k-of-june.aspx

Quote:

Level Up has just learned that after long, bruising and politically difficult negotiations, the Entertainment Software Association is preparing to announce tomorrow that E3 2009 will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center during the first week of June--and that for the first time, E3 will officially open its doors to the public at large. According to a source close to the process, the convention floor and meeting rooms will open on Tuesday June 2nd to media and industry professionals. On Friday June 5th and Saturday June 6th, however, the show floor will open up to the public. What about the famous press conferences from Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, along with a handful of third party publishers? Our source told us to "expect a boat load of press conferences on Monday during the day and on Tuesday morning."

Internally, the ESA and its members are referring to the event as a "prosumer show," a term our source found puzzling. Presumably it refers to the ESA's intent to reach out to not necessarily the world at large, but to media, industry professionals and the most avid gamers. For while attendance is expected to rise dramatically from the 2008 show, our source informed us that the ESA is aiming to cap next year's attendance at 40,000. That's significantly less than the record 70,000 people that attended E3 in 2005, and it's also less than the nearly 60,000 people who attended this year's Penny Arcade Expo in August in downtown Seattle.

Danthrax · (10-21-2008, 01:00 AM)

Who cares, nothing happens at E3 anyway.

Kafel · (10-21-2008, 01:00 AM)

So that's the article Croal prepared for so long ?

Linkzg · (10-21-2008, 01:00 AM)

He has risen

He has risen

Seiken · (10-21-2008, 01:01 AM)

Originally Posted by Danthrax:

Who cares, nothing happens at E3 anyway.

Oh really

DMeisterJ · (10-21-2008, 01:01 AM)

This was gonna be on X-Play tonight.

I got an E-mail about an E3 announcement.

X-pwned

Y2Kev · (10-21-2008, 01:02 AM)

I think I'd rather go to PAX.

speculawyer · (10-21-2008, 01:03 AM)

WTF? That is gonna be a zoo. It was a zoo when it was closed to the public and now it will be a total zoo!

MaritalWheat · (10-21-2008, 01:03 AM)

Originally Posted by DMeisterJ:

This was gonna be on X-Play tonight.

I got an E-mail about an E3 announcement.

X-pwned

Haha yeah, I just saw a news story somewhere about their big reveal tonight--woopsies!

Zeouterlimits · (10-21-2008, 01:03 AM)

Return of Level-Up after a month and it snatches the X-Play announcement (even if everyone had guessed it) - Nice!

The Main Event · (10-21-2008, 01:03 AM)

Originally Posted by Danthrax:

Who cares, nothing happens at E3 anyway.

True.

Everything happens at Space World.

Hcoregamer00 · (10-21-2008, 01:03 AM)

As long as the badge is a reasonable price I don't mind going for Friday.

kenta · (10-21-2008, 01:03 AM)

Quite a few typos in there, N'Gai, and the source's font from the e-mail carried over into the paragraph :P

Anxious to see how this works out, though, I'll definitely try to go for a reasonable price

Jtyettis · 01:12 AM

G4 just confirmed it will be in EARLY JUNE (1st week IIRC).

Just caught this on G4. They say it is not going to be officially "open", but there will be opportunities for more people to attend now. Not sure what exactly they mean by that, but I believe they said official PR will come tomorrow.

DMeisterJ · (10-21-2008, 01:06 AM)

I'm happy for this though.

The return of booth babes will be welcome, as will the return of the idea of going to E3 one of these years.

We'll see if Ninty will pull the same stunt at E3 09 that they pulled this year with a few thousand fanboys screaming at the top of their lungs how much Cammie sucks.

AzureJericho · (10-21-2008, 01:06 AM)

Originally Posted by Linkzg:

He has risen

He has risen

And if it's anything like E3 '06:

He shall come again.

Yaceka · 01:09 AM

It has died... and now risen. Holy shit it's the second coming of E3. :o

*is in awe*

Originally Posted by DMeisterJ:

I'm happy for this though.

The return of booth babes will be welcome, as will the return of the idea of going to E3 one of these years.

We'll see if Ninty will pull the same stunt at E3 09 that they pulled this year with a few thousand fanboys screaming at the top of their lungs how much Cammie sucks.

Holy shit! I just realized... Nintendo will actually have to put an effort into E3 or they'll be in deep shit with gamers (moreso than normal).

CitizenCope · (10-21-2008, 01:08 AM)

I would fly from Boston to go to this if I knew I was getting in.
Been following the industry for 20 years through magazine and internet so I would love to actually be there just once. Missed out on booth babes. =(

soco · (10-21-2008, 01:08 AM)

PAX should become the new E3.

do the first day or two with just press, and then open it up to the public for the last 3 or something.

Gazunta · (10-21-2008, 01:08 AM)

Oh I am SO NOT HAPPY RIGHT NOW LET ME TELL YOU.

ItAintEasyBeinCheesy · (10-21-2008, 01:09 AM)

Fanboys bring your switch blades, its gonna be ON!

AzureJericho · (10-21-2008, 01:09 AM)

All I want out of this is a re-focus on what makes the industry. Games (of all kinds) and gamers.

And maybe more lulz a la "Riiiidge Racer!"

Also Zelda reveal part deux.

davepoobond · (10-21-2008, 01:09 AM)

i hope its not going to be as bad as it was before. i think it was good last year, there just needed to be a bigger showfloor.

Haunted · (10-21-2008, 01:09 AM)

Hey that's only 5 times smaller than the GC. :p

Zapages · (10-21-2008, 01:10 AM)

If I am able to attend E3 again... I would definitely would love to do so... E3 05 was awesome fun minus the work I had to do there... lol Bu now I am more prepared plus I am making a bit of money to cover my costs.

Domino Theory · (10-21-2008, 01:10 AM)

Sweet, I live in the Bay so it's not too far from me.

Dirt, where are you?!

madara · (10-21-2008, 01:10 AM)

Yeah good luck with that. I was there when they attempted open to the public at the chicago Summer CES that one year and it was 100k madness and that was back when video games were more of a hobby.

Wollan · (10-21-2008, 01:10 AM)

Yay! Long live E3.

Amir0x · (10-21-2008, 01:12 AM)

Man I thought E3 was getting infinitely worse before the change because they let anyone with a gamestop badge in. Now it's gonna be CRAZO. At least there's a media day before hand, that's nice.

Fuu · (10-21-2008, 01:12 AM)

"I live... agaaaaain..."

ergo · (10-21-2008, 01:13 AM)

Sweet, now I have something to go to. Pax is cool, but who wants to go to washington for a games convention when I have one 20 minutes away. BOoya bitches

jstevenson · (10-21-2008, 01:14 AM)

Originally Posted by Gazunta:

Oh I am SO NOT HAPPY RIGHT NOW LET ME TELL YOU.

Are any of us ever happy about E3 timing?

CitizenCope · (10-21-2008, 01:14 AM)

I'd like to stalk around and find Olivia Munn. I mean walk.

EktorPR · (10-21-2008, 01:14 AM)

And I thought I had "the exclusive".

Vox-Pop · (10-21-2008, 01:15 AM)

I live in LA, hmmm...

Guybrush Threepwood · (10-21-2008, 01:15 AM)

40,000 WILL SEE THE UNVEILING OF DREAMCAST 2 AND SHENMUE III

BELIEVE

SPEA · (10-21-2008, 01:16 AM)

Early footage?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKrGMbRc4NA

DMeisterJ · (10-21-2008, 01:16 AM)

Originally Posted by CitizenCope:

I'd like to stalk around and find Olivia Munn. I mean walk.

She's okay.

I hope they have Layla Kayleigh there like they did at E3 06. Now that's someone I'd like to meet up with and exchange GamerTags.

Firestorm · (10-21-2008, 01:18 AM)

Won't matter if companies continue to announce nothing at E3. I can't attend so it doesn't affect me at all. All I care about when it comes to E3 are the press conferences and those have blown for the last two years.

Well, except for FFXIII betrayal-ton. That was amazing.

DMeisterJ · (10-21-2008, 01:19 AM)

So let's get our hopes up not so they can fall later.

Mario and/or Zelda at E3 09?

Team Ico game at E3 09?

Scene It? Network TV Smash at E3 09?

Andrex · (10-21-2008, 01:19 AM)

Hopefully this means things can get back to normal for E3 (and by normal, I mean E3 2006-ish). Being much closer to May and opening its doors seems to put it on the right track- we can't let Japan and Germany hold the crown of "World's Best Gaming Convention" for too long! *Patriotic*

Originally Posted by DMeisterJ:

So let's get our hopes up not so they can fall later.

Mario and/or Zelda at E3 09?

Team Ico game at E3 09?

Scene It? Network TV Smash at E3 09?

I'm calling Zelda. Kid Icarus too if it hasn't been announced by then.

AzureJericho · (10-21-2008, 01:19 AM)

Originally Posted by Guybrush Threepwood:

40,000 WILL SEE THE UNVEILING OF DREAMCAST 2 AND SHENMUE III

BELIEVE

I WANT THIS. BADLY.

Haunted · (10-21-2008, 01:22 AM)

Nintendo sees E3 as its best chance to reach the casuals, so don't even start to speculate on any announcements aimed at core gamers.

It's ridiculous and makes you look bad.

That said, SHENMUE III BITCHES! WOO!

Oblivion · (10-21-2008, 01:22 AM)

I do miss the glamour and glitz of the old E3. If this is what needs to be done, then SO BE IT.

Woffls · (10-21-2008, 01:24 AM)

I think we should megahype E3 2009. Half of the fun is believing anyway... right GAF!

WHO'S WITH ME!!

Oh...

... all of you?

Brillo!

Andrex · (10-21-2008, 01:25 AM)

Originally Posted by Haunted:

Nintendo sees E3 as its best chance to reach the casuals, so don't even start to speculate on any announcements aimed at core gamers.

It's ridiculous and makes you look bad.

Hey, they apolgized for that! They even said Wario Land and Kirby should've been shown off.

I still BELIEVE.

legend166 · (10-21-2008, 01:25 AM)

Why the hell do people want booth babes to come back? It's so creepy.

Rlan · (10-21-2008, 01:25 AM)

Originally Posted by SPEA:

Early footage?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKrGMbRc4NA

More like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-dv8O7U9hs

The Faceless Master · (10-21-2008, 01:26 AM)

so the publishers decided they want the spectacle and mass media coverage back after all, eh?

DMeisterJ · (10-21-2008, 01:27 AM)

Originally Posted by legend166:

Why the hell do people want booth babes to come back? It's so creepy.

You're creepy.