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E3 Cancelled for Next Year and "Forseeable Future"?

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G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
(Hope this isn't old)

Hmmm..:/ Still rumour for now, but official word is due tomorrow.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6154897.html

On July 28, the Web site of UK trade magazine MCV reported discussions had taken place between the ESA and E3 exhibitors which addressed the future of the annual trade show. GameSpot spoke with informed game industry sources late Friday and Saturday and learned that the show would radically shrink in size and move from its usual Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) venue to a smaller location.

Sources said that rather than fill the 540,000 square feet of the cavernous LACC, the show will take place at a location that would support exhibitors in meeting room space only, with companies showing their wares to a select group of attendees numbering in the hundreds rather than thousands.
Click to expand...

edit - next-gen has more..headlined rather ominously with "E3 FINISHED":

http://next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3538&Itemid=2

Suggests the notion of a joint industry-encompassing event may be abandoned altogether :/
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
First TGS and now E3 negative news?

I wouldn't really mind E3 shrinking. I don't think anyone in the industry would mind it shrinking, either. Poor writers have to brave massive crowds of people that shouldn't even be there, then do their jobs and basically work all night.
 
T

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
I would be interested to see how it turns out. As long as the number of publishers that are able to attend do not shrink, I don't see this being a bad thing.
 
C

Chris Remo

Member
Man I hope so. Currently, E3 is easily my least favorite week of the year because it's so difficult to get work done but we have to get so much stuff published. It's really difficult for sites like ours; we're a commercial organization, but we're very small. Since we're not a fansite, we can't just cover whatever want to cover, but since we're not huge like many other commercial sites we don't have dozens of staffers to distribute all over the convention. As it is, it's a pretty horrible experience.
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
gfdoom said:
It's official...NOOOOOOOOO
http://next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3538&Itemid=2
Click to expand...

Wow, that's even worse that Gamespot suggested.

However, we understand the larger exhibitors have jointly decided that the costs of the event do not justify the returns, generally measured in media exposure.

Publishers believe the multi-million dollar budgets would be better spent on more company-focused events that bring attention to their own product lines rather than the industry as a whole.

Well placed sources say the news that larger exhibitors were pulling out had prompted urgent meetings among publishing executives. They decided that, without the support of the larger software publishers and hardware manufacturers, there would be no point in continuing.
Click to expand...

So basically, no more joint show at all? Just company specific events ala 'gamer days' etc?
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
Awesome, Awesome! And with the news TGS is even gonna be shrinking/changing... soon only Leipzig will have any gaming news all year round! :D
 
W

wiiboxstation

Banned
It would not be a bad idea to have 4 smaller events throughout the summer, in end of april it would be nintendo, then in may microsoft, then in june sony and then in July 3rd party software
 
E

Error

Jealous of the Glory that is Johnny Depp
only thing I cared for were the press conferences really, so this doesn't affect me at all.

no more "wait till e3"
 
B

basik

Member
This is industry revenge for censoring the booth babes. I hope whoever was behind that decision loses a lot of money over this.
 
A

Akia

Member
IGN and Gamespot are going to lose a bunch of money over this. Suscription rates are going to be really low year over year.
 
R

Rhindle

Member
This is just horrible news. Small publishers really depend on E3 to get at least some visibility for their games. This basically looks like a power play from the major publishers to shut everyone else out.

It also ignores the reality that lots of people no longer rely on the "press" as their primary source of information. E3 plays an important role in seeding interest in new games at the grass roots level.
 
J

Johnas

Member
Amir0x said:
Awesome, Awesome! And with the news TGS is even gonna be shrinking/changing... soon only Leipzig will have any gaming news all year round! :D
Click to expand...

May we please have a moment of silence for your official E3 threads.

So I guess this implies that there will be more, smaller company-specific events held throughout the year? And what's so good about Leipzig? (Inform me, I really don't know)
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
We have no one to blame but ourselves! :D

If only we kept it small and media-only. If only...
 
W

WasabiKing

Member
it's shrinking because the organizers are in a real catch-22 right now.

1. They were committed to keeping it to qualified members, which is a great idea, but that drops the numbers down. Some exhibitors think this is great, others, especially new pubs/devs, might not like it because they just want the pub.

2. I'm guessing the re-sign rate was abnormally low this year. Generally, re-signs happen during the 1st or 2nd day of the conference. It may just be that some of the larger exhibitors are buying less space. Or worse, one of the big ones may be pulling out. There's always talk about EA leaving every year to start their own event, but I don't think they're equipped to do it just yet. But if you start to see more press junkets over at EA Redwood Shores, it could mean that they're cutting back on E3.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
Well the article says that publishers were pulling out because the return was too small, and instead will focus on much smaller company-focused events. That means instead of E3, we'll get mini megatons every other month of the year!

Hurray!
 
M

{Mike}

Banned
Chris Remo said:
Man I hope so. Currently, E3 is easily my least favorite week of the year because it's so difficult to get work done but we have to get so much stuff published. It's really difficult for sites like ours; we're a commercial organization, but we're very small. Since we're not a fansite, we can't just cover whatever want to cover, but since we're not huge like many other commercial sites we don't have dozens of staffers to distribute all over the convention. As it is, it's a pretty horrible experience.
Click to expand...

Exactly. My website is even smaller than yours and I was wondering how we could offer a decent E3 coverage for '07, as we launched past May.

E3 = dead? It sure is sad, but on the other hand the event is just too big. Have three expos at different times of the year, I dunno, but E3 is too much. I'm not saying it's not cool because it sure is.
 
K

Kurosaki Ichigo

Member
So...when is PS Meeting then? :lol :lol :lol


Its quite shocking news...I wonder if it'll affect TGS, maybe they decide to go the same way or it becomes even bigger...
 
M

Matix

Member
Amir0x said:
Well the article says that publishers were pulling out because the return was too small, and instead will focus on much smaller company-focused events. That means instead of E3, we'll get mini megatons every other month of the year!

Hurray!
Click to expand...




Which means more unconfirmed hints from Massive Attack & Friends.... I expect even more disappointment ;(
 
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