Scalpers want $1K for pair of E3 badges

I'd buy them if I had the money. It would totally be worth it!

It's not worth getting arrested, that's for sure.

Not worth the risk. If they check your badge, you are pretty much screwed since the name won't match your ID.

That's what fake IDs are for ;/

Seriously, if you have $1000 (plus travel) to burn to go attend a game convention, you probably can burn the dough to grab a fake ID to match the names. Not that I'm condoning it.

It would be awesome sweet to get to go to E3, though.

"If they check your badge, you are pretty much screwed since the name won't match your ID."

You're spending $1,000 - what's another $20 for a couple of fake ID's? They don't even need to be convincing - after all, they're matching your ID against your badge that you already have, so they're operating from an assumption already that your ID was good enough to get you that badge.

Anyway, the times I've been to E3, nobody has bothered checking anyone's ID. There are too many people. As long as you're displaying your badge, you're good to go. Maybe they've ramped up security in recent years, but there are still around 80,000 attendees and they're not gonna waste time checking ID's when they've already issued badges - that's kinda the whole point of issuing badges in the first place.

hmmm, free great coverage on Joystiq or $4000 spent (tickets, airfare, hotel, entertainment) to see E3 in person.

Thank you Joystiq, because of you I get to keep my passion for videogames and my girlfriend (with enough saved to buy a decent HDTV).

I could have gone to E3 for free this year and turned it down. It's severely overrated. I mean, yeah, it is kind of cool, but it's also really, really LOUD, and stinky, and nerd-infested. And there won't be any Booth Babes this year so why bother?

scamalicous

Man. I almost want to sell my badge now! LOL

The only time they check your ID is when you pick up your badge holder. If you have that, then they only thing they check for is the badge and that you're not under 18. Last year, the only time they asked to see my badge was when I was entering the various halls.

E3 is not all that people, take it from someone who's been a few times, I guess it's fun to see what's new, and I'm sure the console wars will be cool, but $500?! Each?! Plus hotel, travel expenses, etc? Just so you can spend 3 days oogling the booth babes and looking at games?

Don't get me wrong, I wish everyone could go to E3, and even some friends of mine are paying to go this year since E3 isn't giving free badges to the EB Games crowd, but E3 is not all that.

As a gamer I'd rather go to PAX (God now I sound like a viral marketer), it costs less, there won't be press everyone forcing their way to the front of the lines (guess they have to wait like everyone else), and apparently the schwag will be 100x's better than at E3.

As an Industry type, I'll be going this year mainly to catch up with old friends who've move to other corners of the globe. For once I don't have to work the floor.

And I agree with the people who say security is a joke, if you want to go to E3, take your credit card to LA, go through the line, take your photo ID and your last W2 with you just in case, or make up a business card or something. More than likely they will just want to see your ID. Fill out the form on the computers, pick up your badge, pay your $250, and you've just saved a bundle. You can probably get in cheaper, check www.e3expo.com for bundle info.

Every year they say "were really cracking down on security", and "Booth babes will be severly restricted", and yet every year, it's the same ole same ole. Sometimes I wish they would cut attendance to half, but then i probably wouldn't be going. :)

One year, I sold my alternate badge after the show had ended for $25.

My name on that badge was "How Are You Gentlemen?" and my title was "Mover of Zig". My company was "For Great Justice, Inc."

Ah...back in the days they let you put whatever the hell you wanted on a badge.

$1,000? I hope E3 finds out whoever's doing this and kicks them to the curb. It makes it that much harder for legitimate independent press/industry/whatever to get in.

Last year, they were spot checking people at the door. However this took place mostly on Friday, as people were chucking their badges in the nearby receptacles and people were diving in after them. Said security would then randomly select an individual, quickly place their hand over the person's badge and ask them their name. If it didn't match, out the front door you went.

Maybe they'll start doing this on Wednesday this year...

http://www.e3expo.com/attendees/pricing.aspx

check out option 4.

yea $1,000 bucks... what a steal.

Not only will any attempts to sell badges be stopped...the people trying to sell the badges will get in BIG trouble.

Plus even if you have the actual badge, the person who actually signed up for it needs to wait in line and get the badge holder. After that you can do pretty much whatever you want with it...unless they made their checking policies stricter.

The funny thing is that it isn't hard to get a press pass. When my friend and I were in high school, we wanted to go to the E3 that that the gamecube / xbox were revealed at so we ran a quick scheme and next thing you know we had press passes in our mailbox. Just takes some thought and trickery :-)

:QUOTE:14. The funny thing is that it isn't hard to get a press pass. When my friend and I were in high school, we wanted to go to the E3 that that the gamecube / xbox were revealed at so we ran a quick scheme and next thing you know we had press passes in our mailbox. Just takes some thought and trickery :-):quote:

Trust me, things have changed. We couldn't get press passes this year over at EvilAvatar. Bunch of pricks those E3 bastards.

$1000! Are you serious?! You know how many PS3s you can buy with that?!


1


My bad...

Kevin: That was the same year I had the "Mover of Zig" badge. They made it significantly harder years after that. A laser printed business card and a spoofed email address won't work anymore.

Last year my one of my friends had a "Exhibitor" badge, and used to just go up to the counter all the previous years, and tell the person handing out badges, "They're guests of the company" and they'd wave them on through. Shot down last year.

You need to do a lot more dancing and scheming this year to get in. Even students are being denied.

At the $200 level, an exhibits pass is worth it if you like spending 3 days over sensory overload and walking approximately 30 miles (or waiting in 2 hour lines). But at the new pricing level, it's only worth it if you are going to do the workshops and such. There is no way that it's worth $650 just for the exhibits. (Which is why they've done it, I imagine)

Fortunately, I'm this is my third straight year of getting in free. Ah, the joys of being in the "industry".

"The funny thing is that it isn't hard to get a press pass. When my friend and I were in high school, we wanted to go to the E3 that that the gamecube / xbox were revealed at so we ran a quick scheme and next thing you know we had press passes in our mailbox. Just takes some thought and trickery :-)"

That has changed...you have to actually to prove that the company is real and give 2 piece of info to prove it (i.e. W2, paycheck stub, medical insurance card, etc.) They want actual legit and worthy media people there (no offense bapenguin.)

--That has changed...you have to actually to prove that the company is real and give 2 piece of info to prove it (i.e. W2, paycheck stub, medical insurance card, etc.) They want actual legit and worthy media people there (no offense bapenguin.) --

None taken. We still got in, thanks to a certain company that was very kind. That company realizes the importance of major sites, even if they aren't a "legitimate company."

I'd do the same for sure if i didnt want to go inside, This year on Friday, like last year, will not doubt be crowded with teens outside friday begging everyone leaving for your badge...

Friday afternoon is the worst, like some welfare highschool fieldtrip heh

I wonder if the seller has an extra set and even more how he would get a extra set since registration is well kept... just do not get caught or you will be blacklisted at future e3's for sure....

I've been at E3 twice with no more for identification to get my pass than a business card and some vague references to a game in the works.

What have they done in the last two years that makes it worth something like this? Started taking DNA samples and matching them against EA's employment database?

What if it's fake or last years badge? That means you paid a $1000 bucks to get bent over, and you STILL won't get into E3.

Well if it's fake and you paid that much money for it...then you deserve what you got for being stupid enough try and buy a pass.

@ JimmyHACK:

Umm...I've been going to E3 for 7 years and I've never seen people waiting outside hounding those coming out for their badges. I think you guys have a wrong misconception of how people actually act at E3. For the most part everyone there is pretty professional and not rabid fanboys like some of you think.

What would be cool would be for those E3 security people to "buy" those two $1K badges. Those sellers won't have any idea who's buying, right?

"$1000! Are you serious?! You know how many PS3s you can buy with that?!


1


My bad..."

lol, no kidding. Hahahaha.

"http://www.e3expo.com/attendees/pricing.aspx"

I didn't realize you could actually BUY passes to E3. Is this open to the general public? Not that I would ever pay that much just to get into the swarming nerdfest and ogle a bunch of videogames I can't have yet, but still.

Dee Janes:

As of last year, they've set up two different lines, one for credential verification, and one for getting the pre-registered badge holder.

This all assumes you've gotten the badge. In order to get a badge, you now have to show two forms of industry ID...or in actuality, one "real" form of ID, and one knocked together business card/business ad:

Resale Tax Certificate, Insurance Card, Company Credit Card (With your Name), Business License, Paycheck stub, W-2, Commercial Lease (with Company Name).

It's a lot harder to "fake" one of those than it was to make a vague reference to a game in the works. But that's just getting the badge.

Before, on the show floor, it used to be you just had to fool Joe Minimum Wage to pick up your badge once it printed out. Now you need to prove it to someone who's slightly higher caliber. Even if you've got one of them paper fold-out tickets, you still have to show those ID components to the person in the separate line, which is not the way it was in the past.

Sabre:

I got asked for my badge twice last year. It hadn't happened before then, but it's getting more and more prevalent. One of them was by a kid who was just going up to everyone who was sitting out on the benches eating lunch, asking for their badge.

Pikachelsea:

You can't get in without being industry even if you pay. I've had friends pay and get turned down on-site, and what's worse, the fee's non-refundable.

Chances are, if you have to pay, you just blew your cash.

Ha ha suckas! I'm going next year! I'm 17. I can get free tickets, but E3 is strick on that no one under 18 is admitted...

"I didn't realize you could actually BUY passes to E3. Is this open to the general public? Not that I would ever pay that much just to get into the swarming nerdfest and ogle a bunch of videogames I can't have yet, but still."

How much of the site did you actually READ dude? It says on the site it is only for those from the industry...which means the average joe gamer can't get it by just registering. Also, if you DO actually work in the game industry you don't really have to pay to just walk around the show floor. If you send in all your information before the beginning of April (and if it's correct), you get in free (that's how I've gone every year minus the year I actually worked in Bandai's booth demoing games.)

@ Alkaiser:

Are you serious? That would seriously irritate me if some punk kid approached me like that. What part of "industry event" and "18 years or older only" don't they understand.

"13. Not only will any attempts to sell badges be stopped...the people trying to sell the badges will get in BIG trouble."

What exactly is Big Trouble? All they can really do is
kick you out and at most ban you from ever attending again. If you aren't in the industry anyway why not try.

...b/c if you ever plan on working in the industry you will be screwed. Besides...if you don't plan on working in the game industry you really have no business being there. If you want to go "just to go" it clogs up walking traffic...plus it's hard enough trying to navigate your way through a "suits" standing around.

Yeah, E3 is okay and all that. But it totally isn't worth that much money to get in. Plus, unless you are a part of a big company and or part of the decent press group, the stuff worth a damn won't be accessible to you.

All you'd be paying to see is a couple good booths, long lines, booth babes, and maybe some crappy freebies (which haven't been as good as they've been in the past).

Unless you really just want to be able to say that you've been at E3 (and can't get in because you're not in the biz), I'd say you were better off spending a thousand bucks on games and other gaming stuff than you would be for a pass to get in.

i got to go the past 2 years under my company as we make network peripherals designed for xbox and ps2. i even got some of my friends last year. this year, we got rejected as they stated we are "not a 'direct' industry affiliate". my buddy at his company even has a small booth set up there this year and he couldnt even get in.

they're really strict now. and the selling of e3 passes on ebay has been done before. the buyers of those passes got caught at the show and banned, including the sellers.

with this year's strict rules, you never know what they'll do. in the past it used to be you present your ID at the badgeholder pickup and that's all you needed to worry about.

me and 3 of my freinds got in last yer for only 100 we paid some guy who worked there to give us the badges

I went last year and I didn't need any game industry credentials. There was an option to pay $250 for exhibits and some workshops. You didn't need to prove that you were part of the industry. You just didn't get in for free though.

"How much of the site did you actually READ dude?"

First off, I'm a girl. Secondly, I am WELL AWARE that E3 is a press-only event, which was why I was confused about the page (which I DID read, thank you very much). I was under the impression that industry insiders simply received free badges and then had to pay for their own airfare or whatever. Excuse the living cr@p out of me.

Just a little inside info, take it how you want though since this gets mixed reaction.

Gamestop (which now owns EB as well obviously), decided they don't want their employees going to E3 anymore. Instead of anyone within the company getting the Package 5 treatment like before (just like every other retailer with even the slightest video game department), they're limiting it to 500 managers only.

Now after the aquisition, the number of managers went from roughly 2,000 to 4,000, and I can't imagine if this includes district managers or regionals etc.

Managers aren't generally the gamers in the company and don't know much about games and such. But yet they are going to be the sole representatives for the individual store's knowledge on the PS3 and Revolution etc. now. The majority of the time questions to them get pushed to the lower staff since they are the actual gamers who can help customers. Irony at it's best.

So, basically the biggest specialty game store thinks it's not important to have it's employees actually know anything about games or systems that are coming later in the year. Contradictory of course since we all know how much they love forcing employees to push for reservations. And, not to mention how many questions a day we get on the PS3 or Revolution (or Twilight Princess).

But let me make one correction. Anyone in the company can go, but they have to pony up the $500 for package 4. About 2 months salary for normal employees.

And the best part of all, they failed to tell all their employees except through an e-mail that only key holders or managers read and generally do not inform the rest of the staff. I wonder how many people within the company even knew this.

Not much. I probably wouldn't go to E3 again, even if I was invited. I love watching E3 on TV, but I hated being there. I don't like crowds and I HATE long lines. Plus, the place was just too loud.

Do I sound like I'm 80 years old?

Man prices havcome up, I bought two tickets on ebay or $100. Worth every penny, but $1000? That's insane, I'd rather get a 360 and a bunch of games.

"Managers aren't generally the gamers in the company and don't know much about games and such. But yet they are going to be the sole representatives for the individual store's knowledge on the PS3 and Revolution etc. now. The majority of the time questions to them get pushed to the lower staff since they are the actual gamers who can help customers. Irony at it's best."

Thats a rather broad assumption. I've had friend work at Gamestop and their managers are HEAVY gamers. Now why do they get to go and not the "average worker" from the store? Because the managers are the ones who make the actual decisions within the company. Plus the whole purpose of having the guys on the store floor is to sell stuff to customers. The managers job is primarily not to be on the floor selling stuff but to make sure everything behind the scenes runs smoothly (i.e. store invetory, keeping the employees in check, etc.)

@ Sloppydrew:

Yes...yes you do. :-P

I can get you into the show for $200 per badge. you pay after you get the badge.

. I can get you into the show for $200 per badge. you pay after you get the badge.


hay underground_pimp I'll pay $200 for a badge, E me
Twinx_XMS@yahoo.com

hey underground_pimp, I'll pay the $200 as well,
let me know if your interested.

jiggidyuo@yahoo.com

hey undeground_pimp hook it up with the badge
email me with what u need from me
ahandsomedevil@yahoo.com

I'm fixing to drive by the convention center, I'll sure i'll see scalpers outside, i'll pay 50 probably, and keep another 50 or so cash to slip someone if i get hassles worse case they say no, this is E3 not the f****ing congress, i'll give a report back later, i've snuck into a military base before, but i didn't sneak really, just drove to the gate and the guards were jakasses, walk with authority and you'll get anything you want......i'll probably get some pass from some middle eastern guy, lol.........