The Hitchhiker's Guide to E3
by Ross Miller 
{ Apr 24th 2006 at 9:28PM }
While not able to help you locate a Babel
fish on the show floor, Alkaiser and 32_Footsteps over at Netjak, E3 veterans themselves, have written a pretty
expansive article on how to prepare yourself -- both physically and mentally -- for surviving E3.We recommend anyone attending this year's E3 (even if some are common sense) to check out the article, but for those with little patience here is the quick-and-dirty of the guide:
- Get some comfortable shoes.
- Bring gloves and/or a backpack.
- Bring a digital camera.
- Prepare for some pricey parking.
- Leave the show floor 30 minutes early.
- Don't tear down posters until after E3 is over.
- Avoid waiting around in a crowd.
- Pack food & find ways to eat outside of Convention Center.
- Wear less mainstream gaming shirts.
- Explore the booths.
- Be nice.
- Tylenol is your friend.
- Consider AAA Membership.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Donald @ Apr 24th 2006 9:37PM
Don't forget the towel.
Charles @ Apr 24th 2006 9:46PM
- The side walkways behind and to the side of the booths are your friends as trying to cross the show floor is never a good idea.
- Don't pick up the magazines at the start of the show as they just weigh you down...I know it's tempting but that new issue of wired magazine will feel like a 10lb weight 5 hours after you pick it up.
- Shower every day, the rest of the attendees will thank you.
- Comfortable shoes are aided by comfy socks
- Before you got make a list of everything you want to see and cross the games off as you see them
- Make peace with the fact that you'll miss something at the show
- Take time to explore Kentia, there's something cool and new down there almost every year (Kentia - where new technology is born and old technology goes to die)
- There's a great italian place right up the road from the show on Figeroua and they don't charge an arm and a leg
Tom Cruise @ Apr 24th 2006 9:51PM
A Nintendo DS while waiting to play with the Revolution/Zelda/ZeldaDS/MetroidPrime3.... anything Nintendo!
jonny @ Apr 24th 2006 9:51PM
i agree with all of them except the gaming t shirt one, who really cares?
anyway some more they could add.
1. check out the metro system to avoid pricey parking all together. it's more of a walk but will not kill your funds. less than 5 dollars for an all day commuter pass.
2. if you are driving, get waaay ahead and leave really early, its the convention center and getting their at the time you want wont happen unless you leave an hour before you'd like to get there. the 30 minutes before thing wont fly because the hours e3 is open will kick you right into traffic.
3. dont play a game too long. it's just regular etiquette, plus you dont need to play a game for 30 minutes just to tell your friends, "hey i played ______ before you did!!!"
4. dont go crazy if you dont get free stuff. you'll just look stupid.
5. if theres a line to check out a trailer of a game just blow by it, just a trailer you'll probably watch when you go home right after. yea maybe you wont get to watch it that day you get home, but just a trailer...
7. E3 is overrated, do not kill yourself if you dont get to go.
thats what i think at least.
Tom Cruise @ Apr 24th 2006 9:53PM
Go to 9th street and Figueroa... there's a place called Pantrie's!
Great steaks there... cheap too~!
Alex P @ Apr 24th 2006 9:55PM
It's going to be my first E3. I'm really lucking out. $300 roundtrip flight, staying for free with a friend who lives about 30 minutes away, and she'll drive me to the convention center every morning because she passes it on the way to work. :D
Sabre @ Apr 24th 2006 9:55PM
That is DEAD ON! (same for you Charles) Although I dunno about the gloves thing though.
Also when going back and forth between the South and West Halls, you can get to either side faster if you go outside instead of fighting the crowds inside. Plus it gives you some time to get some fresh air and away from "some" of the crowds.
...and yes...Kentia is awesome (espeically the Classic Gaming Expo part.)
"There's a great italian place right up the road from the show on Figeroua and they don't charge an arm and a leg"
OH! Gimmie the name of that place...I'm tired of paying $10 for a small sandwich, semi-cold soda and next to no seating.
"Leave the show floor 30 minutes early."
Hmm...I'd say leave maybe 45 min. to an hour if you REALLY want to avoid the crowds. By the time the show is ending, LA rush hour has already started so you'd be fighting both E3 traffic AND LA rush hour.
(I'm a 7 year E3 veteran btw :-)
jaemz @ Apr 24th 2006 10:01PM
Have Fun!
... oh and take someone with you that is fun, and if you don't know anyone, take me. ;)
Sabre @ Apr 24th 2006 10:02PM
"3. dont play a game too long. it's just regular etiquette, plus you dont need to play a game for 30 minutes just to tell your friends, "hey i played ______ before you did!!!""
Well "most" of the time that has been done by kids who don't really belong there and don't take the show seriously. I've gone most of my times as a student but I wasn't some rabid fanboy running around like some others are. With the crackdown on who gets passes this year, that shouldn't be a problem anymore.
"1. check out the metro system to avoid pricey parking all together. it's more of a walk but will not kill your funds. less than 5 dollars for an all day commuter pass."
I've had friends do that too and like it. The only thing keeping me from doing that is if I am able to get into a party (this year might be a possibility), I won't be able to get around easily. Plus this year I will be able to expense any money I use for parking, food, etc. (thank GOD!)
"7. E3 is overrated, do not kill yourself if you dont get to go."
Thats a matter of opinion I think...last year was overrated and a complete joke. This year will be WAY better.
"5. if theres a line to check out a trailer of a game just blow by it, just a trailer you'll probably watch when you go home right after. yea maybe you wont get to watch it that day you get home, but just a trailer..."
True...but if companies like Konami, Midway and a few others keep their same booth design it is a good time to sit down and watch the trailers.
Jon @ Apr 24th 2006 10:03PM
@#5
the place is called "The Pantry"
bv @ Apr 24th 2006 10:05PM
I heard if you shower before hand, it makes the exhibit halls 1 person less smelly. Just a rumor though.
Duane @ Apr 24th 2006 10:08PM
I agree with all the comments, especial the food one. I attended E3 for the first time last year and food is the one area they could really improve on.
Sabre @ Apr 24th 2006 10:18PM
HAHA! In one area? Try ALL the food areas. What sucks too is that even fast food places are bit of a walk away too.
"There's a great italian place right up the road from the show on Figeroua and they don't charge an arm and a leg"
I justr realized...are you talking about the place that is right next to the Hotel Figeroua? If so then yea that place is pretty good too.
Barry @ Apr 24th 2006 10:36PM
so what does it cost to park in the convention center garages?
Carmine @ Apr 24th 2006 10:50PM
Charles obviously speaks from experience. You NEED a list to keep you from getting overwhelmed and wandering aimlessly among all the bright lights and booming sound systems. And you will loathe E3 if you carry any signigicant amount of free paperwork around with you. As for food, there is a Denny's about a half-mile from the convention center. I found it to be the perfect spot for a quiet lunch break.
OMAC @ Apr 24th 2006 10:53PM
My E3 Ten Commandments:
1. Print out the floorplans and check off all the stuff you want to see.
2. Bring bottled water and snacks and consume as needed, but not so much as you actually have to use the bathrooms in the hall.
3. If you HAVE to use the facilities, leave the show floor and find a bathroom off the beaten path. You will be glad you did this because many people that attend tradeshows don't know how to flush or even aim correctly. Nothing like being forced to clean up someone elses upper-decker because you are about to blow in your own pants.
4. Be curteous to the other attendees and exhibitors.
5. Don't be a chotchke whore.
6. The booth babes aren't interested in you, so don't even ask them what they are doing later. They are hanging out in a suite at a swanky hotel having a bubble-kiss lesbian pillowfight, and no one ever gets into that party.
7. If you don't already know where the cool parties are, don't ask, you aren't getting in.
8. No, we are not going to throw away that Plasma TV/Computer/Cool gadget at the end of the show. We are going to ship it back to our wharehouse and use it again at the next show so please don't ask if you can have it.
9. Carry around breath mints or gum. If someone offers you some, do not decline, they aren't being polite. It is their way of telling you that your breath reeks of the coffee and garlic cheeseburger you ate 30 minutes ago.
10. Plan on leaving early to avoid the long cab lines and general traffic leaving the area.
stiill @ Apr 24th 2006 10:57PM
There are always still a couple cheap rooms available just west of the freeway, about a mile from the center. You can walk to it and forget about parking. Catch a cab back, because the hotels are cheap and available because of where they're located-- don't walk around there at night.
32_Footsteps @ Apr 24th 2006 11:15PM
You know, we probably could have put in something about the smell. But to be honest, my brain is too busy trying to process all the flashing lights and blaring sound while trying to write a rundown of the entire thing to notice the smell, too.
Danny @ Apr 24th 2006 11:22PM
The one thing I've learned over the years is that parking at the convention center is not that bad. Two reasons:
1) they do bag searches at the door, that takes some time (and a bit embarassing) , so if you come up from the garage, they dont search you!
2) it gives you a place to rest and eat and drop off some heavy swag. Just go the day before and get a loaf of bread and meats in a cooler. Fill up with ice from the hotel and throw some sodas in there and leave them in the trunk. Feeling hungry, go to the garage and eat some sandwiches and drop off your stuff and go back. You never leave the convention center and you get to eat for next to nothing!
I've always thought that it is worth the $10. Also the traffic is bad, but it's something that you just have to deal with. If you go without a car, then you'll be so tired carring around all the swag (I run a store, so I HAVE to bring back swag for my employees) then have to wait for a cab or call a shuttle. if you insit on not getting a car, one thing you can do is use a super shuttle. just take your free hotel shuttle to LAX, get a super shuttle to the convention center, then call early for a shuttle back to lax then to your hotel. this seems crazy, but you can save time and money over a cab, and you'll make the shuttle guy happy casue when he pulls up to the convention center, everyone will pay him rather then wait in that stupid cab line.
This years E3 should be better then last year (worst e3 ever!). This is my 6th show.
James @ Apr 25th 2006 12:09AM
Pack an extra empty bag inside your suitcase for all the stuff you bring home (esp. true for any journalist who is bringing home press kits and such).
Hit the Nintendo booth first thing each day in order to get playtime before it becomes impossible to move there.
If you want to go - there are ways in, I hit my first show at the age of 16 and haven't stopped going since.
Ralph @ Apr 25th 2006 12:20AM
Wear deodorant!!!! Please.
Sabre @ Apr 25th 2006 12:57AM
"so what does it cost to park in the convention center garages?"
Umm...a couple years ago it "used to" be $10 I think but last year it was $20 (maybe more.) The 2 big parking lots in front of the STAPLES Center used to be $10 too but they caught on that this is a yearly event (and will be in LA until 2012) and jack the prices up. Even some of the lots 2-3 blocks away jack up their prices.
"The one thing I've learned over the years is that parking at the convention center is not that bad."
On what planet man?
infinitespecter @ Apr 25th 2006 2:03AM
Here are a couple things that I have learned in the past 5 years.
1. DO NOT park anywhere near the LA convention center. Park at Union Station for free or $3, and pay the $2 to take subway in. It is much quicker and much cheaper.
2. DO NOT carry a heavy bag. You will be walking constantly, and you will regret it. You will need a bag, but pack lightly.
3. Take water with you. It gets very, very warm in the convention center and you need to stay hydrated constantly because you will likely be drenched in sweat. Bring a towel also.
4.Don't pick up every brochure and magazine you see. It only weighs you down and I have found that most people never look at them.
5. The booth babes don't like you. They are getting paid upwards of $40,000 to be there for the week, and you are simply a distraction.
Patrick @ Apr 25th 2006 2:10AM
Deodorant guys..... please
jadenguy @ Apr 25th 2006 3:01AM
oh thank god donald. i came in here all afraid that somebody would have forgotten their towel. i was shocked and awed. in fact, i think the list really needs an update. if you know where your towel is, you are a pretty froody dude.
infinitespecter @ Apr 25th 2006 3:10AM
Patrick, thank you. It gets flat out nasty up in there at times. Please, PLEASE shower and use deodorant.
Philip Wesley @ Apr 25th 2006 4:32AM
The article name here.. kinda bothers me.. since the link to there isn't really related to the books in anyway.. in fact..
It makes me think of the "guide" that I was working on last year for my site's E3 coverage. This year, we're going to be extending the five chapters I did last year and finishing the last two chapters. Also, there are more people going this year with better equipment so we'll be able to do much more in-depth coverage.
Anyhow, if anyone cares, here's the link to where the old versions of the chapters are located. There are five.. so I can not do any individual links.
www.dmgice.com/e32k5/
Just thought I would throw those out there. Anyhow, this will be my seventh E3 and fourth A-Kon. So... anyhow... when will we see an official Joystiq guide to E3? Just kinda wondering.
Jesse Easley @ Apr 25th 2006 9:30AM
E3 has some famous people walking around. Please... Please... DON'T TRY TO RUN UP TO THEM FROM THE NEXT BOOTH OR TWO DOWN.
PickyPants @ Apr 25th 2006 12:29PM
Hmmm..
Is there a way that a moderately intelligent person such as myself could finangle a way into E3? If not this year than next?
Perhaps I could help fund a game or something? I really have no idea. What do you guys think? I know its overated, but I still want to experience it, at least once.
mav @ Apr 25th 2006 12:42PM
@27
Being an investor is one way of getting in, sure. I don't know you so I don't know on what level you're thinking. Most companies don't just take twenty bucks and call you an investor. Generally it's a little more significant.
Though I'm curious - what level of financing WERE you thinking?
Joost Schuur @ Apr 25th 2006 2:04PM
Even if parking costs you $10 or $20, does it really matter? We're all industry professionals, right?
For one of the two biggest (US) trade shows of the year, if you have a busy schedule, lots to see or appointments, don't try and save a few bucks on transportation if it means wasting time getting to the convention center.
Sabre @ Apr 25th 2006 3:29PM
HAHA...some of people on here are in the industry (or at least in the media)...and others are not.
Greg @ Apr 25th 2006 4:29PM
Use the free shuttle if you have one. Also check out the FREE SECRET MICROSOFT HOT DOGS. They're in a lot across the street of the major doors. The line's usually 15 minutes or so, but man are they worth it.
PickyPants @ Apr 25th 2006 7:29PM
mav, I don't know. I have always thought about investing. I have no idea the budget to which I would be of service.
A thousand bucks, two?
Sabre @ Apr 25th 2006 8:38PM
I'm not really sure of the amount but considering how software, systems, SDKs, etc. are...you might need to keep counting maybe.
mav @ Apr 26th 2006 12:35AM
Well, technically if a team is willing, they'll get you in with them for nothing, though it does involve a little expense and a bit of lying on their part.
Also, while my first reaction was that $2k wasn't going to do any team (or you) much good, but depending on the team and their budget, it might help a great deal.
Using my own (small) company as an example, we do recruit private investors but we try to keep to around $10,000 minimum, as a result. (We'll wobble a little if you're a personal friend or something, but otherwise...)
It's not because we're money grubbers. Far from it. But it does keep out the people who're like "Mang, I gots twenny bucks. Get me into E3. Ah'm an investur!" And the like.