New E3 gets a new name: E3 Media Festival
by Joystiq Staff 
{ Jul 31st 2006 at 9:59PM }
Speaking to the Wall St. Journal, ESA head honcho Doug Lowenstein said that E3 will now be called the "E3 Media Festival." And, instead of hordes of fans and press attending, the event could now cater to around 5,000 (we're assuming big press only). Also, no more convention center:The smaller version, tentatively titled the E3 Media Festival, could occupy suites and conference rooms at two Los Angeles hotels with a target attendance of about 5,000, said Doug Lowenstein, president of the ESA, which voted to make the change Wednesday.
Apparently, independent events or private meetings will be the way to go for most publishers from here on out. The Journal quotes an EA spokesperson as saying, "The industry has gotten to a place where we can afford to have more-intimate or more-private meetings in different types of settings."
[Via Next Generation]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Cameron @ Jul 31st 2006 10:06PM
That's uh... "intimate."
dsub @ Jul 31st 2006 10:11PM
this is just sounding lamer and lamer by the minute. I guess we can kiss live coverage goodbye.
T-Bag @ Jul 31st 2006 10:13PM
Fabulous? That Lowenstein fellow really knows how to ruin the fun, and that's coming from someone who's never even been to E3!
Raynre @ Jul 31st 2006 10:15PM
So... the Electronic Entertainment Expo Media Festival.
Catchy.
Nick @ Jul 31st 2006 10:17PM
And judging by the picture, it's now held in a small Apartment Complex?
Raynre @ Jul 31st 2006 10:19PM
Sorry, make that:
The Electronic Entertainment Exposition Media Festival
Anthony @ Jul 31st 2006 10:24PM
Why fuck with something that is already good?
Tons of Press
+Tons of rabid Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft fans spending there whole days getting e3 updates
=To good to change.
Once again the normal people do not get any chance to have some fun. Of course it is the idiot journalist (With the exception of Joystiq and a few other) that will get to have all the fun.
Lol I think im just jelous though.
blahman @ Jul 31st 2006 10:26PM
Screw E3,long live Tokyo Game Show. At least that's open to the public.
Echlin @ Jul 31st 2006 10:27PM
I hate it, my big "nerd" dream was to one day go to an E3
Anthony @ Jul 31st 2006 10:29PM
Yea! Now lets all go to Japan and try to understand whatever the hell they are talking about!
*Walks in Japan game show with PSP*
*Tons of crazy japense waiting in line to see the 25th color of the Nintendo DS to be released*
*They all turn around and jump PSP holder*
Wow that was random.
dave @ Jul 31st 2006 10:34PM
translation: smaller companies get shafted because they can't get media space. The only media who get in are IGN and G4. So the only people with any presence are those wholly a part of the big machine.
end result: consumers get shafted
hey alex @ Jul 31st 2006 10:35PM
I said it before and I'll say it again. This benefits the magazine and media press, but I'm unsure it benefits much anyone else.
I wonder what will happen when companies realize they have little or no buzz surrounding their new games.
dave @ Jul 31st 2006 11:01PM
@11
That's what i'm hoping for. E3 was created precisely to get gaming out of the backwater venues these guys are now pursuing.
What i am hoping is that they see how this doesn't help and go back to the more traditional e3 format. By all means make it less crazy, by all means have more shows throughout the year, but i think they will see that e3 is indeed needed.
Royal @ Jul 31st 2006 11:04PM
Bravo, ESA!
It's about time the the non-press/non-industry people were booted from the show. E3 has always been a trade only show from day one. The main purpose of E3 has always been to show the retail buyers what they should be buying and for the press to cover the show for the consumers. That's the way CES and Comdex worked. E3 became a damn circus.
E3 is dead. Long live E3!
calthaer @ Jul 31st 2006 11:05PM
Here's another translation:
"Ubisoft, Take 2, and EA will have swallowed everybody else by then, so why do we need so many people there?"
Costikyan needs to work faster.
star @ Jul 31st 2006 11:11PM
"The industry has gotten to a place where we can afford to have more-intimate or more-private meetings in different types of settings."
so just as soon as you suceed you turn around and srcew over the people that got you there.
Michael @ Jul 31st 2006 11:59PM
hey if you guys want an interesting look at why they're doing this look at a hypothesis on kotaku about it
http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/top/e3-moving-to-july-191053.php
Jeff @ Aug 1st 2006 7:39AM
"translation: smaller companies get shafted because they can't get media space."
Ugh. Every day another story comes out that confirms just a little more of what I've been saying about this since day one... and some of you are *still* clinging to the idea of what the "old E3" was.
You need to wipe the idea of E3 as a trade show out of your heads. "Media space" is not a concern because THERE IS NO SHOW! It's an event at a hotel. The "show" will take place in whatever hotel rooms exhibitors want to rent out, which they can do same as anybody else. So can the media. The only question is who can get themselves invited into these little mini-exhibitions - and really, this sort of event *should* be invite-only if it isn't completely open to the public (as E3 never has been). But there's no such thing as a "show floor" and no question of anyone getting shafted because the space is too small.
It may seem like a really low-rent way to operate, but any member of the real gaming press will be totally used to this, as all the major publishers have been having one-off events with a format similar to this for as long as anyone can remember. Ever see a "Gamers Day" covered on Gamespot or one of the other big web sites? All that is is a publisher that's rented out a room in a hotel and invited 20 or 30 members of the press. That's the new E3.
Daniel Delgado @ Aug 1st 2006 7:46AM
Well that's a relief ESA decided to reintroduced E3 by changing its name to the E3 Media Festival that means Game companies like Atari,Sega,Capcom,THQ,Nintendo,Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Studios will focus investing money to make a better game so it won't get crappy reviews from the likes of EGM,Gamespot and IGN so this could means its the end of those annoying media coverages YAY! No More geeks running around in stupid Hawaiian shirts and No G4 Coverage E3 is supposed to be about games until then It became a media ring circus! R.I.P E3 1995-2006
Dux @ Aug 1st 2006 8:04AM
This is the begining of the end for the game industrie!
Mr BoomStick XL @ Aug 1st 2006 8:10AM
Ok, this REALLY sycks now!! Why not just cancel it all together?? 5000 in attendance?? WTF!! How are WE the gamers going to get all of the information about the games and tech at E3 if only select members of the press are allowed in? This opens the door for a certain web site's to actually charge big money to see what's going on, not to mention the last time I checked WE were the people who were buying these games!! They should just open it to the public and charge a fee to get in!! I've said before, I would gladly pay top dollar to get into E3......most gamers would!
TC @ Aug 1st 2006 8:47AM
I can't wait for "Blogging E3 Live"!
"It's 0830; Ryan and I are having continental breakfast. EA and Ubisoft have secured the double rooms with balcony, but Take2 are in a great twin deluxe.
We manage to gain an exclusive interview with the Concierge, updates to follow...."
LunarDuality @ Aug 1st 2006 8:51AM
What Joystiq hasn't said here is if they think they'll make it onto the "short list" of "media" that can attend these "intimate" meetings?
Did Joystiq get the shaft too?
joba @ Aug 1st 2006 9:24AM
Wow...This is a very negative decision the ESA has made for gamers. Here is what is going to happen: The big media players (Gamespot, IGN, EGM, etc) will now gain exclusive access to the wares of all software companies. The big software houses are now able to pic and choose content THEY want all media outlets to display. No more YouTube videos, camcorder shots, digital/cell phone pics, and so on revealing weaknesses or uncompleted wares. No more behind the scenes photos of console exclusive games running on competitors hardware. All that sh*ts been stopped by the current changes to E3. Nondisclosure agreements will be the norm. You won't be invited to share the intimacy without one. Gamers will see ginormous E3 magazines and locked down web content the month following the show filled with content approved by the big hardware/software houses.
My cousin and I had planned out our trip to E3 in '07. But it looks as if we will forego those plans. I would like E3 to remain as it was most recently. But, money talks and we bullsh*t gamers walk!
Geist @ Aug 1st 2006 9:34AM
All I can see this doing is shutting out the media who aren't big and huge and owned by Fox or whatever. Is this a good choice? Maybe, but we'll have to see.
Just a question: It's been stated this is a business show, so it should get rid of the common folk and whatnot, but who else is the industry showcasing these games to? And with the little media coverage this is likely to garner, how will they see them? I'm probably just too tired to think of the answer now, but I'm curious to know nonetheless.
32_Footsteps @ Aug 1st 2006 10:08AM
"... and some of you are *still* clinging to the idea of what the "old E3" was."
And you're clinging to the idea that the ESA is going to follow through and make the show exactly as they say they will.
Never mind that the ESA has been shown repeatedly to be a paper tiger that meekly falls in line with the desires of the most powerful members wish.
Never mind that Nintendo has repeatedly shown a desire to buy up as much space and time as possible at trade events (they did it constantly at the CES, they did it constantly with E3 mark 1), and Sony and Microsoft would always try their damnedest to match Nintendo in size and scope.
Never mind that these companies are constantly trying to up each other, with their presentations being made just a bit flashier, a bit more grandiose than before.
Never mind that the industry is already such that it often chokes smaller companies until they either go belly up or are bought out by one of the majors.
E3 might be changing more than alot expect - but it's not going to change nearly as much as you think it will, I imagine.
Zsavior @ Aug 1st 2006 10:55AM
The more you hear about the more it wreaks of the big boys pulling their weight around. This is why I never trust ads in games, imagine these same companies jam ads into video games. Who would stop them, the gaming journalist? They dare not, because they know that the backlast would be their biggest sponsors and the people who actually give them stories stone walling them. E3 is an example, they are making it seen who holds the cards, and they are tired of opinions, they want positive press, or no press at all.
Joystiq, Engadget, and others gave them a bad taste in their mouth when they didn't get the good press they figured they paid for. Now we are going to get news spinned by news and journalist the industry can control. This is what happens when you don't go ape, over RIIIIIIDDDGE RACCCCER! ANd I am not saying it is sony, alone, I mean all of the big industry powers put their hands in on this decision. God knows if you are a friendly media outlet you are going to be a thousand times more open to this idea than against it. I mean here you are a journalistic publication selling your bottom....I mean thinking about your bottom line when some upstart pup of a website does better coverage on every angle than you, in less time and for free. They are nipping that up to minute coverage in the bud, hope you all like gamespot and their sanitized happy look at any mainstream gaming offering, because that is going to be your elite internet coverage.
Good bye to E3, and long live the Festivus for the rest of us!
BlackYoshi @ Aug 1st 2006 11:39AM
Seems they want to control the flow of information much more. Choke off the number and relegate it to only the big, major sites. IGN, Gamespot, 1Up, so on. Any of the blog sites like Engadget, Joystiq, or Kotaku are probably going to get shafted. With less media and floor space, that means less exposure to little known games and less exposure to even known games. I wouldn't be shocked if the major sites, knowing that they have almost exclusive access to said information, starts putting the E3 stuff as premium only, forcing people to pay if they want it. Hopefully that won't happen...
Lampbane @ Aug 1st 2006 12:31PM
Good riddance to the old E3. The floor was choked with non-industry people so business never actually got done. There was so much news thrown out there that a lot of the interesting stuff got lost in the shuffle. All this really means is that each company will have to shell out a few more bucks to host their own little "media" events (which some companies already do) and that they'll actually have to put a little more effort into promotion. Boo hoo hoo.
WizarDru @ Aug 1st 2006 4:03PM
"Any of the blog sites like Engadget, Joystiq, or Kotaku are probably going to get shafted. "
Except that even when E3 still existed, that wasn't true. Agreggate blogs like Joystiq and Kotaku are just getting info from other sources. Their value lies in having lots of contacts and gathering the information in one place. Take a look, for example, at how many times a site like Jeux-France gets exclusives. Half of the news posts are actually scans from magazines, for example. If Famitsu went belly up tomorrow, that'd be a major source gone. Just looking now, both Joystiq and Kotaku are featuring articles on scans from the Australian Gamepro, screenshots sent to them from the developers, links to a series of articles from a different magazine, links to interviews OTHER sites did, and so forth.
I mean, do you think those high-quality scans and movies of games in development just sort of materialized out of nowhere? Of course not: marketers sent them out. And those same marketers won't suddenly lock-out all the games sites and blogs...that defeats the purpose of hype and promotion. Networks like IGN and Gamespot don't command large enough numbers to bother with. Marketers will go where the money is...that's the whole point.
In fact, this will probably lead to MORE information being released, not less...how many companies play the secrecy game so as to maximize their impact at E3? Now they can pick the time and place to push their message. It's a lot easier to get your message across when you're not shouting on the E3 floor.
Anna @ Aug 10th 2006 9:26PM
"Hey, guys, this is getting too popular. What can we do to fuck it up?"
"Let's try to brainstorm something fabulous. That's it! We'll tell them it's fabulous! They can't resist fabulous!"