Tip a 40 to the homies, this used to be E3 week

by Alexander Sliwinski { May 7th 2007 at 7:35PM }

We are gathered here today, not to remember E3's death on July 31, 2006, but rather its life. A life which we would have celebrated this week if it weren't for its untimely passing. In the words of 20th Century wordsmith P Drs, we take a moment to remember:

I tip my 40 to your memory
Take a drink, and I
Stop to think, and I
I know one day soon
We'll be, we'll be hangin out

It is hard to imagine that the event so many loved to hate to love is actually gone now. Right about now journalists, industry folk and the legions of fanboys who scored a pass would be preparing to fly to Los Angeles tomorrow and get settled into our ghetto hotels before the madness of Wednesday. The sweat, the ecstasy and the pounding beat of thousands of speakers vying for ~~consumer~~ industry attention. But, like a tweaked-out twink on a three-day bender, the party couldn't last. The scene became too much for the big publishers and they decided to scale it down, keep their party tight and in private hotel rooms. Abandoned and with no place to go, with no more support, E3 passed. And so, we lost a good friend.

But let us not forget that left behind are PAX, E for All and Min-E3. Two events geared for the masses and one ultra-exclusive meant to take E3 back to its roots. Get the journalists who didn't make their business cards with mom's HP inkjet in to the cover the event. It is sad to think many will not know the joy and exhaustion caused by E3, but in time the pain will fade, like all pain does, and the happy memories will remain. We miss you E3.

Tags: e for all, e3, min-e3, pax

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Joshua @ May 7th 2007 7:46PM

Hard to believe I completely forgot this was traditionally E3 time. I remember last year not studying for my AP Chemistry exam the night before the actual exam because the Nintendo press conference was held that day! The first Wii gameplay footage!

oldxskoolxhollywood @ May 8th 2007 8:50PM

oh how it saddens me to never know the joy of e3.... i remember last year... watching the microsoft press conference live, and loving every minute.... then i saw sony's sorry excuse for a press conference and laughed until i cried.... “$600?!!! WTF?!!!” lol...

Mr Khan @ May 7th 2007 8:00PM

Yup...

This time last year: Nintendo and Sony swapped positions in the eyes of the gaming media

But in all honesty, i miss the festival atmosphere of E3, minE3 is just a bunch of press releases scheduled in the same 3 day stretch, you couldn't beat E3

Heliophage @ May 7th 2007 8:01PM

I remember last year, having everything in place to allow me to attend. My roommate of all people helped extinguish interest in our student organization traveling to the LACC for a week, noting repeatedly that 'there will always be next year...'.

Ask me if I'm still sour.

Ogre @ May 7th 2007 8:10PM

I'm just glad that I'm not the only one who immediately thought of "Gangsta Lean" when the idea of tipping 40s was brought up. Excellent reference.

Einhanderkiller @ May 7th 2007 8:10PM

Are you still sour?

Heliophage @ May 7th 2007 8:17PM

Clearly, but I appreciate the cooperation.

It's not the same waiting for GDC each year, though it's much cheaper for us to attend. Hopefully we'll still see that epic media nerdstravaganza when minie3 rolls around, since I didn't really see GDC picking up the slack as much as I was hoping/expecting.

rhork. @ May 7th 2007 8:37PM

bah- finals week = e3 week. i can't imagine how many gpa points were abandoned because of e3.

last years routine: pretend to do math in the library as i click refresh repeatedly waiting or updates on any given noteworthy keynote.

may we all study in peace at the u of m this year.

silkylove @ May 7th 2007 8:33PM

That's OK with me. There's no way that the 2007 E3 or any E3 in the future could top E3 2006 in terms of sheer entertainment value. They went out on a kick ass high note(Pretty much the opposite of Spiderman 3)

superbagman @ May 7th 2007 8:45PM

I'm getting really sick of gaming journalists complaining and lamenting the loss of E3...

T and A @ May 7th 2007 9:24PM

Good, all the jackass losers who thought they were f**kin celebrities due to the fact they got a pass to go to E3 continue to decay in their basements without taking a little E3 break out from their life. And another good reason Im happy theres no E3, all those gay a$$, bats up their a$$es at that HORRIBLE G4 channel have no E3 to report on...all those lifeless sh**s can go you know what themselves...I hate G4

Heliophage @ May 7th 2007 9:36PM

^G4 probably still gets to cover E3.

Andy O. @ May 7th 2007 10:56PM

So long E3...

...and good riddance!

Not since the late 90s has E3 been worth attending, especially last year! Too many gamer know-it-alls in one place, while I felt at home with them it's just one huge p___ battle to the death.

ch0rx @ May 8th 2007 12:46AM

E3 was flipping amazing, and 2006 was a hell of a way to go out, it's cool how Nintendo was the biggest when E3 came to life, and the biggest when it died. Since E3 started, so much has changed... it's really astonishing youtube some old E3 1995 vids and pics... so nuts.

Zsavior @ May 8th 2007 1:08AM

The crazy thing is I totally forgot that now is the time of E3 usually comes around, so did all my other friends. One should ask themselves while the industry maybe happy by this, should they be.

Even though E3 may have been a mad house for the people attending, it did what it was supposed to, hype a game. I think the fact that E3 isn't around any more will do a lot more damage than good in the long run.

Hirsbrunner @ May 8th 2007 9:55AM

I miss the anticipation of announcements. Getting all excited just waiting to see what the big 3 had to show off was a lot of fun.

Walt @ May 8th 2007 11:04AM

As someone who regularly attended E3 from 97-03, it just breaks my heart to think that the huge "Disney World of Gaming" is no longer. I'll miss everything about it...the lights, the noise, the celebs, the Booth Babes (ahh...Booth Babes...). It was something else to attend an event of that magnitude. If you never went, you missed one hell of a sensory overload!