Peter Moore calls E3 'soulless,' calls for public event

by Jason Dobson { Jul 26th 2008 at 1:00AM }

His face may be broken, but EA's Peter Moore likes to speak his mind, and what's on his mind lately is last week's E3, a gathering that he thinks can be fixed by opening it up to the public. Whoa, maybe all of that ink has gone to his brain, or has he already forgotten the madhouse that the annual used to be, when everyone and their brother seemed to find a way to roam the show's halls? Plus, isn't that what E for All is for, anyway?

Calling the event "soulless and lacking an epicenter," the former Microsoft exec suggests that organizers "invite the community" to the show, adding that given enough planning, letting gamers experience E3 first hand will help companies create better games and forge new ideas. Of course, it would likely be too crowded for any of the attending press to get any work done, but that's beside the point. Right, Pete?

Tags: e-for-all, e3-2008, e32008, ea, ea-sports, easports, eforall, electronic-arts, electronicarts, peter-moore

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

pmd006 @ Jul 26th 2008 1:06AM

Man, everyone is jumping on the "E3 sux" bandwagon. Didn't the event become what it is because everyone had a problem with it being too loud, epilepsy-inducing, and hard for the "real" journalists to get their work done. Maybe they should just compromise and have 2 days of the show for press only and then maybe one or two days for the public.

Sora @ Jul 26th 2008 1:10AM

Wow lol, we pretty much had the same idea, but you typed it up faster.

Snoogans @ Jul 26th 2008 1:13AM

I totally agree. I don't see why it has to be a press only event. It wouldn't have to be too crowded with non-press if they limited tickets. Not to mention all the extra money could help to bring down the ESA member fee's that everyone's been complaining about.

Andrew @ Jul 26th 2008 2:18AM

why not instead of that they just sell a limited amount of tickets?

BananaBoat @ Jul 26th 2008 3:28AM

I kind of doubt that developers would be ok with opening the show to the public. If they did, they'd only show games that are so close to finish, that they're practically right out of the box. Why? Well, they don't want to end up like Too Human and Dennis Dyack, with a ton of bad publicity years before the game even comes out.

That said, I think having a small, industry only conference and then a public conference right after it (or before it) would be a good idea. Either way, E3 is clearly on the way out.

Saria the Cat @ Jul 26th 2008 4:58AM

That's an amazing idea. +1

Shagittarius @ Jul 26th 2008 1:32PM

Fuck the press, those guys are overrated anyways!

nick @ Jul 26th 2008 4:49PM

I seriously doubt E3 sucks because of our opinion, I think it sucks because they're a shadow of their former selves.

I remember the hey day of E3 and was invited all the time to go. Now there's limitations on who can go.

Why not offer a compromise. The first couple of days for press/media, and later subsequent days for everyone else?

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Jul 26th 2008 10:30PM

Peter Moore you beardy little git. First you have the nerve to shaft me with a rrod and offer no apology then your insipid ass joins the one of the most vile "soul less" companies. wanker.

Sora @ Jul 26th 2008 1:09AM

I think this would make a lot of sense personally:

Extend the duration of E3. Keep the first four days invite only, then open up the next three to the public. The first four would be for press purposes (including hands-on demos), next three for letting people experience new games. Also, eliminate E For All. This way, only one expo needs to be scheduled, but it still gives the press a little more room to breathe.

Anticrawl @ Jul 26th 2008 2:17AM

And slap near a more centrally located international airport in the US rather than right on the west coast like it is now.

Misfit Toy @ Jul 26th 2008 10:30AM

I like the idea, though I think a whole week is too much...for two reasons. First, you'd probably exhaust whoever is running a booth (talking or yelling for days on end). Second, someone has to pay to keep the event open for another 3-4 days, and that wouldn't be cheap.

I say do it like this.

Monday/Tuesday - Press Conferences
Wednesday/Thursday - Press Only @ E3
Friday/Saturday - Open to public (and press if they need more time)

At least with a two day head start the press can cover the big games that most of the public would flock to. Remember the madness of Twilight Princess?

Sora @ Jul 26th 2008 1:03PM

If they charged for tickets, they'd more than pay for an extra few days of the event.

Odog4ever @ Jul 26th 2008 3:06PM

You talk about eliminating E for all, but in my opinion PAX has already taken over what the "public" portion of E3 was all about. It already has way more companies and public attending than E for all. Plus it's far enough time-wise from E3 to give developers time to recover.

twocows @ Jul 29th 2008 11:35PM

Not a bad idea. E3 is already well established in the gaming community, so it wouldn't have the problems E for All had (like only a few major gaming companies making a showing). I don't see any drawbacks to this approach, either.

Blue_Falcon @ Jul 26th 2008 1:10AM

I wouldn't be surprised if E for All becomes bigger due to E3 this year. It seems like EA and Ubi aren't very fond of what E3's become, and I'm sure they could make a noticeable presence at a public event like that.

Misfit Toy @ Jul 26th 2008 10:31AM

Everything is getting bigger because of the changes made at E3...

I guess we'll see what they do with next year.

Nter @ Jul 26th 2008 1:13AM

He looks soulless in that image.

nxtiak @ Jul 26th 2008 2:08AM

Yeah I was thinking that wow, in that picture he actually looks OLD. First Steve Jobs looks like he's dying, now it's Peter Moore.... who's next?

Shiaoran @ Jul 26th 2008 2:44AM

He was just drifting off. Seconds later he started to drool. The guy to his right touched his knee and called him back to reality, but Peter's only words were 'Hmmm... Donuts...'. To this day he's still sitting on that chair, daydreaming of donuts.

F1 & The Way PC used to be. @ Jul 26th 2008 1:24AM

Finnaly someone makes sense. latley all I've heard is how E3 sucks but no one has come up with a good solution! Heck if they open it up to the public then finnaly the big 3 will get of their lazy butt and start the spectacle again! This would be a great way to finnaly get rid of the power points and bring in more games, something that seems to be sorely lacking.

Churchy @ Jul 26th 2008 1:24AM

Isn't TGS 2 days press only then open to public on day 3?

That seems like a successful enough model, why not copy that?

Moffka @ Jul 26th 2008 1:31AM

Apparently that's too simple to make any sense to the ESA.

Moffka @ Jul 26th 2008 1:33AM

Also, like others have said. I'm all for adding a price for entrance if it covers the costs and adds incentive for the developers to show up and hold panels where they can get useful information for free from gamers.

Sora @ Jul 26th 2008 1:45AM

I'd gladly pay $20-$50 for a ticket to get entry to E3, and I'm sure many others who actually care about E3 would as well. I'm not sure why they didn't decide to do that in the first place...

Churchy @ Jul 26th 2008 1:56AM

Same, I pay every day to get into stuff much less exciting than E3, I don't think it would cause any tears to be shed if they charged me 20 bucks at the gate.

Haggard @ Jul 26th 2008 6:42AM

I'd pay that to get in, sadly I'd also have to pay to get a plane over from the UK and for a hotel.

offday @ Jul 26th 2008 1:44AM

"Of course, it would likely be too crowded for any of the attending press to get any work done, but that's beside the point. Right, Pete?"

Who gives a crap? WE could be the press. No offense guys, but I'd much rather experience stuff first hand than read a blog.

Foetoid @ Jul 26th 2008 7:04AM

Idiot. And what about the 99.99% of gamers around the world who can't make it and want the real journalists to do thier job as smoothly as possible so we can get information as fast as possible. It would only work if the first 2 days were for the press and main conferences, and days 3 & 4 were for paying public to see games first-hand give out ideas to devs.

Misfit Toy @ Jul 26th 2008 10:36AM

Problem here is I've actually heard more "journalists" complain about how boring E3 was, rather than how smooth things were. Sure, there are people shouting on both sides, but I think the journalists enjoyed the rushing madness of the old E3 but just liked to complain about it too.

Or maybe they like to complain about it either way ;-)

Lloyd @ Jul 26th 2008 2:15AM

my my 'real journalists'. someone is indeed full of themselves.

seems like joystiq and other 'real journalists' should figure out that their articles mean nothing to anyone outside of the fan base and game players. big companies release their press everywhere else at any given time. these so called game review sites are little more than glorified blogs that are legitimized through 'advertising revenue' that any peon on the internet can earn simply by finding a way to get people to read their stuff. far cry from being valid journalism.

without the fans and the public, these events are nothing. without fans expos become giant circle jerks with tons of ass kissing and no criticism. *some* sites, and bloggers who consider themselves journalists weren't even included in the initial idea of professional only, as they're not considered 'industry professionals'. basically this creates a recipe for selling out and generating publicity, little else.

Lone Starr @ Jul 26th 2008 3:13AM

I see giant fanboy circle jerks hear all the time.

OMGOMG @ Jul 26th 2008 3:16AM

^^^^
I imagine it looks like the scene in I Am Legend when they're all crowded together in the garage.

mr mobius @ Jul 26th 2008 10:15AM

But that would mean that we are the real villians OMGOMG and that is a scary and confusing though.

ill trooper @ Jul 26th 2008 2:42PM

...except that you forgot one thing: the niche information. We read about information here. Sometimes it's more interesting than other days, but your rant can be leveled upon any magazine/blog about a niche interest, if you leave out the main ingredient: niche information that interests the avid fans of that said 'niche.'

horngreen @ Jul 26th 2008 2:44AM

the "attending press" just passes on info we could get from LIVE. Well of course the press has to sprinkle it with lame ass inside jokes and rumors that serve no point. Maybe an event without website press would be better.

Squirrel3D @ Jul 26th 2008 6:39PM

I agree

Ethan @ Jul 26th 2008 3:10AM

I thought it used to waste a load of EA's money? Ah Well.

Exo @ Jul 26th 2008 3:52AM

if he doesnt like things to be soulless, why the fuck is he working at EA, the most souless game company inthe world

Haggard @ Jul 26th 2008 6:43AM

*cough at Activision*

EA are getting better.

Misfit Toy @ Jul 26th 2008 10:40AM

Hating on EA for being soulless and evil is so 2004.

They're a better company now.

lrowe @ Jul 26th 2008 4:11AM

The whole point of making E3 press only was that smaller companies felt like they were spending too much money on booths, money that could be used to develop games...but the quality in games now seem unaffected by E3 (the big titles are still big and the niche titles are still niche, or on XBLA), so it seems like making it private was a big waste of time.

Dave @ Jul 26th 2008 4:30AM

Yeah! The public sucks! Demos and schwag should be reserved for elite blogger type people--not the dirty peons who read their three paragraph masterpieces.

sct1981 @ Jul 26th 2008 4:39AM

The press actually do work at E3???

Whatever... Jason.

Frojo @ Jul 26th 2008 5:08AM

I think the main problem is besides business, the only people actually WATCHING e3 are the gamers. So why announce all the casual stuff that only the casual will buy at such an event? Keep it hardcore.

Evan @ Jul 26th 2008 8:40AM

Why announce the all casual stuff? Because its one of the only events that mainstream journalists attend, and is therefore their only opportunity to reach mainstream publications.

Lord Bowser @ Jul 26th 2008 6:04AM

These sorts of events have always been soulless. The brilliant lights and rent-a-go-go dancers distracted everybody from that fact in the past, now we can see the truth.

I really hope this is the last E3 topic on Joystiq, until next year, of course. Frankly, E3 2008 was such a sick disappointment, from all parties. It doesn't deserve the endless coverage it has received. In fact, this coverage is legitimising the farce that is E3. We, the gamer, should let the conference die a dignified death. Let another take it's place as the showpiece event; Leipzig.