Categories: Gaming

E3, or as the old folks call it, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, has been the highlight of the gaming world for many a year. It had the power to make or break a console or game, so much so that publishers planned their schedules around it. It had enough appeal to make thousands of habitually reclusive gamers leave the confines of their suburban homes for a grand celebration featuring games, consoles, rumors, shwag and those luscious booth babes. It was an event that any gamer worth their twitch muscles looked forward to, including myself. That’s why I was shocked when I heard that they killed E3.

I never attended the event, but wanted to oh so much. In fact, it was on my list of things to do before I die (yes, I have one of those). Great, another one of my dreams has died. The E3 execs said, “To better address the needs of today’s global computer and video game industry, the 2007 Electronic Entertainment Expo is evolving into a more intimate event focused on targeted, personalized meetings and activities,” a.k.a. E3 costs too much, so we’re scaling down and cutting costs. Cheap bastards. The event will no longer be held at the L.A. Convention Center. In fact they have no date or venue set for next year. The event will be at a number of hotels for a more “intimate” event.

So is this a bad thing? Depends on who you ask. Just about everyone except the average gamer is in support of the move. Developers have more time to produce games for the event, as the deadline has been extended. The media has more time to focus on coverage of the event, as they won’t have to contend with the sound of overexcited fanboys, and game companies won’t have to spend millions on those elaborate booths. The E3 execs believe that it will be the same without all the excess, but I disagree. E3 was all about the excess. That’s what drew people to it in the first place. Just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t draw the huge crowds it once did.