In news that has sent shockwaves through the videogame industry, the Entertainment Software Association has announce that E3 as we know it is dead. You can read the full press release, but the short version is: E3 is too large and impersonal to really showcase games to other industry types, many companies already have their own trade shows, and the internet has already made much of the show redundant. Basically, with companies spending months trying to get their demonstration builds ready, the cart is really driving the horse at this point, as E3 is affecting how developers are producing their games, instead of the other way around.
So the current E3 will be replaced with a smaller, more intimate show, focused on press events and personal meetings. Sadly, the current show floor will probably become only a distant memory. While the news does make sense on some level, I am still heartbroken over this news. A more intimate event means it will be less likely that people like me will get in next year. It was fun while it lasted. I guess I’ll have to spend that week actually playing games instead.
