Yesterday was day one of E3 (okay, you probably already new that if you’re reading this blog).
But, while this is my first E3, I’ve been watching E3 from afar for years. I saw E3 rise, and E3 fall… hard. I thought E3 turning into a business-only platform was dumb. E-for-all (the “consumer” side of the show) was even dumber.
That said, I stayed rather quiet on it, because I had never been to E3. Well, now I have, so I can chime in on it.
E3 is back to normal, and I can say resoundingly… that’s a good thing. This is an industry trade show, people who want to take a spin with the latest games (the hardcore gamers) are probably in the industry already. And, if they’re not, it’s still not impossible to get a badge… I know plenty of non-industry people that get in via various channels. Really, all you need is a business license and a couple of other documents (none of it is really industry-specific).
But it’s much more about promotion. The media gets a chance to see what’s next. GDC doesn’t really serve that purpose, it’s mostly for inter-industry networking and hiring. E3 is where stuff gets to shine.
So, I’m glad E3 is back to normal. Hopefully MechaWorks have something to show at the show next year.