E3 Dead

[Yaka]

Next-Gen
are running a story which is claming that E3 in its present form is finsihed.


Publishers believe the multi-million dollar budgets would be better spent on more company-focused events that bring attention to their own product lines rather than the industry as a whole.

Well placed sources say the news that larger exhibitors were pulling out had prompted urgent meetings among publishing executives. They decided that, without the support of the larger software publishers and hardware manufacturers, there would be no point in continuing.

Gamespot & Joystiq
have more info the saga as well.

 

[JingleBells]

Argh, remove the quote, it's ruining the front page layout!

 

[Mobius]

Won't somebody think of the booth babes?

 

[old.Tohtori]

Well honestly speaking, i don't blame them. It IS a big pile of money burning for a mediocre media exposure.

The media will get the same hold of the same info all year 'round, and only thing that E3 really accomplishes is sells a few more gaming magazines because of their E3 special.

 

[DaGaffer]

Lot of people in the UK are going to be sad to miss their annual LA jolly. I'm actually not convinced by publisher rhetoric on this one; obviously its been caused by Sony (probably) because their nose was put well out of joint this year, but the fact is, E3 does have an effect; at GAME we used to notice a direct correlation between E3 and pre-orders, and because the show is so big, with no real Western rivals, it became a must-do event for pretty much every buyer and journalist in the world. Of course all the publishers might be thinking retail is dead so they don't need to pander to them anymore because by the end of this generation they'll be going straight-to-consumer (they're wrong btw).

They should make E3 trade for the first couple of days and then consumer for the rest of the week, same as the big car shows. They'd make their money back on ticket and burger sales.

 

[lovedaddy]

I sure as hell hope so - working for a developer, I can tell you, E3 is the worst time of year, bar none. I'd rather be shipped off to war than work another E3.

 

[Sockstuff]

PA on top form (for once - gone off them a bit of late).

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/07/31