Tagged: esa
E3 Exhibitor List, Keynote by Texas Governor
This year’s exhibitor list for E3 has been revealed by the Electronic Software Association. The list includes all the big names like Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, THQ and others, but notable absences include Activision, Vivendi and id Software. The former two left the ESA altogether and id will not be present at the show.
Additionally, the ESA announced that Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, will give a keynote address at the event.
“The Governor’s keynote address is especially timely given the high concentration of entertainment software developers and publishers in Texas as well as the state’s long-standing support of our industry,” noted ESA CEO Michael D. Gallagher. “The Governor’s forward-thinking leadership in encouraging the growth and development of our USD 18 billion industry is a road map for other state executives who want to transform their state economies for the 21st century.”
Hit the jump for the full list of exhibitors.
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EA: Those Who Left ESA Lack Leadership Skills
The ESA may have been in major trouble for the past few weeks as publishers Activision, Vivendi and LucasArts left the US-based trade body. No reason was cited for their departures. However, EA has stepped up to the plate to defend the body, criticizing those who left by lambasting their “lack of leadership.”
Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz at a recent press event, Jeff Brown, VP of corporate communications at EA, commented: “They’re a big company and we feel that when you’re a big company you’ve got a responsibility to consumers to work on policy issues which are very, very important to consumers. And the best way to do that is with an industry consensus. That’s the way it’s been done with the ESA in the US, and with ELSPA in the UK.”
He added that EA was not reconsidering its position in the trade body, urging the ESA to make a strong case to its remaining members for their ongoing participation.
When asked about E3, Brown responded that “EA is 100 per cent committed,” adding that other major publishers will also be present at the event to show off their wares. The event, organized by the ESA, will run this year from July 15-17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
E3 Returns to LA Convention Center, Remains Invite-only
Following the flop that was E3 2007, ESA has announced that it is moving the annual summit to the Los Angeles Convention Center when it runs from July 15-17, 2008. The event will still be invite-only and open to the exclusive few.
“The Summit is first and foremost about getting business done,” the ESA told Gamasutra. “The intent of this show is to be a business-to-business opportunity and it isn?t centered or focused on general consumers.”
E3 No More
Regarded as both a shock and a blessing, The Entertainment Software Association has announced that E3 Expo is “evolving” into a more intimate event rather than the circus it was before.
“The world of interactive entertainment has changed since E3Expo was created 12 years ago. At that time we were focused on establishing the industry and securing orders for the holiday season,” said Douglas Lowenstein, President of the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers and the owner of E3Expo. “Over the years, it has become clear that we need a more intimate program, including higher quality, more personal dialogue with the worldwide media, developers, retailers and other key industry audiences.”
And that’s not all. ESA plans on cutting down all the excitement that marked the previous E3s and replaces them with “small meetings with media, retail, development and other key sectors.” Basically, it will not feature the large trade show environment it had in its previous years. Additionally, the show has been moved to July from its May timeslot and its name has been changed to “E3 Media Festival”.
Following the above news, Gamespot, Game Informer and Rocky Mountain News carried out Q&As with Doug Lowenstein, the president of ESA, on the changes and why they were made. Tons of editorial were written as well, here are some: CNN Money, EuroGamer, FiringSquad, GameZone, MMORPG.COM, IGN and Next Generation.
Adding to the above, Gamespot carries an article offering their staff’s view and the industry’s reaction to the change.
Company Fined at E3 for Making too Much Noise
E3 is unforgivably a loud, noisy affair. But what is this? NCSoft, creator of Auto Assault, Lineage and Tabula Rasa, has been fined $5,000 for making too much noise by the organizers!
As Mutaytor finished its set with fire-swallowing and dragon dancing, the audience was implored to get as loud as it could, and the booth shook with reverberations from the music.
Once the band wrapped up, NCsoft vice president of strategic development Fred Schmidt took the stage and addressed the fine. He blasted Sega (which inhabited a neighboring booth during the show), saying they had three people with decibel readers monitoring NCsoft’s booth for the slightest infractions. Schmidt said the company made every effort to keep the noise within five decibels of the restricted limit, and for the most part did that successfully.
Schmidt then turned his attention to the ESA, essentially saying this whole experience has the company reconsidering its annual E3 presence.
“We’re not sure we’re on the same plane with this organization… We have been harassed for three days straight, and I’m not sure we’re coming back here, but we are going to have a party next year–real near here–and we hope you all will come.”
How can one company be harassed like this when all of them are making so much noise? And what’s with NCSoft’s hatred against Sega?
E3 Attracts 60,000
This year’s E3 was all-out crazy, thanks to Sony and Nintendo fully unveiling their consoles, and Microsoft announcing their second wave of games for Xbox 360, as well as Halo 3. Now that the event is over, ESA, the organizer, sent word that the expo had had more than 60,000 attendees, which is surprising since last year’s E3 saw more than 70,000 visitors.
Even though there were lesser people this time, E3Insider.com, the expo’s official consumer site, had attracted double the number of visitors since last year. The site received nearly 1.5 million visits during the three days of the show. It was offering DVD-quality video broadcasts, photos from the show, as well as behind-the-scenes action at the LA Convention Center where the event was held.
E3 2007 has been scheduled for May 16-18, 2007, in Los Angeles.
Video Game Voters Network
The ESA has launched The Video Game Voters Network, an organization focused on initially opposing The Family Entertainment Protection Act. Scoop:
The Video Game Voters Network exists to empower Americans who play video games to take action against threats to this entertainment medium and to stay informed about the latest issues that could affect our choice in video game entertainment. Video games are a modern form of entertainment entitled to the same creative and free speech protections afforded by the US Constitution to older media such as movies, music, and books. So join the Video Game Voters Network and speak up for games and gamer rights.
E3 Sold Out
Probably coming as no surprise to anyone, ESA announced that it has sold out of exhibit space for E3 Expo 2006, having sold more than 540,000 square feet of space covering all five exhibit halls at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s expo will be host to more than 400 exhibitors covering space equivalent to 4,650 Olympic swimming pools.
E3 2006 will be held from May 10-12, with conference and workshop sessions taking place from May 9-11.
BDGamers 