Home Gaming Of course E3 is still relevant, say guys organising E3

Of course E3 is still relevant, say guys organising E3

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E3

This year’s E3 is going to be quite different. Many of the key industry players are giving its halls a skip this year – With EA and Activision focusing instead on consumer-facing, public events. Disney and Wargaming have bowed out too – leaving many wondering if E# still holds any sort of relevance.

The ESA says yes. Of course, they would – they’re responsible for organising the whole thing. The ESA’s Rich Taylor has told MCV that E3 is still relevant – and is still a pretty big deal.

“The ‘is E3 still relevant?’ question gets asked every year, and then gets answered in June of that same year with a resounding ‘yes’,” Taylor asserted.

“E3 is beyond relevant, it is essential and critical to the game and entertainment industry calendar. It changes, it has never been a stagnant show and this year is no different. Last year if you asked most people, in the aftermath of E3 how they found it, many will tell you it was the best E3 they can remember. But in the ramp up to that show, I was answering the same sort of questions that you just put to me.

“One of the things we do at the close of every E3 is that we talk to everyone we can… and we try and figure out how to change the experience and make it better. We’ve done that this time, and we will be making adjustments to guarantee it is going to be a tremendous show. There are a number of press briefings going on – a record number,I believe – that starts a few days before E3. That’s a reflection of the fact that people realise that this is the place to make news and break news, and have that amplified around the globe in a way like no other show can.”

One of those changes may be allowing the public to attend in some way.

“The consumer question is certainly part of the equation and one we will be taking a hard look at. You saw last year, certain companies brought along some of their most valued customers. We will probably end up doing that again this year, and there will be some additional elements on top of that, that may or may not come. But we are always trying to figure out what we need to do, such as finding ways to better accommodate and facilitate YouTube personalities.”

And though there are four very large gaps in the showfloor, there will still be lots to see and do.

“We obviously want to have a robust, energetic show floor. So if people aren’t there, we will find others to be there. E3 is a place that people want to be. We are not a mortuary convention, it is quite the opposite. There is a lot of activity in this space, from the college level to indie developers to triple-A titles. We are talking to, and are talking to, a number of entities and developers, and encouraging them and inviting them to be a part of the show, when perhaps in the past they have not been.”

Of course, the console trinity will be there in full force. Sony’s likely to do a big VR push, Nintendo’s probably going to show off its new NX console and Microsoft’s going to…well, I have no idea really but I assume it’ll involve Halo, Gears of War and Forza in some way.

Last Updated: March 11, 2016

2 Comments

  1. Pariah

    March 11, 2016 at 14:35

    Gamescom here we come.

    Reply

  2. Matthew Holliday

    March 11, 2016 at 18:34

    E3 is relevant, its just predictable.
    At the end of the show there are only one or two things that actually surprise or excite me.

    i dont care for the marketing that goes on, all the pompous talking and showboating usually just gets in the way of the trailers.

    Reply

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