According to next-gen.biz the worlds most famous video and computer gaming expo is facing drastic changes. Seems like the whole show isn’t worth the money the publishers put into it each and every year.
However, we understand the larger exhibitors have jointly decided that the costs of the event do not justify the returns, generally measured in media exposure.next-gen.biz
Well, if you see it from the point of view of a single company, this might be true. On the expo floor they have to compete with basically everyone in that business. But if you see it on a more global level, the media coverage was enormous. Hell, I even bought my first Gamespot Complete Membership just to get the videos of the big press conferences earlier. For a whole week (and basically the month prior and after that) there was no other topic on gaming sites and in magazines than then E3.
But let’s see if ESA’s Doug Lowenstein will really announce something in this direction within the next 48 hours as speculated by next-gen.
Part of the rumor is also, that the E3 might just be downsized, which, at least in my opinion, would render the whole expo useless since the big companies will the probably more hold their own events like Nintendo did for quite some time in Japan (and still does IIRC) every fall. Or does anyone still remember that Microsoft press event in the desert? I guess now, we will see much more of that.
With E3 more or less gone, perhaps the European and Asian shows will also get more press coverage on US sites. For example IGN will be on the GamesConvention held in Leipzig (Germany).
Downsides on the more personal level? As Sherven Mashayekhi from 360Insider put it: I guess I will never get a chance to go to the real E3 then ;)
Via Joystiq
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