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General: My First E3: Of Shiny Things and Pilot Wings
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
MMORPG.com Writer and former E3 virgin Bill Murphy attended his first E3 this year, and takes some time today to provide us with his unique take on the experience.
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When I was a wee lad back home in the completely tame suburban stretches of Northeastern Ohio, I dreamed of Hyrule Field being real, tracking down Terra in Final Fantasy VI (or III as it was known in the States), and of course I drooled as much as any geek when the Dreamcast was announced ahead of its more successful contemporaries.
I spent my entire youth with a mix of playing videogames on long summer afternoons and playing basketball outside when my parents decided that my skin was becoming so pale I looked as if I'd soon become a bolt of lightning in front of Jeff Goldblum. And every year for as long as I can remember, I've followed the events before, during, and after the Electronic Entertainment Expo with about as much zeal as a "Twilight Mom" surfs the web looking for shirtless photos of Rob Pattinson.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
Wow this is a rarity here, an article that actually made me smile.
Its low on facts has no information of use, but seriously how can you not read this and smile.
Nice way to remind us of the human element to journalism.
E3 isn't a convention about providing facts or useful information. E3 is about hype. Lots and lots of hype. It's to get the industry guys from other companies excited about your products that are going to be competing with theirs. How sad is that?
still at least he enjoyed it and all. I am hoping for more of what he thought about the games he played and what not.
It is logical, because if you're not there to hype the game, the community tears you to shreds.
good article for the author.
Personally I agree with Dracondis' statement.
E3 is no longer about "gaming" or "games" anymore. its all a big show for the developers to showboat around each other, and fling money around like peacocks in a zoo during amting season.
"omg did you see his feathers, he must be better than me! Must adapt, grow bigger feathers, add more color....I know GLITTER!"
It's all stale and trite since that year they announced it would not be open to the public. Everyone has the same info, same coverage, and whats worse the same opinions. There is absolutely NO objectivity in gaming journalism anymore. it's all about advertising dollars
When in doubt, get more explosives.
"bounded up and down like a jackalope on amphetamines" LMAO...I know this feeling! Great read. ^_^
lol, can't wait to read what you think about the games. Seems like someone who was truly having fun there might be able to have a better perspective than the people that are so jaded they can't be bothered to have fun at one of the coolest events surrounding gaming out there.
Glad you enjoyed it. Comicon is nothing like it.
hmm did E3 change or did you forget how to have fun like a child....
am certain the companies at E3 always wanted to sell their games, by show the best of what their games, they produced, got to offer.
Glad you got to go Bill. Some of us are still chasing that dream. It'd be nice is game sites had a raffle or some contest in which they "hired" a site member for the week and took them along to experience it. The point at which I was finacially comfortable and had the time to go to one was about 1 year after they closed the thing off to us laymen.
Anyway, happy for you because you made it and because from past times talking to you elsewhere I know you really enjoyed it and meant what you wrote.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
Not nearly as sad as people who feel they must always search for the dark cloud in a silver lining. LIghten up. Life is suppossed to be enjoyed
That said...
Thanks for a fun read W.M . You captured what the show should be about for anyone who loves the genre.
I'm honestly glad that the writer was happy about going to E3, it's good to see people happy and doing something they honestly enjoy. But, following Dracondis, it really is nothing more than a bunch of insiders and it's comparable to Academia. Professors in, at least, the Humanities aren't really there to teach but to publish articles and books that professors at other colleges and universities will read, people already in the loop. Instead of flipping those priorities around, being more concerned with the students take from their univeristy time, they are more concerned with keeping their Ivory Tower Book Club going. From what has been said of E3 it fits this model well enough, where the insiders are the professors, the consumers are the students and the show itself is where we're not wanted and can only hope to get. Pessimistic? Yes, but unfortunately all too real.
(1)TL:DR must be your way of saying that thinking hurts. Then again, this may explain why it looks like you responded to the post without using your brain.
(2) It's not about community, is it? You just have nothing better to do.
Glad you had a great time, Bill.
I'll agree with others' sentiments that it's a shame that gamers can't attend E3 anymore. I still have hope that maybe one day ECA will reverse that decision. I mean, it isn't like everything is public even now; many demos and other things you still have to get a booth appointment for to see, and that's with the event being industry-only.
ha nice article hopefully one of these years I'll go too an share in the joy 8)
In reality, it's all about the booth babes. Without them not a single male would show up.
Yeah without the booth babes you would only get girls at E3. Hmmm...but check out the ‘Creativity Unleashed’ picture, it was clearly a male only event, anyone with a handbag was stopped at the door.
It's a european carryall!
Good article, it is nice to see the human side to these things.
I think in a business that sales fun, the best way to promote it is to have fun. I can honestly say I am more interested in this posters opinion now that I have at least an illusion that he enjoys the game.
As to it being industry only I can half understand why they went that way though I do think there should be 2 events in that case E3 Industry (to; I don’t know spread and share information) and E3 Gamers (marketing, demo and a little info sharing for those of us that would love to join the industry) you could run them concurrently or simultaneously to perhaps save some of the overhead and stress that would come from 2 separate major events.
@Loden: That's pretty much covered with PAX these days, the gamer side of these events. Which I'll also be attending for the first time. GLEE!
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I was a fortunate guest of Gazillion/NetDevil at this year's E3. As I doubt I will be able to wrangle another invite in the future, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event for me.
I am very happy to hear that your time was very enjoyable and full of awe. The first day there is usually just a blur...a happy tiring blur. The second day, after you wisely read the Show Program, is spent hunting down those games/devs/babes that you've read/watched and need to see yourself. The last day is spent hanging around the booths that you enjoyed the most.
Being of the older crowd, I wasn't offered very much swag. The best swag is presented to invitees in closed-booth demos. The rest is t-shirts, posters, mouse pads, keychains, etc. given to the masses. Still, I can't complain...I have added to my lay-around-the-house t-shirt collection! -)
Ozmo was correct, E3 is nothing like ComicCon. Living near San Diego, I've been to about 10 San Diego Comic Cons...skipping every other year. E3 is like a T-ball game and Comic Con is like Major League... the mass of people and overall diversity of content. People waiting 45 minutes in a line to play/demo a game at E3 = People waiting 4 hours in a line to see the favorite TV/Movie cast Q&A/New Show Reveal session! Note: To enjoy Comic Con, read the Program Guide *DAYS* in advance to plan your schedule. Otherwise, you will miss a lot of what you want to see.
After hearing too many gripes about E3 and being confused by the reactions of E3-vets, your review brightened up my week considerably! -)
TQQdles™,
Dolnor Numbwit
Eternal Newbie