After some discussions with friends and new acquaintances on my Twitter feed and beyond, I've noticed that there's a bit of a debate surrounding what E3 is supposed to actually do. I decided this would be a great opportunity to explore exactly what E3 is from the view of someone who has never been. This will lead to some biases, but I'm just going to call it like I see it as I think of it. If anyone wants to provide some critique or counter-points, I'm more than open to discussion!
After some perusing, it seems that we need to remember that E3 is not a gaming convention, regardless of what past conventions have hosted. E3 is the "Electronic Entertainment Expo," a selection that includes much more than games. I understand that some big games have been released at E3 in the past, and that's all well and good. However, this does not necessarily make E3 a gaming convention -- rather, it is a convention where games are announced.
In a way, you can look at E3 (or really any convention) as if it were a football game. The players are the industry representatives that put on the show. The stadium staff are the people who make sure that the event possible, keeping the events together and providing service to the attendees. The press box is...well, the press box. This leaves the fans, ranging from the largely apathetic to the rabidly supportive. The part that seems to be lost in translation to the attendee is that the game exists for the players and coaches down on the field. The game down on the field is not yours in any way past the fact that you bought a ticket. You just happen to be watching the game.
The more complicated truth that none of us really want to admit is that the gaming core simply isn't as enticing a demographic these days. If the last few years of gaming discourse are to be believed, the self-identifying "gamer," while a reliable customer, is extremely difficult to please. Nowhere is this more evident than the recent turbulence surrounding Mass Effect 3, Star Wars Kinect, and Portal 2. On top of this, the community will rail against DRM and copyright prevention methods with one hand while elevating DRM-intensive games like StarCraft II and Diablo III to all-time bestseller status. These fickle dualities become a real turn-off for studios, investors, and prospective customers.
For the most part, people who call themselves "gamers" will always buy games -- I think we can all agree on that much. If this is to be believed and if the core is so difficult to please, why should anyone bother advertising to the core gamer community, especially when there are huge markets in mobile and casual games?
With this in mind, the forces behind annual shifts in focus and purpose of E3 are becoming more apparent -- in essence, it's time for the company to put on a show to promote their new product. These announcements, presentations, demos, and panels are a reflection of the company's public image, which extends well beyond the consumers. The presentations are made to make yourself look like a powerful organization. If you appear powerful, you gain investors and customers. Each public appearance is a chance to show industry dominance, but doing it at a convention gives you that extra bit of attention -- all the eyes are on you, and it's your time to make it or break it -- just convince the public that you have a profitable product and money to blow, and the presentation will grab your attention one way or the other.
However, we don't have to worry about this. E3 was established in 1995, a time with considerably fewer gaming conventions. Nowadays, between the likes of ComicCon, PAX, and many others, there are enough other places for companies to showcase their product to stimulate this ever-growing industry. I realize cons and expos aren't exactly the same, but the competition between the two can only do good for the number and diversity of games we'll see in upcoming years. Stay optimistic -- the best of gaming is always yet to come.
Doc Watson is the founder of GameRx and an editor at The RedShirt Crew Blog. He has never been to E3 but does hope to do so someday. Got a question, comment, or something else to contribute? Leave a comment below or drop him a tweet @DocWatsonMD
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