These two words mean that the viewers gaming press and the developers/ purpose of minimizing our biases, as (aka attendees) are by proxy passive publishers of games and consoles? they are now. participants in the whole event. Any stories we went there to find, scoops we I don’t think it’s the developers – have Hopefully this can change. Hopefully we Two weeks ago, a majority of The hoped to get were closely guarded by you ever asked a developer about the can establish trusting relations wherein Escapist crew trucked off to the powers that be, while they showed game they’ve been pouring their heart, we can talk to developers about their for . We spent three days traipsing us and told us exactly what they wanted soul and bank account into for months, games instead of doing the carefully about the LA Convention Center and us to see and hear. even years? There’s this little smile that choreographed song and dance which three nights popping about Downtown LA creeps up, you know, that one that just makes everyone feel tired and just a and West Hollywood … networking. And This came home to me this year when I makes you do the same. And that smile little awkward. for those of you who may have missed went to an invite only party with a travels up into their eyes, tinged with it, we wrote all about it at The Lounge. demonstration of a game. An interstellar just a bit of mischievousness. No, it’s not Cheers, war was started in the demonstration of because they want to be limited. But really, what is E3? From the official the game. It was fun. I was invited back site: “E3 is the world’s premiere trade by a member of the company’s PR team So, I look at the other part of the show for computer and video games and to see more of the game. Of course I equation, the press. With one ten minute related products.” Hmmm. So, what is a went. An interstellar war was started in presentation, developers must show trade show, exactly? According to the the same spot by a different what it has cost millions of dollars and good people at investorwords.com, a demonstrator. Even though the whole years of people’s lives to create. And trade show is “an event at which goods process seemed to be rather with one hastily written 300 word and services in a specific industry are spontaneous, the entire demonstration preview/review, the press can help make exhibited and demonstrated.” was scripted. I was speechless. or break a game. It doesn’t seem fair. In Response to “Don’t Roleplay the This sounds pretty cool. One might glean Later I thought back on the tidy little This is not to say that we, as press, Bugs”: I just rolled my eyes when I read from this that at the videogame and package presented at E3 by many should not give our true impressions of a this beginner’s description of playing related products trade show, attendees (certainly not all companies). The one game, even if negative; we have a DM’ed sessions in Neverwinter Nights. would be able to get a clear idea of what that’s scripted; the one about which you responsibility to our audience for that. Try talking to someone who has been the next wave of games, consoles and ask a question, and if it’s outside the But we also owe the developers fair and running them since 2002 over at peripherals will be like. But then, we parameters of what’s accepted, a side- unbiased/bias disclosed coverage. And if Neverwinter Connections. You absolutely cannot forget the implication of two very step answer to dizzy even a politician is we don’t give that, the package with can emulate the PnP environment, and important words in the definition of trade issued. Why is this? What has built this which we are presented will likely be in many ways do it better, since combat show: exhibited and demonstrated. solid wall, manned by PR gurus, between very controlled and scripted with the is essentially real time with the computer doing all of the rolls for you and the was one of my all-time favorite a lot of games. This is me in a nut shell, immersion is far greater. You can reduce companies. Still is, and ranks right next and it resonated very clearly. your build time by downloading to Ambrosia Software as one of the best campaign modules, same as you do in game makers of all time. Thank you. PnP by buying published modules, except they’re free. Thanks for the memories. I’m off to P.S. - are casual gamers a real install Aleph One now. commercial market, or a post-content I have fond memories of my tabletop design add-on? What tools/services link days, but I have no desire to return to -Chris Brinkley groups together that also happen to them. NWN is the superior game. That game (-fire, trillian, google, skype, it takes more than a few sessions to do it In Response to “The Left Behind” ventrillo, teamspeak, etc), and why well should come as no surprise to from The Escapist Lounge: I’m can’t I have just one? someone who has played a lot of definitely one of the gaming homeless as tabletop. Picture what your first few well. I agree about Quake 2... in fact, I -Andrew sessions of tabletop gaming were like. I was playing it the other day, and after doubt it was the Lord of the Rings. playing both Q3 and the Q4 demo, I realized how great that game was and -Brian still is. It wasn’t really nostalgia either, side-by-side the gameplay was just more To the Editor: I just wanted to drop a gripping and intense. I wanted to plow note saying that I really enjoy reading into the next level, story or no story. A The Escapist. As the President of Red 5 lot of games these days are missing that Studios and former Team Lead for World hook that pulls you in. I’m not talking of Warcraft at Blizzard, please let me about addictiveness, either - I mean a know if there is any way I can contribute. devotion to beat the game. You don’t hardly get that feeling anymore. -Markus -Ray In Response to “From ‘94 to Infinity: Before ” from The Escapist To the Editor: I was refreshed by the Lounge: I wept - wept! - at this article. notion of a person who does not consider A sophomore in high school in 1994, themselves a gamer, but happens to play I like LA. For the 10th year in a row, I’ve tossed aside other responsibilities to attend the Like. Electronic Entertainment Expo. For the past eight years, E3 has put on its call I’m no Randy Newman, who professes a girl circus of marketing come-ons and melodic love of the place. Rather, I’ve sultry promises in an effort to woo grown to appreciate Los Angeles, even videogame buyers and press. And, by as I look out on the street and see an and large, it works. We show up the urban civilization dying, one homeless Sunday before the expo spreads her drug zombie at a time. legs. We flock here on an annual pilgrimage and help make E3 into one of Come to LA early on a foggy Sunday the most successful industry morning and you can see it, too. commercials ever. Maybe the Super Bowl Downtown Los Angeles only compares does a better job in its ability to sell favorably to places even more bleak and product in guise of sharing news. empty, like downtown Phoenix. No one lives here. And the people that commute Maybe. in during the week to work here are exiles, looking forward to leaving as soon Wandering the streets of early morning as possible. So, you never come to the LA stokes a love/hate relationship that nominal center of the massive SoCal would fill a season ofOprah . From the megaplex expecting much. There’s a scabby man blocking the door to the bunch of office buildings, the Lakers play bathroom in Starbucks, to the white in the Staples Center down the street. Rasta kid toking up in front of Macy’s And this is where they put the and screaming at some hobo convention center. incoherently, to the three city blocks cordoned off for some film shoot, LA is I came here, once again, to attend a like a cancer patient that just keeps convention. going to work. “What else am I gonna do? Just sit at home and die?” George Romero shot Dawn of the Dead kept alive by a bubbling mad scientist’s before I get old,” or to marvel at a in Pennsylvania. But he could have saved cocktail of dreams, greed and a geriatric Sir Mick Jagger strutting in money on extras and just filmed the vaporous aroma of the future. front of NFL fans crowing about his whole lurching masterpiece in downtown general lack of satisfaction. Rock grew LA. LA is fantasy, to be sure. But, maybe up; Lester couldn’t, and it killed him. just as important, LA is the city of hope. I’m here because of E3, and E3 lives in LA for what might seem like an obvious reason. One of the major power centers of game development and publishing, Southern provides a magnet for people with digital stories to tell, entertainment to shill.

Eight years ago, the whole sultry shebang moved to Georgia for two Every once in a while, I pick up my copy At least, that’s my theory and the base years. The suits behind the decision of Lester Bangs madness and read a of my sympathy with Lester’s prose. explained the relocation in terms of little. I’m not so much looking for tips on needing more space and something to how to put more “new” in my journalism I don’t think attending E3 will kill me. I do with making it more convenient for as much as I like to get a feeling for don’t think I care enough. Really, I just the Europeans because, technically, what it’s like to be really, crazy, wonder why I despise this event so Atlanta is closer to the old country than passionately in love with something. much and why I hate myself for going California. Rock ‘n’ roll broke Lester’s heart because year after year. he loved it so much. And I think the And while I’m sure Georgia has its reason why is that he was there, man. Like every really screwed up charms, they don’t include providing a He was there when it all happened. And relationship, this takes some explaining. place that game people want to be. he was young. Rock changed everything That’s why the whole tawdry mess was and he wanted it to keep on mattering. From what I can tell, there are two big shipped back to LA, where it started. He got older, but he wanted to stay groups of people at E3: those that Because, like LA itself, the game young. He never lived to see a creaking fundamentally love it and those that business feels like an unhealthy entity The Who smirk as they sing “I hope I die either dread or despise it. If people are honest, you can break down these plastic game character or piece of groups into the people that have been computer hardware that you don’t need only a few times and the people like me, anyway. No, it doesn’t matter what you who have trudged out year after year. I take, because if you are at E3, you are suppose you could say familiarity breeds going to give. If E3 is the blood-bloated contempt, and this wouldn’t be a bad hide of game industry’s malarial beast, cliché to apply to the process. But the every reporter is a mosquito, sucking out soul of it is a little trickier than that. the disease and passing it along to the public. Reporters make E3 matter Sitting in a bar, I’ve often found myself because we keep telling the world it laying down the psychological rule that matters. E3 compromises every ethic we “Your biggest strength is also your could have ever claimed to have, and we biggest weakness.” I’ve applied this assuage our guilt by reporting harder, principle to everything from trying to faster, more. We’re as stupid as the dog understand my ex-wife’s behavior to chasing his tail, but more so: We start explaining why I liked or didn’t like some barks, “Of course. That’s what makes E3 because it’s reporting in Sodom and with the tail in our mouth. boss. So, if someone is really generous, me good.” Gomorra. You want to stay above the and you think that’s a real strength, muck, but everyone is passing around I don’t think you can see how ugly this is then if you look long enough you are This all gets worked around into a notion everything, we all slip and slide in the until you’ve been to the show a few bound to find out that giving spirit I kneaded out of the first few hours of same marketing offal and promotional times, maybe 10 times. It takes a while comes from a very selfish place. If sitting around in LA waiting for E3 to waste. You can’t report about sin without to see your part in the machine and someone is organized, it’s naturally start: I hate E3 because I love it. The becoming a sinner. And in spite of all the wonder why you’ve been doing it. It’s like bound to inner feelings of not having people that love E3 really just hate efforts to keep clean, no one is. It waking up after 20 years in a dead-end any control. Or, as Robert Duval drove themselves. You see, that’s how the doesn’t matter whether you slam free job or a lifeless marriage and wondering the point home to me many years ago principle works. It’s a yin and yang drinks at parties given by companies whether its more noble to just stick it out watching the Marine tear jerker The thing, interior and exterior, good and with products you’ll never cover or haul or to face the embarrassment of admitting Great Santini, when the tough old evil. It’s the cosmic balance, dude. home a suitcase filled with plastic swag you should have moved on sooner. solider is asked by his gape mouthed, begging you to point a little of your sensitive young son if he ever gets I hate E3 because it boils down reader’s attention in the direction of a Or maybe it’s a deep down, dark and scared, the tough as nails leatherneck everything into a residual hype. I hate game pushed by a logo on a t-shirt, sticky love. Look, not every day in every relationship look at E3, I mean really look at E3, and is a beautiful thing. You can’t make your not see that dribbling green Matrix type. choices about the rest of your life based on an argument about who left dirty We get used to looking at images on our socks on the bathroom floor. Or, as a guy screens and seeing Dodge Vipers and who I used to work with who always orcs, breathtaking landscapes and managed to avoid conflict said, “You got wookies. They don’t look real, but we to choose your battles. You can’t win like to think of them as if they were. In them all.” It’s practical advice. It’s also the same way, we have happily digested shorthand for the deeper truth, that the idea that games are just a business, some things are just worth sticking with, so all the soapbox puffery and marketing no matter how you feel about them in confetti-throwing is to be expected. In the moment. our world, lightsaber battles to the death are meaningful and good games exist to That’s the other side of E3. Somewhere make money. What we keep missing is behind the four-story promotional the idea behind it all. We keep forgetting banners and eardrum-crushing that, well, here it goes again with The multimedia, smiling temptresses waving Matrix, “There is no spoon.” Except, you toward games they can’t play and there is a spoon. And E3 is spoon-fest. the seemingly endless river of booze, you’ll find the games. And if you Sitting in the musty lobby of my hotel, concentrate on the games, the crazy waiting for lights of the big show to start retail patter with men wielding guns like their blinding strobing, I can see LA is cocks and women promising sex and dying. But the idea of LA continues to go death with every play, well, you’ll find a on in spite of this. I like LA because I little bit of redemption. People hate me grew up watching television and movies, for pulling out Matrix metaphors because and to my mind, the world is LA. Every they see the film as a cheap looting of cop looks like one of the guys from science fiction in an effort to sell a CHiPs, every doctor is either Barnaby lightweight S&M fantasy. But you can’t Jones or Quincy and my editor is Lou Grant (if Lou Grant grew a mustache and purpose; what makes games matter That’s what I love. I get hot and my wasn’t morbidly obese). When the sun even in the face of fans who defend the heart beats faster to think about all sets in my town, I can only reflect that it medium’s supposed virtues while those people, all those gamers - me - looks like the sun setting over dropping away from personal meaning getting sucked into this vortex of living Hollywood. and purpose to pretend to be an elf night proto-meaning. It’s like holding the after night; what remains is the central secret stuff of life in your hands. Games LA the city will die; maybe it already fission of the digital medium. All that are the Silly Putty of philosophy. has. We can’t tell because the idea of LA code that makes all of those games go, lingers - or echoes - or maybe it’s just that makes trees grow and suns set, cars I know, I know. WTF? How could you painted so thickly on the urban façade roll and bullets fly, dragons soar and spin something as trivial as videogames that it will take a long time to wear off. It childlike men jump from box to box, is into something so big? You big faker. doesn’t matter. LA remains. There still is this plastic, sticky medium of the a spoon, after all. computer, the substrate of ideas. All I can say is that’s probably true. I like LA. But I love videogames. I just have to remember to forgive them for the little things and keep in mind what started this love affair in the first place, that craziness. Those happy times when E3 didn’t really matter, and I couldn’t or wouldn’t see the flaws and blemishes. Videogames come to worship at the Inside the computer, there is no Those feelings might not be torrid any shrine of LA because they share a difference between a rape and a rescue, longer. That happens. But real love lineage, some of the same genetic stuff. between saving a life and taking one. It remains. It lingers. What makes the game industry matter, probably seems cheap to say this, and matter in spite of the obvious because it sounds like you end up David Thomas is the founder of the corporate evils of sweatshop work trivializing the notion of games. The International Game Journalists schedules and amoral content point is, you can’t find right and wrong in Association. He also provides commentary programming; what makes it matter in the code. It’s not there. It doesn’t parse, and criticism at buzzcut.com. spite of the overwhelming number of as the programmers would say. You have young men who make and cover games, to find that yourself. You have to invent and have no sense of style, or history or it with the machine. It was getting late on Thursday and I drinks at E3. The real reason I wanted to was running out of time. I felt like Kiefer attend was who because of was rumored Sutherland’s “Jack Bauer” from Fox’s hit to be performing at ’s party: the TV show, 24, checking my watch as the word on the street said Franz Ferdinand terrorist threat went from looming in the would be on stage, which made sense. distance to punching me vigorously in Their song, “Take Me Out,” had just been the face. That was probably because I used on Sony’s major PSP ad campaign. was hanging out near the 24: The Game I knew I couldn’t miss a chance to see a kiosks located in Sony’s booth. However, free set. I still had a dire problem of my own to correct (albeit, it was nowhere near as I slowly made my way to Sony’s massive cool as saving the country from media relations center. I was trying to weaponized anthrax.): It was 3:00 p.m., keep a low profile. Not just anyone can and I still hadn’t managed to score get an invite, and I was worried that a myself a ticket to the hottest party in wary security guard would ask the wrong town. I’m sure some kids from USC were question and end my quest prematurely. going to have a killer kegger, and the Hollywood A-listers probably had some I had learned nothing from function thrown by Diddy to attend. But Solid, because a man in a tan shirt we, the E3 show goers, had only one started staring at me right away. It party on our list: Sony’s soiree. wasn’t that I was frightened or that Sony’s PR department is made up of Why did I want to go so bad? I wasn’t villainous hell-beasts, it’s just that the cruising for free booze. If that were the whole process reminded me of the case, there were plenty of other places I archaic and merciless selection for could sneak/talk my way into for a cold dodgeball in grade school: If you weren’t one or a mixed drink. Any journalist, of one of the big guys, you could find age or under, can get plenty of free yourself being picked dead last, or not at all. I couldn’t stand that type of humiliation. the envelope I had been given, it was I didn’t want to be jumping rope by myself nice to see that the invite encouraged again. He spoke as I approached. party participants to not drink and drive. I made my way out of the cab and up to “Hi, is there anything I can help you with?” the entry. I gave the bouncer a casual nod, donned my acceptance-assuring “Yeah, I heard that there might be a few orange wristband, and walked in. party invites still available, and was checking to see if that was the case.” He Flashing lights, loud noises, people looked me up and down. He was sizing talking in groups, drinks being me up like a team captain. I half constructed in assembly line fashion - expected him to hand me a round rubber and no Franz Ferdinand. Not that I was ball and ask me to peg someone to see if overly disappointed. I had made it to the I was a worthy selection for the squad. party. All of a sudden I was one of the guys getting picked first to pick off the “Sure, can I see a business card?” I little guys with the red rubber handed him one. He gave it a quick playground balls. glance, and then grabbed an envelope and presented it to me. “You’re all set, As I made my way into the main section, Dan. See you tonight.” I soon discovered there were multiple segments cordoned off: There was I had made it in. something for everyone, like an amusement park. *** As I cut away from the main section - Dinner ran late, and I ended up heading where a massive stage had been erected with a group over to the party a little and some artist I didn’t know performed after their official start time. They a song I hadn’t heard - I found a offered free shuttles, but we ended up completely different area, a covered taking a cab. Studying the contents of dining space with a buffet, tables and plenty of chairs spread out. Then, 50 beverage): That’s what the Sony party feet later, I was in a section with benches was about in its truest sense. The party and tables set up for casual wasn’t truly a way to unwind after conversation, the starry sky the only almost a week of unending work, it was ceiling. I spotted the first un-crowded another networking session; but instead bar since my arrival and promptly got a of doing a graceful dance of words with vodka sour to nurse, as I continued to PR people, you were doing a drunken jig explore the venue’s interior. in an attempt to grease the wheels. The Sony party, despite all its glamour and I managed to meet up with a few people, allure, is no different than any other time and we settled near the luchadores of the year, except the drinks are on Sony. battling inside a wrestling ring. We watched as the night got cooler and But is that really a bad thing? They cheered on Chilango, as we talked about provide a nice atmosphere away from E3. A few PR contacts I knew fairly well the crowded, hot floor of the LA from past dealings ran into me during Convention Center for the industry’s the match, and we talked about the movers and shakers (and bottom feeders expo. They asked what I thought was like me) to meet and discuss business the best of the show, since they hadn’t without it feeling like we’re working. Hey, been able to leave their booths much. I if anything, it’s more enjoyable than asked them what secrets they hadn’t getting beaned in the thigh by the school shown me during my various bully. Charlie horses suck. appointments. It was an alcohol-aided game of trying to coerce information out Dan Dormer is a videogame freelancer of one another. They wanted info on their who keeps a poorly updated blog at his competitors, I wanted access to knowledge personal site. You can also sing his name not yet offered for public consumption. in time to “The Imperial March,” a fact he learned at E3 this year while not That’s when it hit me (somewhere attending the Sony party. between the seventh and eighth I feel like crap. The small cough and some folks involved in the “serious sneeze I was nursing heading into E3 – games” space. thanks to my constantly goobered 3- year-old son – has matured into a full-on Three quick lessons: 1. E3 starts the hacking cough and apparent sinus moment you leave your home and ends infection. On my flight out from Los only when you walk back through the Angeles, it became clear that I wasn’t door; 2. Always ensure you have enough the only one to have taken a beating. business cards for the trip home; and, 3. You can never guess who’s going to be In the line to use the bathroom, the attending E3. gentleman ahead of me noticed my vintage GDC:04 T-shirt and asked if I See Any Good Games? had had a good E3. I responded with a The previous night, despite my festering “Yes, very busy” type answer. He asked cold, I managed to enjoy a pleasant if it was my first one and what I had sushi dinner with an academic researcher been doing there. With a certain pride I from a prominent business school. It was told him how I’ve survived a grand total partly a chance to catch up with a good of 10 E3s. However, I couldn’t quite friend, but we also discussed plans to express what I was doing there – or why initiate a new program to study the I had gone … economics and demographics of the game development industry. He, of course, went to scope out the competition. Ironically enough, in this Between the sashimi and an extra order case, the “competition” was the U.S. of unagi, I tried to talk about what cool military. This particular fellow games we saw during E3. I noted that represented the Canadian Armed Forces EA’s Army of Two and Ubi’s Assassin’s and was curious to see what the U.S. Creed looked particularly promising. military’s latest initiatives were in terms Sadly, she didn’t really get a chance to of using games and game tech for see any games, despite being at the training and recruitment. I handed him show for the whole week. my business card and told him I knew This was the more common response of their game at their publisher’s booth, busy to wait in line to see the coolest With each successive year, this katamari- during most of my meetings and social or do press interviews, or have meetings stuff added to my frustrations. like action becomes more evident, as I encounters during the week. As it turns with potential publishers and business participate less and less in the primary out, a lot of folks at E3 don’t actually go partners for their game-to-be, and so Further, I always felt that the role of the expo and see more of the there for the games. on. It’s for development staff to be extravagance that went into most booths activities happening on the periphery. at the show just to be at the show, and related trappings from publishers Never mind the general chaos or the fact despite the fact that “competitive was a waste. Current estimates place the Two of 60 that the line at the booth was analysis” is a totally defensible excuse to total E3 tab in the $100 million range. All While the conference program is an over four hours long at times. To many be there! that money could have been going into official part of the E3 schedule, a scant attendees, the games are an funding new, innovative game projects. 3% of attendees bother to register for it. afterthought, and it’s too busy a show to Parasite and Prey The topics are generally business- waste time standing around. I walked up Admittedly, I was not a fan of E3 in the Over the years, however, the true value oriented and don’t offer the same rigor to the line, sighed, took a picture and early years (doubly so when it was in of E3 became clear: E3 serves as a big just kept walking. No for me. Atlanta). The hectic nature of things, the “katamari” for the game industry, noise and fact that I was always too attracting all kinds of people and stuff Most game developers in attendance are that would not otherwise have a chance there to work. That is, to run the demo to connect. as the Game Developers Conference’s So, can it be assumed that anyone World Trade Organization. And the ESA’s mixer on the Friday evening for game more robust program. Still, the lineup of sitting at their computer and thinking, government relations group holds an music and audio folks. speakers is often top notch, and the “You know, I really need to go to some annual lunch for various organizations freeform panel format allows for some game event to learn more about this that support game anti-censorship No doubt, there was a ton of other heated debate and sparks of insight. business” will first come across E3? efforts (e.g., IGDA, IEAM, AIAS, ESRB, conference and presentation oriented VSDA, MPAA, RIAA). Alphabet soup is action going on. It is hard to keep track (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge to the 97% Others have leveraged the magnetism of not on the menu. of it all … who missed out: Gamasutra has done a E3 to host related events and particularly good job this year of conferences. For example, this year the There was a Global Game Summit Government Intervention covering the conference content.) Serious Game Initiative hosted a games- preview panel on Thursday evening. E3 is crawling with government officials for-health conference up the street at Wired magazine hosted a special from all over the world. Interestingly, the demographics of the the USC campus on Tuesday. Along the “screening” of Spore at LA Center conference attendees are quite diverse. same lines, Henry Jenkins and his MIT Studios (special guest Robin Williams During the week, I met with government There are very few – via my anecdotal crew hosted the Education Arcade was quite a hoot). The Game Audio officials and representatives from various estimates – actual mainstream industry parallel to the E3 conference program in Network Guild hosted a session and U.S. states, Canada, the U.K., France, folks in attendance (as noted above, past years. they are all working their booth). Instead, you get a mishmash of folks The Entertainment Software Association trying to learn more about the game (ESA), the mother organization of E3 business – from academics to amateurs, itself, often embeds its own special from Wall Street bankers to Madison activities. Doug Lowenstein’s annual Avenue marketers, all the way to the “state of the industry” speech runs mayor of Los Angeles. Wednesday morning, and does well to fill an auditorium that fits 500 people It is no surprise that googling (Doug’s speech was full to the point of “videogame conference” or “videogame overcrowding this year. - Ed.). The ESA’s expo” brings up E3. (Sadly, doing the intellectual property rights division held same in Google Images now brings up a a special panel to discuss issues picture of promoting her surrounding the global economics of Jewel Jam mobile phone game. Ugh.) game sales and implications with the hundred guests to his posh estate on the outskirts of LA. Roughly at the same suppose we can count the U.S. Army time, Quebec was welcoming guests to booth in the West Hall, as well. the hip Standard hotel for a cocktail. mandate to promote and grow their local Wednesday evening, France held a nice game sector (the Korea Game These pavilions allow for many – often open-air reception. The Canadian Sweden, Denmark, Korea, China, Development and Promotion Institute smaller – companies to distribute the government hosted a breakfast Portugal, Australia, Singapore – among wields an approx U.S.$16 million annual expense of mounting a viable presence networking and panel session early other quick in-the-hallway encounters budget to do just that). at the show. Many countries also provide Thursday morning just up the street from that I’m probably forgetting. some level of travel expense assistance the convention center. Korea held a lavish This year, many of the government- in addition to the subsidized booth dinner party on Thursday night for 300 The majority of these folks are from the subsidized pavilions have graduated from space. Nice. guests at the same time Singapore was IT or economic development arms of out-of-the-way Kentia Hall into the South doing the equivalent across the street. government. Others might be from the and West Halls. A quick scan of the In addition to their efforts to get local culture or publishing/arts side of things, exhibitor page lists pavilions for Canada, companies into E3, many governments And those were just the ones I had on but those individuals are more rare. the U.K., Nordic countries, Korea, also host receptions or events in parallel my schedule. There were other similar Many countries have government game Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, to the expo itself. On Tuesday, the U.K. receptions and events driven by the industry promotion agencies with a Scotland, Singapore and Taiwan. And I Consulate General welcomed a few various governmental bodies throughout the week; certainly a nice change of - Minna Mingle/Casual Games pace over the traditional negative Association (Wednesday) attention games get by government. - Access E3 Party at the House of Blues Social Circuits (Wednesday) I’m not sure if the E3 party scene should be considered as “other stuff” going on, - Vivendi (Wednesday) as it is so integral to the E3 experience. A lot of value is derived from networking - IGN (Wednesday) at these events. - The Escapist (Thursday) Not counting the government receptions mentioned previously, I was aware of the - Sony (Thursday) following parties/hosts: - (Thursday) - International Game Journalists Association (Monday) - House of Moves (Thursday)

- Union Entertainment (Monday) No doubt, there were others. It is just impossible to keep up. The good news is, The Into the Pixel exhibit – a personal - Nintendo (Tuesday) if you plan your schedule right, you can favorite – shows off some sweet go the whole week without paying for videogame art. Organized by the - Pandemic & BioWare (Tuesday) dinner or a single drink. The bad news is Academy of Interactive Arts and you’ll take a physical pounding standing Sciences, Into the Pixel is juried and - International Game Developers around and talking all night. curated by experts from world-renowned Association (Tuesday) art museums, cutting edge galleries and Art Appreciation game industry veterans. Admittedly, the - (Wednesday) E3 attracts many noble efforts related to “In the Garden of Eva” piece from Metal games, often angling on the artistic or Gear Solid 3: Subsistence held my - Wedbush Morgan (Wednesday) social impact side of things. attention longer than most games on the show floor … In addition to having a gallery of all the One example is the booth babe It didn’t take long for the core of the works lined up between the West and protesters. No, not people protesting the show to be overtaken – perhaps not in South Halls, there is a nice cocktail booth babes, but protesters who were appearance, but more so in importance – reception (of course!) to initially unveil booth babes. Right, you got that. There by all the other stuff stuck to it. the art and introduce the artists, jurors were booth babes outside of E3 and organizers that were involved. Sadly, protesting the new, stricter babe and One has to wonder if E3 went away (as the game press barely picks up on it, clothing policies. In the end, it turned out some jaded industry vets usually do), and I have yet to see much in the way of to be a marketing stunt, but it did seem what would happen to all that other coverage of the exhibit. legit when I first heard about it. Really. stuff. It would be like an ecosystem’s food disappearing. While the Into the Pixel exhibit is an More seriously, there were scammers official part of E3, there are many distributing the “Electronic Entertainment Or, perhaps it’s just me and the odd smaller off-the-record efforts going on. Show Daily,” a rip-off of the usual route I push my way through in LA. For example, there are usually a handful “Electronic Entertainment Expo Show Regardless, I don’t think I’ll ever have of documentary filmmakers at the show Daily.” They were hitting up exhibitors the luxury of waiting in line to get into covering one aspect or another of the with special discounted advertising rates the Nintendo booth. No worries. In my game business. This year, I did an on- due to a last minute cancellation. Not opinion, the best place to get the scoop camera interview for one doing a film on sure if they phished any one in, but on all the games is via the web anyway. the controversy over booth babes and that’s just not cool. It’s all the other stuff one has to be there sex in games. Last year, another for! filmmaker was doing a piece on industry Perhaps most amusing are some of the working conditions. folks who get refused entrance due to Jason Della Rocca is the executive lack of industry credentials. At times, director of the International Game Other groups are out garnering support locals come and hover around the Developers Association. (Opinions for their own local conference or center. Justine, the expressed do not necessarily represent festival. Still others are making plans to PsychicGirl, should have known her the IGDA.) Jason blogs at Reality Panic build games for charity. The list goes on. registration was going to be rejected due and wishes he could just camp out in to stricter admittance policies … front of the vintage arcade machines in Other Politics Kentia Hall every E3. Taking an even broader view, we start 1000m View seeing some of the weirder activities As our big E3 katamari continues rolling, occurring on the periphery. more and more stuff keeps sticking to it. EDITORIAL PRODUCTION BUSINESS Executive Editor Producer Publisher Julianne Greer Jonathan Hayter Alexander Macris

Content Editor Layout Artist Associate Publishers Joseph Blancato Jessica Fielhauer Jerry Godwin Russ Pitts Gregory Lincoln Lead Web Developer Contributing Editor Whitney Butts Director of Advertising JR Sutich Susan Briglia Web Developer Research Manager Erik Jacobson Media Sales Associate Nova Barlow Laura Rotondo IT Director Contributors Jason Smith Chairman of Themis Group Dan Dormer Thomas S. Kurz Vilis Kasims Kyle Orland Jason Della Rocca David Thomas

Volume 1, Issue 46, © 2006. The Escapist is published weekly by Themis Group, Inc. Produced in the of America. To contact the editors please email [email protected]. For a free subscription to The Escapist in PDF format please view www.escapistmagazine.com “It was magic,” I say quietly, as Contra’s end credits roll by for the first time. My brother nods his head in agreement. We both smile.

“It’s magic,” I think today, 13 years later, looking out the window at the urban landscape on the other side, where burly oil-cars are lined up by the river. A drunk strolls by in the soft light of the full moon. He stops for a moment, throws an empty bottle of vodka under a bush and walks away. It’s three o’clock in the morning.

OK, enough of this. I get back in my chair, press F5 hurriedly and look around for some news. Nothing … nothing … ah, there’s a piece on some German FPS. And, even though I haven’t played an FPS in the last couple of years, I open the article and start reading it.

E3: It has to be magic. That’s one of those rare beliefs I try to leave unquestioned. Fairy tales, science fiction novels, movies – all have had a place in my heart, but now they’ve gone somewhere deep in the vaults of the Time itself – together with unicorns, plastic soldiers and miniature Ferrari models.

“Awesome graphics … Thirty highly designed levels … Fully implemented RPG elements … ” Why do I still believe in all of this?

I want to. I want to see impossible things came true, no matter how trivial or unimportant they might feel to the others. It’s the sensation of seeing my dreams coming true I want to experience. For quite some time, I’ve mourned the loss of that magic feeling that filled my soul while I was reading stories about wonderful journeys to the Moon or the center of the Earth. And, if it’s possible to partially recover these feelings, I’ll do my best to hold onto them. Of course, all this endless F5’ing stems there with Miyamoto, Wright and Kojima? And now, excuse me while I check any from more than just my childish I’m scared. Scared I might lose the number of websites to see if something obsessions. After all, if all I wanted was innocent belief in the magic of the E3. new has been announced. a dream to believe in, I might as well go Scared of discovering the stories aren’t on thinking Elvis and Lennon are still coming to the minds of the journalists via Vilis Kasims is a writer for Latvian satire alive somewhere in Peru. an astral link, but are gathered one by magazine Dadzis and a freelance one in a long and dismal effort. Queues videogame journalist. Currently, he is No, I’m way too deep into the world of as long as several hundred meters; working on an upcoming online Latvian videogames; and this wave of previews, endless movement from morning to videogame magazine, Bunkurs. news and trailers could excite me even evening; the noise, the fights with without a three-day spectacle security – sitting near the PC; it sounds surrounding them. Also, it’s the feeling like a minor effort compared to the of being somehow tangled up in the possibility of being the first to seeNew biggest event in the game industry. But I Super or Gothic in action. But I also wouldn’t be awake this late at night if it know that if I were there, on the show was just that. No, the fundament of my floor, it wouldn’t take long for me to turn unhealthy obsession is the desire to into a fire and sulfur spitting dragon. believe in a miracle; believe that somewhere in this stream of graphical That’s another reason I don’t want E3 to depravity and booth babes would emerge come to Europe. I just wouldn’t be able something incredible, something that to refrain from paying a visit. Sometimes, would not only make me register it it’s better not to know than to become somewhere in the depths of my memory, disenchanted. And you, the journalists at but also get up, re-read the story a E3 – I really admire your effort, but, couple of times with a doubting smile please, don’t write about queues and the and then stroll through my apartment to intolerable noise. Deep in our minds, we and fro, trying to imagine how it would already know how tiresome it can be, look in reality. but in that one week it’s much better not to be reminded, so we can keep on Why, then, am I still here, in my flat, believing that E3 is guided by the power filled with books and loose-leaf paper, not of a good-natured wizard. Imagine a rock concert. The loudest rock To an outsider, going to E3 as a concert you’ve ever been to. Make it a journalist seems like a dream come true: little louder, just for good measure. You get to see all the latest games, meet all the coolest people in the game Throw it into a Las Vegas casino, except industry, and generally putz around in a instead of the glitz of Vegas you’re in the giant arcade for three straight days in middle of the decay that is Los Angeles; the center of Hollywood. But ask those and instead of jangling coins and neon that have been writing about the show there are surround sound explosions and for years, and you’ll find covering E3 has endless rows of flashing video monitors. its share of problems - especially when it comes to getting actual work done. Stir in a good-sized dollop of siege- mentality warfare, complete with realistic Chief among these problems is the sound effects and panicked jostling for crowds. Though it’s not open to the public, limited resources. E3 still manages to attract nearly 60,000 people that are somehow “affiliated” with Add in a little dash of sci-fi convention the game industry. That number decoration and just a pinch of overpriced inevitably includes more than a few food. people who wrote one article for some three-month-old fansite along with your Dump in tens of thousands of local Gamestop manager’s cousin. It’s bewildered, sweaty males (sprinkled with inevitable. Don’t even bother complaining. a few scantily-clad booth babes and fully-clothed female PR reps for flavor). Despite the throng of humanity, the 870,000 square feet of exhibit space Shake well. seems downright spacious. That is until you clog up the floor with awkwardly Welcome to E3. placed demo stations, oversized statuary and narrow choke points. “It’s hard Now, try writing a story in this mess. enough to keep moving,” GamePolitics Editor and nine-year E3 veteran Dennis for precious time, though, only the big McCauley writes in a post on his site. Then, dogs of the game journalism machine “the attendees who are walking ahead in can guarantee VIP press access at the the traffic lane ... suddenly stop to stare up bigger booths. at some whirling bright lights or booth babe. Or maybe to have a conversation “If you’re working for a web site that has with a friend they bumped into. That’s a small ‘unique visitor’ count and no real when our latent South Philadelphia cab focus, it’s more valuable for publisher X driver persona emerges. ‘Hey, buddy, move to turn your request down and spend it to the side of the road!’” that time with a larger site that reaches a wider audience,” says CNN/Money’s Once you finally work your way to a Chris Morris. In short: more readers game demo kiosk, the experience is less equals more access, which in turn leads than ideal. Good luck focusing on the to more readers. “It’s a Catch-22 – and game while ignoring the swirling mass of having experienced it myself, I know people, noise and lights around you. how frustrating it is – but I don’t think Sure, your press pass can bump you to there’s really a lot that can be done.” the front of most lines, but if the game is popular at all, a PR attendant or an But this limited access can actually be a impatient expo attendee will hurry you blessing in disguise for a small outlet, along before you can play for more than says Computer Games Magazine Editor- five minutes. Suddenly, formulating in-Chief Steve Bauman. Getting rejected those “Best of E3 Award” impressions by the big boys “gives smaller outlets an doesn’t seem so easy. opportunity to find the stories other guys are missing or skipping because they’re You can avoid the tumult of the kiosks by fixated on whatever Sony, , arranging a private “booth tour” or a Nintendo and are selling.” behind-the-scenes appointment with a Bauman recommends that struggling PR contact at most major companies. journalists “go to Kentia Hall and With literally thousands of outlets vying discover something weird. Those people are desperate for coverage, but everyone editorial assistant for Canada’s HUB The best way to cover E3, though, might is trying to cover the ones who don’t magazine. “Other publishers, such as be to simply not go at all. Slashdot Games’ really need it.” Namco, seem to just hire some booth Michael Zenke doesn’t have the time or babes, give them a point-form info sheet budget to attend this year’s show, but he If you do end up getting led around, about each game, and set them loose, will be covering it from home, where he though, note that all booth tours are not which is a waste of my time.” can “watch the keynotes on Gamespot and created equal. “Some publishers - gain a gestalt view of the E3 experience notably Eidos, Vivendi, Microsoft, Midway For all its problems, E3 does still have through the lens of everyone on the - have the developers and play-testers value to the intrepid journalist. The ground. I can then successfully reprocess on hand to demo the games and answer sheer number of actual developers that experience for the readers in the form questions, which is ideal,” says Erin Bell, wandering around E3 and its environs of copious linkage. I hope to ... provide makes it easy to just grab someone the users some understanding of what’s working on a game and make contact going on out there.” outside PR’s stifling gaze. “For the sort of stuff I do, it’s not a place where the And that’s the real key to successfully actual work gets done - more of a place consuming the rock concert/war zone/ where ideas for things start,” says casino/arcade stew that is E3. At some British game journalist Kieron Gillen. point, you have to take a step back, put down your spoon, and excrete a couple The key to a good E3, according to many hundred words about the sleep-deprived journalists, is to stay away from the week you spent eating it all in. standard post-everything-and-sort-it- out-later coverage that has dominated Bon appetit! E3 in the internet era. E3 is a chance to “meet developers you won’t usually see Kyle Orland is a freelancer. [and] find obscure companies, products He writes about the world of video game and hardware that hasn’t been seen journalism on his weblog, Video Game before,” says insert credit Senior Editor Media Watch. Brandon Sheffield. “It can really be an eye opener, if your eyes are just a bit open to begin with.” Russ Pitts, Associate Editor Ugliest thing I saw at E3: The carpet in Kentia. Seriously. I got dizzy and almost Each week we ask a question of our staff and featured writers to learn a little bit vomited walking down the main aisle to about them and gain some insight into where they are coming from. This week’s the restroom - and this was way after question is: that Privilege party hangover had subsided. E3 2006 marked the first time I wore sunglasses indoors since that Corey Hart song went off the airwaves. Next time guys, try a color other than lemon yellow. My (now blind) eyes will thank you. David Thomas, “I Hate You, E3” Jason Della Rocca, “Game Industry Like many people, I’ve seen Robin Katamari” Joe Blancato, Associate Editor Williams at the show. Not sure whether Oh boy, where to start? E3 is so The best, worst and ugliest: The throng that is best, worst or just ugly. A favorite overwhelming to the senses that I of humanity milling through South Hall. memory: The year Nintendo shot free normally flush my memory banks shortly Pokemon stuffed animals every hour out after each show ... I suppose seeing Julianne Greer, Executive Editor of a cannon into a mob that got so crazy Gary Coleman traipsing around with The worst (and maybe ugliest): My feet and violent they had to stop. posse in tow a few years back was kinda after dancing till 2 am at Privilege in scary. West Hollywood Thursday night. But it Kyle Orland, “Recipe for Disaster” was very worth it. For all three, I’d have to say the mad JR Sutich, Contributing Editor dash for the Nintendo booth on day 1 The worst thing I’ve seen at any E3 was and the resulting 4+ hour line to get a Shadowrun for the 360. hold of the Wii.