E3 this year is gonna have limited public access, 4000 - 5000 people will get invites (so called prosumers)

[Bouzoo]

So what is happening here? Some number of people, 4000-5000 of them, are gonna get invites to attend as invited guests. That doesn't mean only 4k-5k people are gonna get in, it means everything is as usual + this. And here we introduce a new word, prosumer (at least for me).

 

From Wiki:

Prosumer is a portmanteau originally formed by contracting professional with the word consumer.[1][2]

In a commercial environment, it describes a market segment between professional and consumer. For example, a prosumer grade digital camera is a "cross" between consumer grade and professional grade.

What the...? Ok, let's not waste too much time on the definition since this is good news. 

 

While E3 has traditionally been an industry event which doesn't officially allow consumers onto its game-packed floors, this year the show is allowing 4,000 to 5,000 of some of gaming's biggest fans into the Los Angeles Convention Center halls to wander as invited guests.

"This year, for the first time, there will be prosumers in the halls," said Rich Taylor, senior vice president of consumer and industry affairs for E3 organizer The Entertainment Software Association. While fans have been let into the show in small numbers over the years through contests, the ESA says this new policy is a first.

About 4,000 to 5,000 non-industry people will be invited to the show, Taylor said. The passes, good for full access to the length of the show, will be handed out by ESA member companies which are exhibiting on the floor. The number of passes a company gets is based on the size of its booth, and thus monetary contribution to the show.

"Member exhibitors each have an allotment of some passes that they are permitted to distribute to their valued customers," Taylor said.

The extra passes means a roughly 10 percent bump in the number of people attending the show this year.

 

And that is basically all there is to know, ESA is gonna give them to other companies which god knows how are gonna give them away. Maybe they will look at leaderboards or other in game stats? Maybe some reviewers like AngryJoe, TotalBiscuit or AngryCentaur, or some popular Twitch streamers? Who knows.

The decision came during an ESA board meeting discussing E3. Each year, Taylor said, the board meets after E3 to discuss what went wrong, what went right and what can change. The decision to open the doors to a limited number of the public was spurred by several things, he said.

"There's a number of factors," Taylor said. "There was a desire by a number of exhibitors and board members to connect with people directly.

"In this age of vast social media,  having some of those voices in the hall to report their reaction and enthusiasm is seen as a big plus."

That doesn't mean, he added, that the show values traditional press reaction and coverage any less.

Rumors have circulated for months that the ESA was considering allowing the public to purchase tickets to E3 for a single day. That would follow the sort of approach used by both Gamescom in Germany, which has a press day and four public days, and the Tokyo Game Show, which has two public days and two business days.

 

They say they are not doing it because E3 is dying (which it isn't, the current contract to hold E3 in the Los Angeles Convention Center expires after 2016), and that doesn't mean it's gonna be "lower quality".

The show hit its attendance peak in 2005 with 70,000. A year later, that number dropped to 60,000. In 2007, E3 was completely overhauled and moved to Santa Monica with attendance deliberately reduced to 10,000. The next year's attendance was reduced once more, this time to 5,000.

In 2009, the show returned to the LA Convention Center and attendance leapt to 41,000. The following year, attendance was allowed to increase to more than 45,000, but the ESA said there were no plans to allow it to hit the huge numbers of the 2005 era of E3.

Over the following years, attendance has slowly crept up, but still remains less than 50,000. Last year's show had 48,200 in attendance and Taylor believes this year's will be about the same, plus the addition of the public attendees.

It's obvious that E3 isn't dying, Taylor said.

 

 

I find this to be really good news. Normal people, if they get chosen, can have full access as normal media does (that's what I got from this) is a good thing. But how are you gonna get those invites? Well good luck with that.

 

Source

[TopWargamer]

I think that's kind of cool, although it should stay very minimal. E3 is just a giant press event for video games. It's already crowded as it is. If they were to give access to the general public... Oh my I shutter to think about it. 

[Bouzoo]

I think that's kind of cool, although it should stay very minimal. E3 is just a giant press event for video games. It's already crowded as it is. If they were to give access to the general public... Oh my I shutter to think about it. 

 

I haven't been there so I don't know how big the location is (I assume it's enormous), but maybe next year it goes to some bigger location?

[TopWargamer]

I haven't been there so I don't know how big the location is (I assume it's enormous), but maybe next year it goes to some bigger location?

It's already at the Los Angeles Convention Center... And even at that they have to rent out some of the surrounding buildings. 

[Trik'Stari]

Is it just me, or is this an odd coincidence considering that PC gaming is supposed to be at E3 this year.

[Bouzoo]

Is it just me, or is this an odd coincidence considering that PC gaming is supposed to be at E3 this year.

Your member title explains it all.

[givingtnt]

How did you get that...?

 

 

What the fuck does that even mean? 

E3 has always been a industry only event. Now they are letting normal neckbeards attend alongside the journalists. 

coudn't you buy tickets to E3 ? I allways though so.

 

 

wait no nvm. thats PAX..... erm. ok whoopps

[Grrizz]

Its good that they're focusing on what its supposed to be (an industry/press event) but a little sad that it will no longer be what it has become (a shared consumer/industry event). I have heard a lot of complaints in the past though because the general public swamps it so much press etc. cant get at everything properly.

[Trik'Stari]

Your member title explains it all.

True. But still, it is a bit odd. Also sounds like good news, depending on who they consider to be a "prosumer".

[TheMcSame]

coudn't you buy tickets to E3 ? I allways though so.

Yes but I think you needed to prove that you are part of the industry or relevant in the industry or something.

[lutewan]

Is it just me, or is this an odd coincidence considering that PC gaming is supposed to be at E3 this year.

damn pc gamers ruining everything

[Trik'Stari]

damn pc gamers ruining everything

If I read into this correctly, they're actually letting more people in than usual, so....they're actually making things better.

 

As always, things are better with a PC involved

[Bouzoo]

Yes but I think you needed to prove that you are part of the industry or relevant in the industry or something.

 

 

coudn't you buy tickets to E3 ? I allways though so.

 

 

wait no nvm. thats PAX..... erm. ok whoopps

 

 

Afaik you could go into booths, try demos and stuff, but no conferences if you were a "casual". For conferences you had to be "something more", juornalist, reviewer, etc., or as he/she said, part of the industry.

[lutewan]

If I read into this correctly, they're actually letting more people in than usual, so....they're actually making things better.

 

As always, things are better with a PC involved

honestly i have no fucking idea if this is good or bad

not the pc part

[Trik'Stari]

honestly i have no fucking idea if this is good or bad

not the pc part

It means more interaction between industry and consumer, that usually ends up being a good thing afaik

[Thony]

I dont care how many people get in. I care about seeing the content on youtube without any bullshit rules (u cant show this, u cant show that etc.)

[Trik'Stari]

I dont care how many people get in. I care about seeing the contwnt on youtube without any bullshit rules (u cant show this, u cant show that etc.)

hear hear!

[NAP51DMustang]

What the fuck does that even mean? 

E3 has always been a industry only event. Now they are letting normal neckbeards attend alongside the journalists. 

Actually E3 used to be a public event (had to have ticket obviously) but then after Sony's massive blunder in 2005 they threatened to pull funding and got it pushed into press/industry only with no public access

[Victorious Secret]

Actually E3 used to be a public event (had to have ticket obviously) but then after Sony's massive blunder in 2005 they threatened to pull funding and got it pushed into press/industry only with no public access

Huh. Did not know that. Gonna read up on this.

[EChondo]

I haven't been there so I don't know how big the location is (I assume it's enormous), but maybe next year it goes to some bigger location?

I'll provide some insight since I've been there...

 

I went to E3 back in 2010 and the main floor area had a pretty decent crowd size and then expanding outward towards the outer areas were less and less crowds, but over the years it's getting a lot more packed. The LA Convention Center is HUGE, but it seems more and more people are going there every year.

[sgloux3470]

About 4,000 to 5,000 non-industry people will be invited to the show, Taylor said. The passes, good for full access to the length of the show, will be handed out by ESA member companies which are exhibiting on the floor. The number of passes a company gets is based on the size of its booth, and thus monetary contribution to the show.

 

This isn't a super new concept.  Companies have had contests in the past to "win a trip to E3".

 

All this means is that individual companies are going to be able to handle out X amount of show passes however they want.

 

Expect lots of Microsoft employees to be in attendance to cheer at their E3 conference. Does anyone else remember how they only microphoned the audience in the employee section for all the applause a year or two back so it seemed like people were actually cheering during the livestreams?}

[sgloux3470]

Actually E3 used to be a public event (had to have ticket obviously) but then after Sony's massive blunder in 2005 they threatened to pull funding and got it pushed into press/industry only with no public access

 

E3 was always closed to the general public.  It has always been press only.

[nicklmg]

What the fuck does that even mean? 

E3 has always been a industry only event. Now they are letting normal neckbeards attend alongside the journalists. 

Uhh... there were plenty of "normal neckbeards" there last year when we went. E3 is NOT an industry only event...

 

I think that's kind of cool, although it should stay very minimal. E3 is just a giant press event for video games. It's already crowded as it is. If they were to give access to the general public... Oh my I shutter to think about it. 

Already is public access. If they have credentials requirements (not sure if they do), they're SUPER lenient based on the people we talked to while waiting for booths last year.

 

coudn't you buy tickets to E3 ? I allways though so.

 

 

wait no nvm. thats PAX..... erm. ok whoopps

Pretty sure you can, but they're ridiculously expensive. Some attendees last year told us they paid $1,000 for their 4-day pass (or whatever the duration is, can never remember).

 

Its good that they're focusing on what its supposed to be (an industry/press event) but a little sad that it will no longer be what it has become (a shared consumer/industry event). I have heard a lot of complaints in the past though because the general public swamps it so much press etc. cant get at everything properly.

They don't focus on industry for the most part unless you're IGN/PC Gamer/etc. We had huge issues getting appointments with the vast majority of companies last year despite our following. You're either in the "inner circle" or you're not at E3.

 

Yes but I think you needed to prove that you are part of the industry or relevant in the industry or something.

If there is an industry requirement it's so lenient that it doesn't even matter.

 

 

 

Afaik you could go into booths, try demos and stuff, but no conferences if you were a "casual". For conferences you had to be "something more", juornalist, reviewer, etc., or as he/she said, part of the industry.

 

Probably correct.

 

I dont care how many people get in. I care about seeing the content on youtube without any bullshit rules (u cant show this, u cant show that etc.)

Good luck with that pretty much every company at E3 has BS "you can/can't" rules about their booth. Way more than I've seen at other events.

 

Actually E3 used to be a public event (had to have ticket obviously) but then after Sony's massive blunder in 2005 they threatened to pull funding and got it pushed into press/industry only with no public access

Still is public access.

 

E3 was always closed to the general public.  It has always been press only.

Not true at all. Plenty of general public attendees there last year.

[TopWargamer]

Already is public access. If they have credentials requirements (not sure if they do), they're SUPER lenient based on the people we talked to while waiting for booths last year.

Wasn't aware of this. I'll keep this in mind. 

[Victorious Secret]

snip.

This is new to me. I always thought it was a industry event ( and the only people I know who have gone work in development) so I never really looked further. That's neat though.

Are they stingy with your credentials or do they just not care who they give access to?