Dave Thomas"Like every really screwed up relationship, this takes some explaining." Dave Thomas explains his love/hate relationship with E3 and LA.
Issue 46 - I Hate You, E3
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
- Start date
Original Comment by: Dana Massey
http://www.mmorpg.com/
I admit, I've not been to E3 as many times as you. At three trips (two as press, one as a developer), I'm still new to the game. Nonetheless, I have one problem with the article: it feeds the beast.
The problem with E3 is that everyone goes to LA saying how much they hate it.
It's got to be the most negative collection of people possible. I know I am guilty too. I claim I'm dreading it, I whine about the lines, the crowds, the heat, the swag, the booths, the babes, the celebrities and even the booze. Yet, really, is it all that bad?
To me, E3 is a big, loud, drunk version of every other game conference and more and more, you see developers understanding this too.
Like many, SOE roped off the bulk of their booth this year, as they did last year. Why? It's a tradeshow and they catered to the crowds with babes out front and terminals. However, every 'important person' was inside the closed area doing demonstrations with the press and other developers. NCSoft actually rents seperate rooms for the "real show" and the floor show. They do this because while there may be thousands at E3, millions read our websites, magazines and newspapers.
So there we are, everyone who makes games in one place at one time and every last one of us meeting for beer to proclaim how much we hate it.
That, to me, is missing the point. E3 is the people. I don't think any honest person has ever given a better preview to a game based on the quality of the lightshow in the booth. Ultimately, it comes down to the people.
The games are important, but let's be honest, we see highly scripted, highly polished and overly brief demonstrations. They're not the game and there is no way to really know short of extended playtime, which no one has time for at E3.
As game press, we interview and ask questions based on what we do see. We do it quickly, we do it hungover and we do it with little prep time. That doesn't, oddly, mean we do it poorly. We still call crap by no other name. We make judgements and give people honest impressions of what is presented to us. If we do it well, we present both the positive and negative and ultimately let them decide. We know how scripted it is and I believe most of us can see past the gloss.
The beauty of E3 is the collection of developers. It doesn't matter whether I interview someone inside a private room with the sounds of heavy metal ringing in my ears, on a couch at AGC or in a coffee shop three days prior to the show. It's still a chance for me to sit down and pick their brain on whatever reason got them into that chair.
Is E3 a chance for the gaming industry to thump its chest? Sure.
Is that wrong? Not at all.
The industry needs the attention, it needs to grow and it uses E3 to do it.
As experts though, we look down our noses at E3 and say how much of a waste it is. Of course the miniature cities that quality as E3 booths are excessive and of course they wont impact our articles at all... They're not intended to.
They're the lure that keeps drawing in the curious year after year.
Press also love to sit around and complain about those who bought their badges and are not truly in the industry. It's easy to do. They make the wait for a $10 burger longer. Yet, are they not also important? They'll quickly realize it's idiotic to pay for the badge and all of a sudden, they're writing for someone. Suddenly, the person who was an unworthy peon the year before is sitting beside you and probably saying how much they hate E3. The booths draw the crowds, the crowds create the hype and the hype allows the industry promote itself to the outside world.
E3 has become like an office where everyone complains about the boss. Before long, even the new guy hates him and no one knows why.
The problem with E3 from a press perspective is the over importance most of us give it. If a game doesn't show, it means it must be in trouble. If a booth is small, or the company just meeting people in hallways, it means they're out of money or the game is crap. I judge each game on what I see from the developers and the game, not the size of their booth. Just as the ligthshow wont make me like a game more, nor should the lack of one make me like it less.
The only problem with E3 is its unrelenting pretense that it's an industry event. It's not. It's the annual chance for the nerds to control the velvet rope. We have a big party, tell everyone they cannot come, beam out pictures and let everyone in anyway.
E3 needs to recast itself as the annual disneyland for gamers. It already is and once it admits it, we can drop all the pretenses, enjoy the spectacle and continue to use it to find out more about the next year of games with a heck of a lot less complaining.
We go to E3 to see each other. The sooner we realize that and stop complaining, the happier we'll all be.
http://www.mmorpg.com/
I admit, I've not been to E3 as many times as you. At three trips (two as press, one as a developer), I'm still new to the game. Nonetheless, I have one problem with the article: it feeds the beast.
The problem with E3 is that everyone goes to LA saying how much they hate it.
It's got to be the most negative collection of people possible. I know I am guilty too. I claim I'm dreading it, I whine about the lines, the crowds, the heat, the swag, the booths, the babes, the celebrities and even the booze. Yet, really, is it all that bad?
To me, E3 is a big, loud, drunk version of every other game conference and more and more, you see developers understanding this too.
Like many, SOE roped off the bulk of their booth this year, as they did last year. Why? It's a tradeshow and they catered to the crowds with babes out front and terminals. However, every 'important person' was inside the closed area doing demonstrations with the press and other developers. NCSoft actually rents seperate rooms for the "real show" and the floor show. They do this because while there may be thousands at E3, millions read our websites, magazines and newspapers.
So there we are, everyone who makes games in one place at one time and every last one of us meeting for beer to proclaim how much we hate it.
That, to me, is missing the point. E3 is the people. I don't think any honest person has ever given a better preview to a game based on the quality of the lightshow in the booth. Ultimately, it comes down to the people.
The games are important, but let's be honest, we see highly scripted, highly polished and overly brief demonstrations. They're not the game and there is no way to really know short of extended playtime, which no one has time for at E3.
As game press, we interview and ask questions based on what we do see. We do it quickly, we do it hungover and we do it with little prep time. That doesn't, oddly, mean we do it poorly. We still call crap by no other name. We make judgements and give people honest impressions of what is presented to us. If we do it well, we present both the positive and negative and ultimately let them decide. We know how scripted it is and I believe most of us can see past the gloss.
The beauty of E3 is the collection of developers. It doesn't matter whether I interview someone inside a private room with the sounds of heavy metal ringing in my ears, on a couch at AGC or in a coffee shop three days prior to the show. It's still a chance for me to sit down and pick their brain on whatever reason got them into that chair.
Is E3 a chance for the gaming industry to thump its chest? Sure.
Is that wrong? Not at all.
The industry needs the attention, it needs to grow and it uses E3 to do it.
As experts though, we look down our noses at E3 and say how much of a waste it is. Of course the miniature cities that quality as E3 booths are excessive and of course they wont impact our articles at all... They're not intended to.
They're the lure that keeps drawing in the curious year after year.
Press also love to sit around and complain about those who bought their badges and are not truly in the industry. It's easy to do. They make the wait for a $10 burger longer. Yet, are they not also important? They'll quickly realize it's idiotic to pay for the badge and all of a sudden, they're writing for someone. Suddenly, the person who was an unworthy peon the year before is sitting beside you and probably saying how much they hate E3. The booths draw the crowds, the crowds create the hype and the hype allows the industry promote itself to the outside world.
E3 has become like an office where everyone complains about the boss. Before long, even the new guy hates him and no one knows why.
The problem with E3 from a press perspective is the over importance most of us give it. If a game doesn't show, it means it must be in trouble. If a booth is small, or the company just meeting people in hallways, it means they're out of money or the game is crap. I judge each game on what I see from the developers and the game, not the size of their booth. Just as the ligthshow wont make me like a game more, nor should the lack of one make me like it less.
The only problem with E3 is its unrelenting pretense that it's an industry event. It's not. It's the annual chance for the nerds to control the velvet rope. We have a big party, tell everyone they cannot come, beam out pictures and let everyone in anyway.
E3 needs to recast itself as the annual disneyland for gamers. It already is and once it admits it, we can drop all the pretenses, enjoy the spectacle and continue to use it to find out more about the next year of games with a heck of a lot less complaining.
We go to E3 to see each other. The sooner we realize that and stop complaining, the happier we'll all be.
Original Comment by: Meelad Sadat
II thoroughly enjoyed the article. E3 juxtaposes all of the wonder I've had for the medium ever since the moment I controlled a sprite on a screen against what i've learned as an adult working in its industry: It's become one of our most lucrative vehicles of commerce, and the competition is fierce. E3 falls into the mix as a weapon of mass distraction. It's a sound and light show meant to impress every customer and scare every competitor. Like an old bazaar where the guy yelling the loudest just might have the shittiest goods. No company considers it the cornerstone of their marketing for a game, but it's where they can produce the thickest smoke and build the best mirrors.
As for Dave's words on L.A., he hits the right note for anyone who's lived there. It's a beautiful void. It's dirty, dirty L.A., where the machinations of commerce dictating human expression have been perfected for nearly a century. What a great backdrop for E3.
II thoroughly enjoyed the article. E3 juxtaposes all of the wonder I've had for the medium ever since the moment I controlled a sprite on a screen against what i've learned as an adult working in its industry: It's become one of our most lucrative vehicles of commerce, and the competition is fierce. E3 falls into the mix as a weapon of mass distraction. It's a sound and light show meant to impress every customer and scare every competitor. Like an old bazaar where the guy yelling the loudest just might have the shittiest goods. No company considers it the cornerstone of their marketing for a game, but it's where they can produce the thickest smoke and build the best mirrors.
As for Dave's words on L.A., he hits the right note for anyone who's lived there. It's a beautiful void. It's dirty, dirty L.A., where the machinations of commerce dictating human expression have been perfected for nearly a century. What a great backdrop for E3.
Original Comment by: Matt Zimmitti
Sifting through the false hype to find the real stuff IS journalism. I did enjoy this article very much, but I think you may also wish consider the Love/Hate relationship you have with your craft. I find myself equally guilty of the same relationship with my mine.
There is a lot more that goes on at E3 than the huge displays, the booth babes, the long lines, the parties, the swag... it's all very hush-hush and on the QT though.
Sifting through the false hype to find the real stuff IS journalism. I did enjoy this article very much, but I think you may also wish consider the Love/Hate relationship you have with your craft. I find myself equally guilty of the same relationship with my mine.
There is a lot more that goes on at E3 than the huge displays, the booth babes, the long lines, the parties, the swag... it's all very hush-hush and on the QT though.
Original Comment by: pez d spencer
http://sixteenbit.blogspot.com
wow...what to say?
it's just a games show, dude. that's all it is. any other meaning that you want to saddle it with is simple anthropomorphization. but, just saying it's a show with videogames as the landscape wouldn't make for an entertaining article, would it?
i went to the first three shows, with a winter ces peppered somewhere in-between, and i was always burnt out within the first three hours. e3 is like vegas for me: i can only take so much before the sensory overload leads to revulsion.
http://sixteenbit.blogspot.com
wow...what to say?
it's just a games show, dude. that's all it is. any other meaning that you want to saddle it with is simple anthropomorphization. but, just saying it's a show with videogames as the landscape wouldn't make for an entertaining article, would it?
i went to the first three shows, with a winter ces peppered somewhere in-between, and i was always burnt out within the first three hours. e3 is like vegas for me: i can only take so much before the sensory overload leads to revulsion.