E3 2009: The Sun to Rise Over the Los Angeles Convention Center Yet Again
I took the above photograph of the Los Angeles Convention Center on May 9, 2006, the day before the 11th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo was scheduled to begin. It was my first E3; a strange and marvelous week-long spectacle that reconfirmed my love for this industry. After the ESA’s announcement some months later that the “traditional” format of E3 would not be returning in 2007, it was something I thought I might not experience again.
E3 2007, held at various locations in Santa Monica, wasn’t nearly as well-received as the previous years’, but returning to the LACC in 2008 with a smaller, more intimate format was definitely a step in the right direction.
Now it seems, that the E3 of old is set to make its triumphant return: booth babes, flashing lights, techno music, and all. The official E3 Expo website is now updated and open for business, allowing industry members to register for the event, being held at the LACC from June 2-4.
The following companies are confirmed to be in attendance:
- Activision Blizzard, Inc.
- Atari, Inc.
- Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
- Bethesda Softworks LLC
- Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
- Disney Interactive Studios, Inc.
- Eidos Interactive
- Electronic Arts, Inc.
- Epic Games, Inc.
- 505 Games
- IndieCade
- KOEI Corporation
- Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
- LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC
- Majesco Entertainment Company
- Microsoft Corporation
- Midway Games Inc.
- MTV Games
- Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
- Nintendo of America, Inc.
- Rebellion
- Sega of America, Inc.
- Serious Games
- Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
- Sony Online Entertainment LLC
- Square Enix, Inc.
- Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
- THQ Inc.
- Ubisoft Entertainment
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Several of these major publishers, including Activision, were not in attendance at E3 2007.
Does this mean E3 2007 and 2008 only confirmed that the massive spectacle of E3’s of yesteryear was the most sensible way to promote our industry? Will E3 2009 draw only from some of the better ideas from 2008’s event and the shows in the late 90’s and early 00’s? We’ll know more as the ESA reveals additional details in the months leading up to the show.