E3 thoughts?

[Misery]

So, with E3 coming up, and with me being really bored, I figured I'd make a topic about it, as I'm curious to hear what some of you think of the whole thing.

What developers/publishers do you take an interest in?  Which of the Big Three... if any... do you care about?  What events and reveals are you hoping to see?  And finally, since it's so related to this, what're your thoughts on the industry as a whole at this point?


Mostly I really do ask only out of sheer curiosity... even before the event gets here, I know full well that E3 has nothing I'll want, it's guaranteed.  My overall thoughts on the industry, and particularly on the Big Three, are.... well, unusually negative, even for me.  Definitely dont like where the console side of the industry has gone in recent years.  People go on and on about things like mobile games that are "so dumbed down" and "simple", but.... to me, that's what the CONSOLES have become.  I get actual challenge and interesting mechanics/depth out of the games on my iPad (I dont do casual games, and I actually know where to look for stuff), but.... it's very, very rare that a console game can give me any of that (and yes, I'm aware of pretty much every single release. Endless free time, after all...)   And of course VS PCs, it isnt even a remote contest.  I did used to be a console gamer, but as the damn things inched ever closer to this point, they just seemed to get worse and worse, so I dropped all of them, including the handhelds (which had become damn near useless long before the consoles did... I only have a DS at this point, but it's mostly used as a coaster.  Havent actually turned it on in years) and switched to PC.  Aint regretted it for a second. 

As it is, with all of that in mind, E3 is mostly just a comedy reel to me now.  You know... all of those goofy things that sometimes go on at the major press events, with people making idiots of themselves on stage, and stuff like that.  That seems to ALWAYS be worth it.  And it'd be nice to be surprised at something unexpectedly interesting for once, but that's rare too.  Not expecting that.


All of that being said though.... what are YOUR thoughts on it?  Regardless of what it is to me, I'm curious to see what people think of the event, of the publishers/developers, and of the games and products being shown there. Or even things like sales numbers/trends, or business deals between the different groups. It's interesting to see what current trends are happening, and where those trends are going, even if I think most of them are bloody stupid. 


Already seen alot of interesting thoughts from gamers on various other forums, so I figured the topic could be interesting here as well.  I'm wondering if the response in this forum might be markedly different from what I've seen elsewhere.

[Cyborg]

What the organizers of E3 are realizing is that it is the fans which drove the event's publicity and fueled each developer's hype machines. Somewhere along the way, people forgot this was supposed to be about having fun. And with it went the booth babes, the costume role-play, the musical acts, and all of the events around E3 in the periphery. Even more troubling was the shame by which it was portrayed by the media: a bunch of nerds rocking out in costumes, taking selfies with scantily clad women dressed up as their favorite videogame characters, waiting in long lines to play  games, and meeting their favorite developers.


Now, it's a sterile event designed to be as an unoffensive as possible and allegedly about developers doing business with each other. Well, if that's what it's about, mission accomplished, because as a fan I couldn't care less.

[Misery]

What the organizers of E3 are realizing is that it is the fans which drove the event's publicity and fueled each developer's hype machines. Somewhere along the way, people forgot this was supposed to be about having fun. And with it went the booth babes, the costume role-play, the musical acts, and all of the events around E3 in the periphery. Even more troubling was the shame by which it was portrayed by the media: a bunch of nerds rocking out in costumes, taking selfies with scantily clad women dressed up as their favorite videogame characters, waiting in long lines to play  games, and meeting their favorite developers.


Now, it's a sterile event designed to be as an unoffensive as possible and allegedly about developers doing business with each other. Well, if that's what it's about, mission accomplished, because as a fan I couldn't care less.

I totally agree. 

I think the media portrayal in particular really hurt things.  I haaaaaate when that sorta thing happens.  One of my main hobbies is cosplay and conventions (anime/gaming types), which I go to frequently (3 of the damn things next month, argh) and it's downright insulting to hear some of the things that people throw in the direction of anyone that does that.  ....and of course the same people saying those things will then promptly go off somewhere, get  hideously drunk, make an idiot of themselves, and pass out in some alley somewhere.  Because, you know, THAT is socially sensible, people understand that.  But all that NERD stuff?  BETTER THROW DARTS AT IT.   Argh.


Now, granted, I can sorta understand the "keep it inoffensive" part.  In some ways earlier incarnations of E3 really were like anime cons, and the thing about anime cons is.... ahh, they can be a bit... "unstable".  I'm not even going to try to explain that.  But for something that needs to, at it's core, fulfill a main function of pushing sales as much as possible, you cant have too much crazy in one place, or some people get pushed away.   Or, that's how it's thought to be, anyway....   But from a sales perspective, it does make sense to try to not push ANYONE away.  Though, of course, plenty such as yourself will be pushed away simply by the stupid changes.

[Toranth]

Unfortunately, the media portrayal of E3 was pretty accurate there at the end, before they toned it down.  Seriously, I saw supposed businessmen and journalists fighting over Pokémon t-shirts, while barely clad women cheered them on.  There was lots of alcohol, and a surprising amount of drugs.  The focus had moved away from the games into catering to the crowd, and ever increasing challenges to be more over-the-top than their competitors.  Many of the reputable game companies were getting pretty disgusted, and right before the end, I know a group of Bungee employees that actively refused to go if they had to man the booth.

The new staid and boring E3 actually gives out more information about games in most cases than the old ones.  But for the most part, you don't NEED E3 anymore.  The rise of the internet and all the quick gaming related media outlets means we get news almost instantly.  The once a year event, which needs to be big or else everyone will ignore it, isn't needed.  It was fun, especially during the late 90s, but if all you want is gaming news?  E3 is better off dead.
Or at least, very toned down.

[eRe4s3r]

Any game show where I can't see everything virtual on the web is imo completely pointless. E3 is gonna be another snoozefest. The big announces will come in the later game-shows anyway.

[keith.lamothe]

The concept of having a large geographical gathering purely for sharing information is... well, I don't see the place for it anymore.

So the question becomes: what's it for, then?

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Even more troubling was the shame by which it was portrayed by the media: a bunch of nerds rocking out in costumes, taking selfies with scantily clad women dressed up as their favorite videogame characters, waiting in long lines to play  games, and meeting their favorite developers.


Now, it's a sterile event designed to be as an unoffensive as possible and allegedly about developers doing business with each other. Well, if that's what it's about, mission accomplished, because as a fan I couldn't care less.

Yes, because the videogame industry needs photos of geeks drooling over scantily clad women. /sarcasm Frankly, it's just unprofessional to use booth babes to try and sell your game, which is their entire purpose and let's not pretend it is anything else. I mean, not only does it alienate the women not interested in that sort of marketing but it says that regardless of the game being sold, we need LOTS OF BOOBS to sell it as well. Tells me they have no faith in it.

[Cyborg]

Unfortunately, the media portrayal of E3 was pretty accurate there at the end, before they toned it down.  Seriously, I saw supposed businessmen and journalists fighting over Pokémon t-shirts, while barely clad women cheered them on.  There was lots of alcohol, and a surprising amount of drugs.  The focus had moved away from the games into catering to the crowd, and ever increasing challenges to be more over-the-top than their competitors.  Many of the reputable game companies were getting pretty disgusted, and right before the end, I know a group of Bungee employees that actively refused to go if they had to man the booth.

The new staid and boring E3 actually gives out more information about games in most cases than the old ones.  But for the most part, you don't NEED E3 anymore.  The rise of the internet and all the quick gaming related media outlets means we get news almost instantly.  The once a year event, which needs to be big or else everyone will ignore it, isn't needed.  It was fun, especially during the late 90s, but if all you want is gaming news?  E3 is better off dead.
Or at least, very toned down.

I don't know how old you are, but the Internet videogame blogs were alive and well during all of the E3 craziness. We didn't need E3 then, either, if that's your argument. And E3 is not better toned down. Why? Look at it. It's almost dead and nobody cares. I'm not going to defend the alcohol and drugs, but I don't see a problem with booth babes and Pokémon T-shirts, and whatever antics that might entail.

Yes, because the videogame industry needs photos of geeks drooling over scantily clad women. /sarcasm Frankly, it's just unprofessional to use booth babes to try and sell your game, which is their entire purpose and let's not pretend it is anything else. I mean, not only does it alienate the women not interested in that sort of marketing but it says that regardless of the game being sold, we need LOTS OF BOOBS to sell it as well. Tells me they have no faith in it.

Have you turned on the television lately? Have you explored the Internet beyond this forum? Are you white knighting? Sex sells. Most men like looking at gorgeous women, and for the old E3 audience, it's even better if they are dressed up as your favorite fantasy character. It's a statement of fact. And no matter how much you lament that as lizard brain thinking, unprofessional, and as if you are so above that, that's human beings. Naturally, irregardless of what industry, someone is going to add a little feminine charm to the advertising. That's life. It's not specific to video games, and as such, I don't see it as out of place at all. In fact, I can't say that I am personally offended or bleeding from the eyeballs when I see booth babes. It's a lot easier on the eyes than a bunch of predominantly male business suits rubbing their chins and nodding their heads.

[keith.lamothe]

Naturally, whether one objects to booth babes or not will usually depend on pre-established philosophical commitments, and as such it's difficult to have a logical argument about the issue.

That said, I agree that the facts point to E3 having been far more compelling to its audience back before it toned down.  Evidently they saw a problem with how things were going, and so sought an alternative.  But it does not follow from "there's a problem with A" that "B is therefore better", and it seems they may have exchanged the objectionable (to some X%) for the irrelevant (to some Y%, where Y > X).

Personally I think they should just clarify that they're basically a business networking thing now, so the news media doesn't feel the need to tell all of us players about it, and leave the "get together and have fun" role to PAX and whatnot.  And if there's enough folks out there who want the booth-babe-conventions back, then I imagine they can make that happen in another venue.

[Coppermantis]

I've never been hugely interested in E3. Or even PAX, really, though I have gone to PAX Prime in Seattle when I can. Mostly, it's just nice to see Day9, TotalBiscuit, and the like, so that's more of an attraction for me than any of the exhibits save a few.

As for the whole "businessmen fighting over t-shirts" and booth babe stuff, I don't particularly care as long as neither is shoved in my face, which hasn't been the case in my experience. Neither is particularly appealing to me, since I just want to see cool videogames, not amusing antics and sexy women. Yeah, sex and violence sell, and there's endless room for debate about how terrible or not that is, but if people like to watch said things, then I won't stop you.

[Toranth]

The new staid and boring E3 actually gives out more information about games in most cases than the old ones.  But for the most part, you don't NEED E3 anymore.  The rise of the internet and all the quick gaming related media outlets means we get news almost instantly.  The once a year event, which needs to be big or else everyone will ignore it, isn't needed.  It was fun, especially during the late 90s, but if all you want is gaming news?  E3 is better off dead.
Or at least, very toned down.

I don't know how old you are, but the Internet videogame blogs were alive and well during all of the E3 craziness. We didn't need E3 then, either, if that's your argument. And E3 is not better toned down. Why? Look at it. It's almost dead and nobody cares. I'm not going to defend the alcohol and drugs, but I don't see a problem with booth babes and Pokémon T-shirts, and whatever antics that might entail.

There were websites for gaming news, yes - that's how I got to attend, as a volunteer writer.  Unfortunately, gaming companies didn't reach out to those websites, didn't keep them informed, and certainly didn't treat them as the primary audience.  Since E3 has been toned down, PAX has taken off as the fan-interface amongst gaming companies.  But partially because PAX is more tightly run, and partly because the audience is broader (result of being general admission), the companies are behaving much better.
The real problem with E3 was that the booth babes and swag become the end-all and be-all of the show, which interfered with actually seeing the games.  Having booth babes, fine.  Giving out Pokémon t-shirts?  Fine.  I have no problem with that.  Having everything you present be women and prizes, without giving access to the games?  That's missing the point.

The one thing almost no one ever talks about at E3 was the very large number of technical presentations.  People with new software, hardware, peripherals would pack the off hallways, trying to get major developers interested.  They were not there to talk to fans, they were there to do business.  That's what E3 originally was, and that what it has (somewhat) returned to.  For fans, PAX is better.

[Histidine]

Sex sells.

Like the notion that heavier objects reliably fall faster than lighter ones, this is one of those things that "everyone knows" - actual research findings are far less likely to support such a categorical statement.

Sex Doesn’t Sell—Nor Impress! Content, Box Office, Critics, and Awards in Mainstream Cinema - sexual content is negatively correlated with film ratings and earnings, in the US, UK and worldwide
Violence and sex in television programs do not sell products in advertisements. - People watching ads with sex (or violence) are less likely to remember the brand involved than without those things, which in turn reduces their likelihood of actually buying whatever it is you're selling

This writer says sexual advertising does work if if the item you're selling is connected to sex somehow; e.g. the infamous Axe ads. Now, I admit I haven't checked lately, but I don't think E3 is big on showcasing Japanese H-games.

Personally speaking, even leaving aside all the ethical problems with using women who conform to social beauty standards as a means of selling things, I'm with Isaac here. Sex in video game ads always make me go "Why are you waving these boobies in my face? What are you trying to hide?"

[Misery]

This writer says sexual advertising does work if if the item you're selling is connected to sex somehow; e.g. the infamous Axe ads. Now, I admit I haven't checked lately, but I don't think E3 is big on showcasing Japanese H-games.

Actually, I think that may not quite apply in that way.

Why?  Because in many cases, the girls are IN the games.  It's become an extremely common thing in gaming at this point.   Now, granted, sometimes you get the sort that doesnt entirely make sense.... like putting "booth babes" in front of a booth for a racing game that doesnt even hardly show actual people at all, but just the cars.  But in plenty of cases, the games have girls like that in them.... so gamers are more likely to make that connection, even if it IS the racing game without girls in it.  Which may be a bloody stupid incorrect connection, but it's one that the ad idiots can use.

They're not so much selling "sex" as they are selling the possibility of "hey, there's hot girls in these games".


The inclusion of such things in games in general JUST to increase "appeal" is all sorts of stupid, but it can be effective.  Even in places where it just doesnt make sense (shmups.... argh).

[mrhanman]

I don't think the product matters at all.  Sex sells in any situation.  Imagine two commercials for pocket catheters, one with a buxom young blonde and one with an older gentleman or lady (who might actually need the product).  All other things being more or less equal (script, acting skill, etc.), I'd be willing to bet the commercial with the hot chick would be more effective.  She wouldn't even have to be in a bikini, just relatively more attractive.  Attractive people, regardless of gender or audience, are going to be more successful at selling a product on average than people who aren't.

[Cyborg]

Good-looking people get more promotions, make more money, and in general are perceived as better, more trustworthy individuals. Sex sells. It's hardwired into nearly every interpersonal communication. It's not a debate. Whether or not you personally like it, or if you object to the activity, that's just the way the world works for human beings. Sad but true.