Thanks to some , the void of E3 2007 and 2008 will be a distant memory. In their place will be the circus atmosphere of yesteryear, when the conference was as much about new games as it was about and loud noises.
But is it really back? Sure, the halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center will be elbow to elbow next year, thanks in part to a more lenient attendance policy. But there's one group that will be conspicuously absent: You, the gamer.
"You'd think the interactive entertainment industry would be better at, well, interacting," wrote the editors at this week in their subscription-only newsletter.
Indeed, what makes the 2009 show peculiar is the fact that PAX, Blizzcon, Comic Con, and the Tokyo Games Show are all thriving thanks to open door policies, while a media-only E3 has been shrinking over the last two years.
Nevertheless, E3 promoters maintain that consumer shows and E3 are different beasts. "The important thing to remember is that the E3 Expo and PAX/Comic-Con, etc, aren't competitors," said Dan Hewitt, director of public relations for the ESA in an email to GamePro on Thursday. "We serve completely different purposes."
With news now moving at internet speed, however, that might not be the case. What's more, certain developers have begun using consumer events to their advantage when soliciting feedback.
In 2007, Blizzard developer panels talked openly with players about World of Warcraft. If people had an issue, they let the developers know. Armed with this information, developers went back to make a better product with the correct audience -- the consumer, not the publisher -- in mind. It's obvious the same could benefit E3 exhibitors.
"Public lectures, talks and presentation from game creators would be well-received and well attended," wrote GameIndustry.biz. "Any publishing exec who still thinks his developers are mole people who shouldn't be allowed out to address the public needs to quickly check which decade he's living in."
As for the argument that opening the flood gates will turn these shows into a mad house, TGS, PAX and Blizzcon have each proven this opinion unfair. And what better way to serve the needs of ESA members than to share their product with those most willing to buy it.
E3 is now about nine months away, so there's plenty of time to update the rules. Plenty of time for the big publishers to get the ESA on the phone and twist some arms. Nine months.
I hope to see some of you there, playing games and influencing the direction of an industry that's literally built on your wallets. Your games, and our reporting, will be better off because of it.
But if change isn't in the cards, gamers can still do it the old fashioned way: devour the internets or watch live broadcasts of the event, as Hewitt reminds us. "While the general public isn't able to attend, there will be plenty of opportunities for consumers to watch the event and learn about the news coming out of E3 2009."