Comments on: E3 to be cancelled, replaced with E4: THIS TIME, IT’S PERSONAL starring Steven Seagal http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/ Random Comments About Gaming And Tractors Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:02:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: a8f9397fdd39fd5058509a9fa5a7e33b http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4275 a8f9397fdd39fd5058509a9fa5a7e33b Thu, 04 Jan 2007 13:24:08 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4275 <strong>a8f9397fdd39fd505850...</strong><br> <br> a8f9397fdd39fd5058509a9fa5a7e33ba8f9397fdd39... a8f9397fdd39fd505850…

a8f9397fdd39fd5058509a9fa5a7e33ba8f9397fdd39…

]]> By: SirBruce http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4274 SirBruce Mon, 31 Jul 2006 23:36:10 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4274 Actually, no it wasn't confirmed... the rumor was actually pretty well dashed, and instead we got the confirmation of "downsize", which was something that had already been rumored a month ago.<br> <br> As to the efficacy of the marketing, well, it's hard to say, but you're right that there can be cheaper ways of doing things. The guy who runs Mile High Comics used to say that he rarely wanted to do promotional events at comic book stores, like having an artist come in to sign stuff or whatever, if it cost more than "beer and a t-shirt", because he could easily pack the stores with interested customers with the latter. I don't know if he was including the liquor license, though. Actually, no it wasn’t confirmed… the rumor was actually pretty well dashed, and instead we got the confirmation of “downsize”, which was something that had already been rumored a month ago.

As to the efficacy of the marketing, well, it’s hard to say, but you’re right that there can be cheaper ways of doing things. The guy who runs Mile High Comics used to say that he rarely wanted to do promotional events at comic book stores, like having an artist come in to sign stuff or whatever, if it cost more than “beer and a t-shirt”, because he could easily pack the stores with interested customers with the latter. I don’t know if he was including the liquor license, though.

]]> By: Chris Mancil http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4273 Chris Mancil Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:15:28 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4273 I hope GDC is next =)<br> <br> I know its still an 'ok' show, but it too has become a money grab that delivers lower and lower returns each year.<br> <br> Thank God for Austin Game Conference. I hope GDC is next =)

I know its still an ‘ok’ show, but it too has become a money grab that delivers lower and lower returns each year.

Thank God for Austin Game Conference.

]]> By: Brat http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4272 Brat Mon, 31 Jul 2006 20:27:07 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4272 Hey Scott...<br> <br> Gratz on being slashdotted...<br> <br> Brat Hey Scott…

Gratz on being slashdotted…

Brat

]]> By: Linoleum http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4271 Linoleum Mon, 31 Jul 2006 19:49:17 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4271 I don't think Vegas was ever an option, I thought the convention center was pretty much booked up through 2010 or so... I don’t think Vegas was ever an option, I thought the convention center was pretty much booked up through 2010 or so…

]]> By: Dave Rickey http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4270 Dave Rickey Mon, 31 Jul 2006 19:48:58 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4270 Nope, it's been confirmed (check the edit at the top of the story). Reading between the lines, the console manufacturers all decided to pull out and took some of the major publishers with them, which would represent more than 2/3 of the showfloor and probably 90% of the money. So it wasn't a matter of *whether* the next E3 would be a tiny shadow of the sensoria-blowing spectacle we've grown to know and hate, but how it would be spun.<br> <br> Me and Scott were talking about how expensive it was to get noticed at E3 at AGC, and came up with a few better ways to spend that kind of money, if your purpose was to get as much attention as possible:<br> <br> 1) Hire a few supermodels, put them in a big lucite box in Kentia Hall, and have them feed 20 dollar bills to a shredder for the entirety of the show.<br> <br> 2) Alternatively, hire a few hundred strippers and have them walk around giving attendees a lap dance while wearing a thong and bikini top with the game logo on them. Promised Lot without the lot.<br> <br> 3) Charter a medium-sized passenger jet and fly attendees to a Nevada brothel.<br> <br> If it's a race to the bottom, why not go straight to the finish line?<br> <br> When you consider that entire games can be funded for what has been getting spent on the booths (not even the larger ones), and that you could fly every journalist and buyer first class to an event of your own for less, and this was inevitable.<br> <br> This won't be good for the mid-level developers that aren't in MMO's, but they were on their way out, anyway. The small ones had already been squeezed out.<br> <br> --Dave Nope, it’s been confirmed (check the edit at the top of the story). Reading between the lines, the console manufacturers all decided to pull out and took some of the major publishers with them, which would represent more than 2/3 of the showfloor and probably 90% of the money. So it wasn’t a matter of *whether* the next E3 would be a tiny shadow of the sensoria-blowing spectacle we’ve grown to know and hate, but how it would be spun.

Me and Scott were talking about how expensive it was to get noticed at E3 at AGC, and came up with a few better ways to spend that kind of money, if your purpose was to get as much attention as possible:

1) Hire a few supermodels, put them in a big lucite box in Kentia Hall, and have them feed 20 dollar bills to a shredder for the entirety of the show.

2) Alternatively, hire a few hundred strippers and have them walk around giving attendees a lap dance while wearing a thong and bikini top with the game logo on them. Promised Lot without the lot.

3) Charter a medium-sized passenger jet and fly attendees to a Nevada brothel.

If it’s a race to the bottom, why not go straight to the finish line?

When you consider that entire games can be funded for what has been getting spent on the booths (not even the larger ones), and that you could fly every journalist and buyer first class to an event of your own for less, and this was inevitable.

This won’t be good for the mid-level developers that aren’t in MMO’s, but they were on their way out, anyway. The small ones had already been squeezed out.

–Dave

]]> By: SirBruce http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4269 SirBruce Mon, 31 Jul 2006 18:32:26 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4269 E3 is also a great way for me to get a feel for the "buzz" of a certain game, beyond the message board crowds and the developers themselves. I can meet with gamers, retailers, publishers, other press, etc. I can see what games people are playing, what games people come away with a positive experience from, etc. E3 certainly made my media job "easier" despite its well-discussed shortcomings. Maybe the rumor was just a "trial balloon"? E3 is also a great way for me to get a feel for the “buzz” of a certain game, beyond the message board crowds and the developers themselves. I can meet with gamers, retailers, publishers, other press, etc. I can see what games people are playing, what games people come away with a positive experience from, etc. E3 certainly made my media job “easier” despite its well-discussed shortcomings. Maybe the rumor was just a “trial balloon”?

]]> By: D-0ne http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4268 D-0ne Mon, 31 Jul 2006 17:21:45 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4268 Four words.<br> <br> Booth Babes are easy.<br> <br> Save the Booth Babes. Four words.

Booth Babes are easy.

Save the Booth Babes.

]]> By: Lophat http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4267 Lophat Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:26:41 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4267 I'm not sure why you would even have booths at an industry event. Most trade shows are companies who are trying to sell things to each other (for closed events) or to the general public. Most game companies do not fall into the former category, and if E3 is really supposed to be a closed event (i.e., no unwashed masses), booths are just pointless. If the goal is to do demos for the press, it seems like a show floor is a poor venue, for all of the reasons everyone else has listed. E3 seems to lack any sort of utility or focus. AGC-style events seem like a useful industry-talks-to-itself sort of thing, while PAX or Comic-Con seem like better choices for reaching a mass market audience (for example, Mythic's tiny Warhammer booth was pretty crowded at this year's comic-con, and yet I was able to hear Sanya talk to a bunch of us and show of the core mechanics). If E3 does continue, maybe it should be run by and for industry consultant-types who want to drum up business for their firms (such as the PARC folks). I’m not sure why you would even have booths at an industry event. Most trade shows are companies who are trying to sell things to each other (for closed events) or to the general public. Most game companies do not fall into the former category, and if E3 is really supposed to be a closed event (i.e., no unwashed masses), booths are just pointless. If the goal is to do demos for the press, it seems like a show floor is a poor venue, for all of the reasons everyone else has listed. E3 seems to lack any sort of utility or focus. AGC-style events seem like a useful industry-talks-to-itself sort of thing, while PAX or Comic-Con seem like better choices for reaching a mass market audience (for example, Mythic’s tiny Warhammer booth was pretty crowded at this year’s comic-con, and yet I was able to hear Sanya talk to a bunch of us and show of the core mechanics). If E3 does continue, maybe it should be run by and for industry consultant-types who want to drum up business for their firms (such as the PARC folks).

]]> By: Georgia http://www.brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/comment-page-1/#comment-4266 Georgia Mon, 31 Jul 2006 15:10:32 +0000 http://brokentoys.org/2006/07/30/e3-to-be-cancelled-replaced-with-e4-this-time-its-personal-starring-steven-seagal/#comment-4266 I have noticed over the years that E3 has kind of deteriorated in terms of its quality. It's all about who has the loudest, shiniest, skankiest booth there. It just isn't impressive to me if a game's only way of promoting itself is to line its booth with a lot of skank, loud music, and lights flickering fast enough to give me a seizure.<br> <br> I had to work the floor once, and it was so loud I couldn't even hear myself think half of the time... my voice was shot after the first day... GAH. Sucks.<br> <br> I will miss seeing people that I know in the industry. Scott, I'll probably never lay eyes on you again since you're in Texas now :( E3 was my only way to keep in touch with friends in the industry.<br> <br> I was looking forward to E3 this coming year just to see what the Warhammer setup would be and help promote the game, but I guess I'll have to try to latch onto a smaller ride for that. I have noticed over the years that E3 has kind of deteriorated in terms of its quality. It’s all about who has the loudest, shiniest, skankiest booth there. It just isn’t impressive to me if a game’s only way of promoting itself is to line its booth with a lot of skank, loud music, and lights flickering fast enough to give me a seizure.

I had to work the floor once, and it was so loud I couldn’t even hear myself think half of the time… my voice was shot after the first day… GAH. Sucks.

I will miss seeing people that I know in the industry. Scott, I’ll probably never lay eyes on you again since you’re in Texas now :( E3 was my only way to keep in touch with friends in the industry.

I was looking forward to E3 this coming year just to see what the Warhammer setup would be and help promote the game, but I guess I’ll have to try to latch onto a smaller ride for that.

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