Tag Archives: E3 2008

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has announced in a financial results presentation that the company is not planning on holding a large presentation at E3 this year.
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Splinter Cell: Blacklist is in a difficult position. The game must atone for the failings of previous title Conviction, whilst bringing something new to the table. Ubisoft showed off a torture scene at E3, but much of the response has been negative.

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Awesome visuals and British weather.  Yes, I just put those two things in the same sentence. More »

Do you enjoy your PS3 slim but wish that it was somehow even slimmer and cost even less?! More »

We’re dedicating this week to Jade Empire 2. Goodnight, sweet prince. Here’s some other things that happened this week as well.

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Everybody wants to go to E3, but this year it’s going to be harder to slip in unnoticed: the ESA has introduced a new ticketing system in order to combat counterfeit, scalped, and misplaced badge passes, and will no long pre-mail badges to journalists.

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Skate 3′s first commercial has been released, and the guys behind it appear to have been watching too much Lord of the Rings.

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E3 organizers say the show must go on, despite the State of Emergency issued by ‘governator’ Arnold Schwarzenegger over swine flu concerns.

“The 2009 E3 Expo is progressing as planned,” an ESA spokesperson told MCV. “Public health officials are taking all appropriate steps and we continue to follow their direction on all measures.

“We look forward to a great event, and to seeing you in Los Angeles in June.”

E3 takes place June 2 to 4 in Los Angeles.

Following news today that Blizzard won’t be attending E3 this summer, the company has told VG247 that working on its games is preferable to having a presence at the show.

“[Regarding] E3, our current focus is on the ongoing development of Diablo III, StarCraft II, and World of Warcraft,” said Blizzard US PR boss Bob Colayco.

“We are already planning to participate in a number of shows this year and look forward to sharing the latest news on our games at these events.”

News that Blizzard had once again opted out of ESA’s show raised instant speculation that the company was holding out for an as-of-yet unannounced BlizzCon event. Colayco wouldn’t be drawn.

“BlizzCon 2008 was our most successful ever, with exciting news on all of our games, and the most attendees we’ve ever had at any BlizzCon,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to doing more events in the future, but have not announced a ‘BlizzCon 2009′ at this time.

With the public harboring such high expectations for Diablo III and StarCraft II, who could blame Blzzard for wanting to devote all resources to making great games?

Certainly not the fans.

E3 2009 takes place at the LA Convention Center from June 2-4.

Oh, Geoff Keighley: you so crazy! The Gametrailers TV host has decided to toss his young, upstart award show in the ring with wily veteran E3. Not only that, he sees E3 — new E3, even – crumbling to the canvas in this tussle’s opening stanza.

“Spike has made a huge commitment to games and I think this will be the largest night for video gaming this year,” Keighley told GameDaily.

“If you’re a gamer I don’t see how you can miss this. Our goal was to be bigger than E3, the next E3 if you will, and I think we really accomplished that this year,” he concluded.

This year, the VGAs will reel back the curtain on a number of exclusive clips and previews. These include Uncharted 2, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, and, of course, GTA IV’s upcoming DLC. Quite a night, if you ask us.

Bigger than E3, though? Well, at least trading Shaun White for Jack Black is a start, we guess.

By Nathan Grayson

Before yesterday’s announcement of the new E3, many considered Penny Arcade Expo to be “the new E3.” So, now that the industry’s best-known conference has popped a few pills and stormed out of the ICU, is PAX feeling the heat? Nope. Not even a bit.

“I … can’t imagine it stealing any of our thunder,” Penny Arcade co-creator Mike “Gabe” Krahulik told Edge. “We have a ridiculous amount of thunder and honestly if they were to steal some of it we probably wouldn’t even notice.

“I don’t see it having any effect on PAX, no. E3 has always been and looks like it will continue to be about the industry. PAX is about the community around games as much as it’s about the games themselves.”

However, competition or not, Krahulik offered a few fighting words for the E3 and the ESA.

“I assume what they want is publicity for their games and a chance to get the word out about what they’re working on. I just think they’re coming at it from the wrong angle.”

Power to the people. Click through the link for the full interview.

By Nathan Grayson

In an interview with GI at last week’s Games Convention, Sims and Spore creator Will Wright said that the everyone’s favourite whipping boy, E3, isn’t even dead. It’s undead.

“It almost feels like a zombie at this point; it’s the walking dead,” said Wright.

“It’s such an abrupt end to what was E3, which had been this huge escalating arms race.”

He added: “I understand why they really pulled the plug on the big E3. Looking at the amount of money a company like EA would spend on it, it was ridiculous amounts of money just to be present and competitive with everyone else, so I think they were looking for a way to sign the arms treaty and de-escalate the whole thing.”

More through the link.

By Mike Bowden

Margaret Grohne, director of public relations for LucasArts has said that there is “too much noise surrounding ” E3 and therefore the company will not be showing any new games at the LA event next month.

However, she did say that despite the recent layoffs, “internal development of projects is continuing.”

More over at Venturebeat.

By Mike Bowden

According to this Kotaku piece, it cost ESA $5 million to break contract with the LA Convention Center and move E3 to Santa Monica last year.

The charge was due to loss of earnings: ESA was contracted to hold the expo at the Convention Center until 2012.

The site claims the cost forced up ESA subscriptions last year, an increase “rumoured” to have played a part in Activision, Vivendi and, most recently, LucasArts quitting the organisation.

“I don’t think it’s a mistake,” said ESA’s Rich Taylor. “There was a model in Santa Monica that we tried and after the event we polled participants across the board about what they thought of it and then we tried to figure out what we could do to make it better and returning to the Los Angeles Convention Center was the right decision.”

E3, of course, is back at the LACC this year. Full thing through the link.