14 DAY TRIAL // This year's E3, the trade show organized by the Entertainment Software Association, was a bit of a disappointment. Microsoft did not make any big announcement, other than revealing that the next Final Fantasy would not be a PlayStaton 3 exclusive, while Nintendo annoyed some fans by putting Wii Music at the center of their presentation. Other shows, which are opened to the public, seem to be overtaking the closed one that E3 has become.
There are reports in the media that the 2009 event will be different from the 2008 one. The ESA is said to be on the verge of announcing that the show will be expanded to include more public. It will still be held at the LA Convention Center and will probably feature an expanded area for videogames presentation.
Apparently, the admittance policy will be significantly changed in order to allow several categories of public to have more access. Media people, retail associates and bloggers will be able to attend the event that will take place June 2-4. There will probably be bigger booths and press conferences.
But will a bigger show mean a better one? After all, E3 became a closed trade show when most developers said that the original concept, developers and publishers interacting, was obscured by the giant areas, the booth ladies and the unrestricted public access. In 2008, there were people who said that the lack of public took away the heart of the show, leaving others, like Leipzig and PAX, fighting to attract videogame fans looking for ways to congregate.
An official announcement from the ESA is expected to come in the near future and will probably finally reveal how the show, which has been plagued in the recent years by frequent changes, will proceed in 2009.