14 DAY TRIAL // EA Sports top man Peter Moore has joined the ranks of those calling for a return to the old way of organizing E3, with visitors allowed to enter the show and watch the games being demoed by developers and publishers.
The president of EA Sports did not hold back on the criticism. He said that "There was a palpable sense of frustration at the structure and logistics from all participants, from publishers like ourselves to the working press and financial analysts. Soulless and lacking an epicenter, the fragmented layout gave no indication whatsoever that we are the fastest growing entertainment medium in the world".
He thinks that the main culprits for the current situation are the organizers, the people at the Entertainment Software Association, who after the 2006 show have taken the decision of closing the trade show to the public.
Peter Moore believes that audience participation is the main ingredient to the success of E3. "Let's invite the community" is what the veteran developer says. After all ComicCon 2008 is now going on, and the event seems to be just fine even if the place is flooded with fans who want to find out the latest news regarding the industry.
He emphasized how his company, Electronic Arts, is interacting with the customers and the fans on a regular basis, through events and through forums. Peter Moore says that "because of the fans, we've already addressed a handful of issues in NCAA Football and NASCAR, and if we can create an environment to continue to get our games in the hands of you, our fans, sooner, then I'm all for it".
John Riccitiello and representatives from Ubisoft have also expressed disappointment in the 2008 E3 show, citing the lackluster presentations from the big players, like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo and the lack of big announcements.