E3 2006 Question...

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:28 am

My birthday is in May, and my parents have both said that, for my birthday this year, they would pay to send me to E3!

But on the official website, it says that the show is not open to the general public!:

http://www.e3expo.com/attendees/faq.aspx

I don't understand, I saw plenty of gamers in the show last year, when I was watching coverage of it on G4TV.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:33 am

Many of those gamers were probably game reviewers. It's open to the press as well, I think.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:36 am

Quick Dave!!! Apply for a game testing position at a video game company, ANY game company!

edit: crap, read more of the rules... guess it won't work after all.

UnscathedFlyingObject · Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:38 am

You just have to know people. Some people get invited because they're journalists and stuff like that. The rest of us have to do what friends do best, ask them for a ticket (or whatever lets you in.) I once met a girl who had some extra entrances but had to discard them because she didn't have anyone to give them to. That was mighty unfortunate I wasn't there to take 'em and sell 'em. Anyways, sorry pal I didn't get her number (like always damn me), and she even asked me if I wanted to go this year (next year she said,) but I said "no I can't pay for it."

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:47 am

*sighs* Well, there goes that idea.

Unless I do get a position with iBeta, here in Denver-they have my resume and are hiring at the end of this month. And if the manager of Gamecrazy can go, I think a game tester could.

Neo Rasa · Post by **Neo Rasa** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:24 am

Being a retailer works also. Just get a job at whatever Gamestop/similar place is year you part time for like three weeks for the period where you actually sign up to go to E3.

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:42 am

Well... from what i understand you could just steal an EB nametag or laniard (how do you spell that anyway?) and they'd probably let you in...

Alpolio · Post by **Alpolio** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:20 am

The companies go there to show their latest stuff to the public, but the public ain't there -- how stupid is that? And those reporters at that show just don't cut the mustard. For instance, I totally blame them for the PS2 hype from 2000 which in turn caused the downfall of the Dreamcast. If there were real gamers at that show, I don't think that the PS2 would have been over-hyped.

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:53 am

Start a blog and apply for a press pass.

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:15 pm

You can simply go to the show and then buy a pass from somebody hawking them outside. Trust me, this show, all shows for that matter, are easy to get into if you have cash in hand.

D · Post by D » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:41 pm

Alpolio wrote:The companies go there to show their latest stuff to the public, but the public ain't there -- how stupid is that? And those reporters at that show just don't cut the mustard. For instance, I totally blame them for the PS2 hype from 2000 which in turn caused the downfall of the Dreamcast. If there were real gamers at that show, I don't think that the PS2 would have been over-hyped.

Agreed, alot of European and US so called 'expert' gaming journalists suck indeed. I'd rather have the opinion of someone on this board or just someone who doesn't make money of it

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:35 pm

Brian wrote:You can simply go to the show and then buy a pass from somebody hawking them outside. Trust me, this show, all shows for that matter, are easy to get into if you have cash in hand.

True, but the folks might not pay for it if I have hotel and airfare booked and rely on just getting a ticket outside the L.A. Convention Center. Hawkers aren't cheap anywhere, and I have no idea how much cash I'd need.

Well, if I don't get that position with iBeta (the mall with the nearest Gamestop is closing, but they are going to open up another store in my area; I just don't know when), I do know everyone at Gamecrazy; I could always ask if they have any extra tickets.

I wonder if people sell them on Ebay.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:10 pm

I just got off the phone with Mike, the manager of the Gamecrazy near my house, and he said that this is the first year that E3 is not open to the general public. He then said that not even people who work for game stores can go this year! He said that it's just getting more and more exclusive.

Man, this stinks. I wanted to go 1) because I want to work in the industry and I figured that E3 would be a good place to make some contacts, and 2) to challenge the last fear in my life that I haven't yet challenged-my fear of flying. I haven't gotten on plane since July 1995; the summer before my senior year of High Shcool.

But now I'm questioning whether or not I even WANT to work for an industry that's getting so exclusive! Really, cutting out the general public is beyond stupid for the gaming industry, which started E3 (AFIK) because they felt that they weren't getting enough attention at the CES.

I remember back in December of 1990, there was a Nintendo gaming convention of sorts at the Colorado Convention Center. It was so much fun! There was a hugh inflated Mario outside the Center, and inside, I got to play some NES games for the first time-including Journey To Silius.

dial911 · Post by **dial911** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:30 pm

Claiming to be a freelance journalist is a free ticket for many of these such events.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:23 pm

dial911 wrote:Claiming to be a freelance journalist is a free ticket for many of these such events.

Well I'm not, and I don't want to lie my way in. Cool sig, BTW!

BIG · Post by **BIG** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:33 am

If you make it out here,I'll hook you up with my pass.

I'm only attending the first two days (wed-thurs).

B-

benstylus · Post by **benstylus** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:40 am

dave4shmups wrote:I just got off the phone with Mike, the manager of the Gamecrazy near my house, and he said that this is the first year that E3 is not open to the general public.

E3 has never been open to the general public... it's always been an 'industry-only' event.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:25 am

benstylus wrote:
dave4shmups wrote:I just got off the phone with Mike, the manager of the Gamecrazy near my house, and he said that this is the first year that E3 is not open to the general public.
E3 has never been open to the general public... it's always been an 'industry-only' event.

Then where did all those throngs of teenagers I viewed on TV at last year's E3 come from?? I seriously doubt that they were all journalists. And the fact that friggin' game store employee's can't even get tickets points to the further exclusiveness of this event.

It's been primarily about the industry, but it has not, to my knowledge ever been an "industry-only event".

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:26 am

BIG wrote:If you make it out here,I'll hook you up with my pass.

I'm only attending the first two days (wed-thurs).

B-

Thanks-I will definately think about that!

How did you get a pass, BTW??

Post by **nZero** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:09 am

dave4shmups wrote:Then where did all those throngs of teenagers I viewed on TV at last year's E3 come from?? I seriously doubt that they were all journalists.

dave4shmups wrote:It's been primarily about the industry, but it has not, to my knowledge ever been an "industry-only event".

Actually, it has been an industry-only event for a long time, just that industry hasn't been very well defined. If you, say, wrote a blog about pretty much anything gaming related, you could pass yourself off as a game journalist. That's where those throngs of teenagers come from.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:32 pm

nZero wrote:
dave4shmups wrote:Then where did all those throngs of teenagers I viewed on TV at last year's E3 come from?? I seriously doubt that they were all journalists.

dave4shmups wrote:It's been primarily about the industry, but it has not, to my knowledge ever been an "industry-only event".
Actually, it has been an industry-only event for a long time, just that industry hasn't been very well defined. If you, say, wrote a blog about pretty much anything gaming related, you could pass yourself off as a game journalist. That's where those throngs of teenagers come from.

Ok, but how come game store managers, and other employees can't even get passes this year? Is it really becoming THAT exclusive?

Gah! There's no hope for me to get a job in this industry, is there!

zakk · Post by **zakk** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:40 pm

dave4shmups wrote:
nZero wrote:
dave4shmups wrote:Then where did all those throngs of teenagers I viewed on TV at last year's E3 come from?? I seriously doubt that they were all journalists.

dave4shmups wrote:It's been primarily about the industry, but it has not, to my knowledge ever been an "industry-only event".
Actually, it has been an industry-only event for a long time, just that industry hasn't been very well defined. If you, say, wrote a blog about pretty much anything gaming related, you could pass yourself off as a game journalist. That's where those throngs of teenagers come from.
Ok, but how come game store managers, and other employees can't even get passes this year? Is it really becoming THAT exclusive?

Gah! There's no hope for me to get a job in this industry, is there!

Yes, it's becoming that exclusive for a reason. Having a bunch of game store managers and employees running around does nothing. The point of E3 is to push product to retailers, but it's a waste of time for a publisher or dev to try to push it to some random Gamestop store #234 manager/employee. Even "networking" is a secondary concern at E3, it's only done when there's "time", after all the private backroom shows.

If you want networking and job possibilities, figure out how to go to GDC, not E3.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:45 pm

zakk wrote:
dave4shmups wrote:
nZero wrote: Actually, it has been an industry-only event for a long time, just that industry hasn't been very well defined. If you, say, wrote a blog about pretty much anything gaming related, you could pass yourself off as a game journalist. That's where those throngs of teenagers come from.
Ok, but how come game store managers, and other employees can't even get passes this year? Is it really becoming THAT exclusive?

Gah! There's no hope for me to get a job in this industry, is there!
Yes, it's becoming that exclusive for a reason. Having a bunch of game store managers and employees running around does nothing. The point of E3 is to push product to retailers, but it's a waste of time for a publisher or dev to try to push it to some random Gamestop store #234 manager/employee. Even "networking" is a secondary concern at E3, it's only done when there's "time", after all the private backroom shows.

If you want networking and job possibilities, figure out how to go to GDC, not E3.

Ok, well, I appreciate the advice!

Post by **nZero** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:49 pm

Looks like there won't be any point in going this year anyway...

Alpolio · Post by **Alpolio** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:23 pm

nZero wrote:Looks like there won't be any point in going this year anyway...

"ESA said it has sole discretion to determine what is acceptable." I don't like the sound of that at all -- it sounds like something from a Nazi war movie. But I know that it's because of California's screwed up video game laws.

It would be really easy for them to move their show elsewhere. Canada perhaps. The people with all the money are usually the ones who calls the shots.