Other trade show markets may be suffering , but you would n’t sleep together it from this year ’s Electronic Entertainment Expo ( E3 ) in Los Angeles . The show ’s promoters noted that level quad sold out in record meter this twelvemonth . This is a multi - billion buck industriousness , and it ’s utterly booming .
Although I ca n’t show you pictures of the show floor itself ( it ’s a no - no with the rigid security guard who patrol the flooring ) , I ’ve accept a few shots of the convention heart and soul itself to give you an idea of what ’s to descend in the day ahead . E3 itself kicks off on Wednesday , though Monday and today have been busy with various press events — on Monday , Sony bumble the doors off with its official public foundation of its PlayStation 3 console table , which looks spectacular .
If your swap show experience is restrict to Macworld Conference & Expo , the plate of E3 is truly nous - boggling . It takes up every quoin of the massive L.A. Convention Center , which cross two city blocks for a sum of 770,000 straight feet of display space ( plus many meeting way and a 299 fundament theater ) .
On Monday , when I snapped these photos , workmen were busy setting up banners and hang posters and getting lights and wiring in place to be ready for the with child day . But setup get calendar week ago — literally , weeks ago — as the big ship’s company — Microsoft , Sony , Nintendo , EA and others — began the work to set up their massive cubicle . Their stall dwarf even the biggest setup I ’ve seen Apple do for a Macworld Expo , and the ordered series is quite telling — multi - story thing , some of them consummate with sofa expanse serviced by waitstaff and bartenders , for VIPs who want to sit down and refresh themselves while they ’re speak to their repp .
Outside the halls is also an excellent seat to advertise , and story - high banner embellish both the entrances to the elephantine South Hall and the West Hall . Inside it ’s no unlike — anywhere you could put a streamer or sign that hoi polloi are bound to see , you ’ll see one . And games are n’t the only thing being publicize here ; even Jeep has a novel fomite parked in the lobby , skip to attract the interest of upwardly mobile gambling professional concerned in upsizing their wheel .
As I observe yesterday , E3 is a trade - only consequence intend for media , developers , publishers and buyers in the game business . They ’re not supposed to let in anyone under 18 ( including those travelling with infants ) . And if you ’re contrive on descend down to check out the exhibits , bring a fat pocketbook , because it ’ll cost you $ 325 for an exhibits - only ticket . spend to pay heed conference will set you back more than $ 500 .
The multitude hallway that connects the South Hall to the West Hall is the tenacious walk you ’ll take at E3 . you may also get between those spot by walk outside — a favorite gathering point in time for smokers , masses looking for some sun and common people enjoying the barbeques and other out-of-door food and drink vendors that delineate the elbow room .
Tomorrow morning the show will open with a media briefing patronize by the Electronic Software Association ( ESA ) , the show ’s owner . ESA President Doug Lowenstein will talk , and if premature age are any denotation , his words to the medium will provide some insights about how the game manufacture continues to rise and evolve .
For all the latest Mac game news , review and entropy , please visitMacworld ’s Game Room .
