It's important to be prepared, so here's a collection of links I've come across to help prepare you for the big show:
- CG Online: Preparing For E3 - Good, if short, advice about what to expect from the show -- useful for complete newcomers. Especially important is the advice about free stuff. If you value your back, please limit the intake in your bag.
- Gamespot: Stupid Pants Operation - The video is 50+ minutes, but every second of this behind-the-scenes look at GameSpot's coverage of E3 2004 should be required viewing for game journalists trying to get a feel for the show. The most telling thing, for me, was that everyone claimed it was "fun" and it was "worth it," but everyone looks absolutely miserable after pulling 24 hour days for the better part of two weeks (imagine that!). Forty GameSpot employees put out over 1000 articles over the span of E3, which should give you an idea of how much work a show like this actually is for a major game site.
- Ownt: E3 Interview - For a different perspective on E3 preparation, read about what the ESA has to go through to put on the show every year. Fun fact from the interview: "Roughly 1,000,000 pounds [is] suspended from the ceiling," at E3, so if an earthquake comes when you're in Kentia Hall, look out! Another fun fact: "The 18 years and older rule has always been strictly enforced." Didn't seem that way last year. I may have to run a contest for the best picture of an obviously under-18 attendee next week.
- BioWare: Road to E3 - Yet another perspective on show preparation, this one from developer BioWare, shows what it takes to run a successful booth before, during and after the show, complete with plenty of pictures.
Are you going to E3? If so, are you going to the Namco booth :) It would be an absolute pleasure to meet you!
ReplyDeleteUh, I'll probably stop by the Namco booth, as I'm doing previews of four of their games. The best place to meet me face to face, though, is at the IGJA party on Wednesday night. Check out igja.org or check this blog for more info. tonight.
ReplyDelete-Kyle Orland
i haven't been to E3 in years, but your contest idea (pictures of obviously underage attendees) is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI pull in a few "extra" hours getting the website up to date as I spend most of the days in the couple of weeks ahead of E3 working on setting up meetings. Last week I was up for 41 hours in one stretch, which is no fun when you have two kids at home (one of which is a toddler). E3 means I get very little sleep, and I only have 6 staffers to help put up that estimate of 1000 articles (by GameSpot account).
ReplyDelete