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Should E3 Evolve into a Fan-friendly Event?

Should E3 Evolve into a Fan-friendly Event?

E3 has always been a highly anticipated event for gamers around the world. It is where all the big names announce their games, and where indie developers have a chance to shine. It’s the number one place to sell your ideas and maybe make it big; to convince people that your game, your system, is the best of the best. It’s a chance to hear developers talk about their games and the creative process itself.

Yet, it is no place for fans because E3 has never been open to the general public. Only a select few reporters, journalists, and investors are invited and get to experience E3 in it’s entirety. Despite this, the dawn of the Internet has allowed even the slightest rumors to become big news in mere seconds. So what’s the point of E3 anymore?

Well, for one, it’s just good business to have an event like this. It works kind like a due date for all the participants’ work over the year. They know when it’s coming, so preparing for a whole year is really good planning. It’s also a fantastic place to network new ideas to both investors and fans (represented by the reporters). The fact that this is a private event ensures that everyone has a say, and no one is drowned out by perhaps more popular controversy or information.

The power of the internet does not change this. Companies need due dates like this; that’s why there’s such thing as fiscal quarters, so that everyone can keep track and ensure things are progressing in the way they should be. The Internet does not hinder this in any way; rumors come out regardless of the best-laid plans. More so, we as fans not going to suddenly stop being excited about E3 just because we already have an inkling of what might happen there.

The live streams from Twitch and various news sites may not be the same as actually being there, but it’s the best we can do. E3 would be a complete disaster if it were made open the public. The sheer amount of people they’d have to deal with, never mind the occasional crazy fan that doesn’t know how to be respectful, would be very overwhelming. Thus, I think it’s entirely understandable that E3 is a private event. This way everyone has a great deal more control, especially over time, cost, and what information they give out.

Should E3 Evolve into a Fan-friendly Event?

So on one hand, E3 does need to be exclusive simply because of the monumental planning that goes into making sure everything that needs to get done will get done. On the other hand, E3 would be a money-making machine if they allowed the public in. Making E3 public would also provide a connection to fans that large companies like EA simply don’t have. To personally hear about the creative process beyond that of yet another “making of Uncharted ” video is something you’ll never forget. In addition, unless the reporters are huge fans (and a lot of them are) those big companies will never meet you. And as far as I know, a lot of them barely acknowledge that they even have met fans at E3. The most I heard was when Shigeru Miyamoto suggested that a number of the cosplayers he met at E3 would do well to star as Link in a Zelda movie. That was a huge compliment and acknowledgment of fans, and I’d like to hear way more of that from companies other than Nintendo.

That said, I still believe it is necessary to keep E3 private, simply for the sake of proper business conduct of all parties present and to control the number of people attending. The live streams and the power of the internet are not going to take away from the event at all. If anything, it’s far easier to connect with fans now than ever before. If a reporter wants to, they can Snapchat any fan they like and point the phone towards the developers.

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