E3 09 - Sony's Conference A+

Jan 29, 2009
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This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo is taking a giant step towards returning to the glitzy, people-packed shows of three years ago, with attendance expected to be about ten times last year's show and the exhibit halls nearly the same size as the shows that once included ear-splitting rock bands, fire juggling and bikini-clad models.

E3 2009 will also see the return of a more relaxed registration policy for show-goers and rules that once more allow models on the expo floor.

The return to the size and glamor of earlier E3s comes after two years of downsizing and falling attendance at the show that once drew 70,000 people to Los Angeles to revel in all things video game.

In 2006, the Entertainment Software Association announced they would be downsizing the show and moving it to Santa Monica. In 2007, the show returned to the Los Angeles Convention Center, but remained a shadow of its former self. Several developers decided to not attend last year's show, including Activision, Atlus, Bethesda Softworks, NCsoft, Vivendi Games and Warner Bros. Interactive.

This year's list of attendees shows that all but NCsoft are returning to the show.

“The 2009 E3 Expo will be the preeminent North American computer and video game event,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA. “With robust exhibitor sales, high attendee interest, and strong commitments from multiple industry sectors, we are going to ensure the full excitement and energy of this industry is on display.”

Currently about 70 exhibitors are listed as attending the show, which is more than double the number at last year's. And event organizers say that the floor is filling up quickly.

"We encourage interested companies to contact us because floor sales are going quickly with more than half sold out," a spokesman told me.

Another major change to the show is the new registration policy which has been relaxed to allow more attendees to make it into the show. The last two shows were by invitation only. But this year's show return's to the 2006 policy of allowing people to register to get in.

e3_showfloor.jpg


The show is open to all "credentialed" international and U.S.-based media, industry analysts, retailers, developers and business partners.

Industry professionals need to submit two pieces of identification showing they work in the industry and press credentials are acquired by registering on the site. Both media credentialing and attenddee registration is now official open over on the e3 site.

While the show floor maps aren't yet available on the official site, I've heard that this year's show will essentially be the same size as 2006's convention hall-filling show but without Kentia Hall.

Source: kotaku.com/5144216/activision-and-booth-babes-returns-to-an-e3-ten-times-bigger-than-last-years
 
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YES!!! lol I am applying for press and if I don't get it I am applying as part of the industry I am bound to get in I will be working with ATI and Nvidia soon :) man this is going to rock!! :)
 
Some big news items have come up recently related to Sony and announcements that are going to be made by them at their E3 press conference. By far the biggest on so far is the information about the PSP-4000 or PSP2 that is surfacing. According to sources, it is going to be debuted at E3 and is slated for release in December of this calendar year. This is big news for Sony as a company, because they are the only company successfully competing with three separate consoles on the market at the same time.

Besides the PSP2 news, there have also been new talks about God of War 3 gameplay demos, as well as the same coming from the upcoming title M.A.G. It seems like they are showing all of their cards early, in order to try to ride a wave of hype heading into E3 this summer. While this is just the opposite approach than what Microsoft is doing. They are…. Silent.

Just like last year, heading into the conference they mentioned no specifics, but just slated that they would be unveiling “big things”. This was an understatement if anything, as the FFXIII bombshell was one of the biggest announcements in all of gaming history. I wouldn’t be surprised to see something close to this level of magnitude or importance. Maybe even FFXIII going multi-platform in Japan? There are rumors swirling as to what Microsoft is going to announce. The only thing that everyone can be sure of is: It’s bound to be more interesting than Nintendo’s press conference last year.

Source: thepowerreview.com/blog/2009/04/08/e3-preview-sony-shows-their-cards-early-microsoft-stays-silent/
 
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I am sure they'll have plenty to talk about in the next few weeks. The date is getting closer :) can't wait. As of now I've been confirmed for the show and I am only waiting for my badge :)
 
wooo! i'll be here for a live blog! i would be attending too but i didnt have 2 credentials to enter... i needed to be more than just an Activision QA staffer to get in. oh well. now i'm nothing lol. are they going to have a public day like they used to?
 
wooo! i'll be here for a live blog! i would be attending too but i didnt have 2 credentials to enter... i needed to be more than just an Activision QA staffer to get in. oh well. now i'm nothing lol. are they going to have a public day like they used to?

What they mean by 2 credentials is your paystub and w2 :) don't you have that? lol I met a guy that used to do QA at Activision last Friday, can't say his name because we are still trying to seal the deal lol dude was 40 and extreme gamer lol
 
i have my pay stub but dunno how my W2 would prove i am employed with them? anyways, its way too late now, i havent been employed with them since august.
 
Doesn't your W2 show your company? it should. Anyways my friend was let go from the place I work at last January and well he got accepted it should work.
 
interesting. then i could still do it? that is awesome. my only question is, can i bring anyone with me?

It should work I've done it before, send your registration and the worst they can say NO :) lol.

You can't bring anyone that's not registered and has no badge. Can't sneak them in either lol they have security and cameras in ever turn and people walking through the show to take people out. I believe now they use a badge with something hidden and can be seen by a black light (I think) lol
 
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