How to Fix E3

7/25/2008 10:41 PM | 2 Comments | Page 3 of 3

• How bad would it be to open the floodgates and let the public in? Or why not follow the formula that Games Convention does in Leipzig? The Germans are smart -- the public can buy tickets to the show and access the halls that hold the massive booths that we used to see at E3. While companies attending past E3s said they were gouged with ridiculous prices for floor space and other Los Angeles Convention Center fees, ticket revenue can help offset these costs. Games Convention hosts all business meetings in hall called the Business Center. It's easy to get a demo or meet with clients, and best of all its quiet and fairly relaxed. Only attendees with the proper credentials can get into this center. German efficiency for the win!

• Make it a spectacle again. E3 looked boring this year. Do you think USA Today, "Good Morning America" or CNN are going to put this show on TV or in the papers? If E3 looked cool at all this year, it was because some media outlets worked to make it look cool. The old E3s were a grand affair, and everyone in the industry wanted to be there. Not only was the show completely relevant, but people talked about it for weeks after. You know what people talk about the most from E3 this year? The Who.

Make E3 fun. Make it entertaining. Right now it's disappointing and a chore, and it really doesn't have to be that way. E3 used to celebrate the industry that we love, and now it's a huge pain in the ass that barely registers a blip on the videogame radar.