E3 makes a play for video game fans
LOS ANGELES — The video game industry's signature event is cracking the door open for its biggest fans.
Facing renewed questions over its relevance in an age of Twitch streams — live streams of people playing video games — and tentpole events by big game publishers, the Electronic Entertainment Expo is trying a new tactic: courting gaming's most loyal fans.
Three blocks from the main trade show of E3 , conference organizers here held E3 Live, a three-day fan fest at the LA Live promenade.
People tried out games from publishers such as Warner Bros. Interactive. They waited up to two hours to try HTC's Vive virtual reality headset.
At the Facebook booth, you could watch Live Video broadcasts, experiment with VR, and view heat maps to determine where the hottest social media action took place at the show.
And there were simpler pleasures, such as posing with a giant robotic figure from the game Titanfall 2.
Ross Madenwald of Redondo Beach, Calif., took off work to attend E3 Live. "I think it’s pretty cool but it seems like it’s not big enough," says Madenwald, who thinks E3 should open up to more fans.
On Thursday, the Entertainment Software Association confirmed more than 70,000 people attended E3 this year, up from 50,000 the year before, with 20,000 coming from E3 Live attendees.
The trade show is chasing an industry trend of going straight to fans.
Earlier this year, video game publishers Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts said they would ditch their eye-catching booths in favor of a different approach. Activision Blizzard, which has its own big fan event — Blizzcon — opted to host media and other attendees in private meeting rooms. EA hosted an EA Play fan event at a location near the convention center. Publisher Ubisoft and Xbox makers Microsoft hosted similar public events.
"It's one of those things where the question becomes who are the game publishers trying to reach in terms of audience when they go to a show like E3," says DFC Intelligence analyst David Cole.
For years, E3 has served as an industry trade show, allowing retailers, press and other affiliates of the interactive entertainment business to check out upcoming video game releases.
In 2006, the ESA announced it was dialing back the raucous tone of the event for a more intimate Media and Business Summit in 2007 with tighter restrictions on attendance. E3 eventually returned to form in 2009 following a significant drop in attendance the previous two years.
Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive — publisher of games including Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K — says it's "exciting" to bring more consumers into the mix, but notes E3 as it's currently constructed remains valuable. "I think it plays a great role given that there’s so many consumer shows," says Zelnick. "There’s PAX, there’s Gamescom, there’s Comic-Con. There’s numerous consumer opportunities."
Rich Taylor, senior VP of communications and industry affairs with the Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the show, says once this year's show wraps, the ESA will explore whether to expand fan offerings. He also dismisses fears the show is losing its impact in the industry. "E3 is stronger than ever as a show."
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.