How to Go to E3 2006

[MelFet Wart]

A guide for getting to E3 2006, like the headline says. (http://nintendo.about.com/library/e32006/ble320061.htm) It takes a little of the mystery out of who can and can't go to E3. With the Nintendo Wii (haha) and the Sony PS3 (hopefully), this is the E3 to go to if you can make it, it seems.

From the article:

It's sometimes difficult to know exactly what is meant by "industry professional," and whether that means you or not. For example, university students are often able to gain entry through their schools. Industry affiliation can sometimes be a matter of working in the video games department of the local rental store. I didn't know that students could qualify by claiming their University as a connection to the game industry, for example. Or Librarians. Anyone else know this? Has anyone gone as part of their school? Is it hard?

[Zeal]

Easy as pie. I've already got my pass.

[Returner]

It really annoys me that people who have nothing to do with the game industry can get in to E3.

[Bone]

On the bright side, Zeal will be there to criticize everything for us.

[Klade]

Heh want to go to e3? Tell them you write news stories for a gaming website that has 1 million hits a month.

edit: huh at some point I broke the 1000 post barrier.

[Heretic Machine]

It really annoys me that people who have nothing to do with the game industry can get in to E3.

I know a girl who has an internship with a relativley popular gamesite, and she is going to E3... Guess what? She's never played a video game in her life.

[Heretic Machine]

Heh want to go to e3? Tell them you write news stories for a gaming website that has 1 million hits a month.

edit: huh at some point I broke the 1000 post barrier.

I wonder if involvment in the Evil Avatar community counts? :p Don't see why it shouldn't really.

[Returner]

I know a girl here at my University who has an internship with a relativley popular gamesite, and she is going to E3... Guess what? She's never played a video game in her life.


Great there’s going to be even more people then last year. I'm tired of having to plow though so many assholes that don't belong there.

[Undertakr]

I spoke to the peeps at E3 and they said that they were instructed to lower attendance by 50% this year. Who knows if they're going to accomplish that or not. I think it's crap that 'Skip, the temp at Best Buy' can get into the show. There are WAYYY too many people and a majority of them have nothing to do with the gaming industry, which makes it hard for those of us who ARE in the industry to do our job. E3 is 100% of my advertising a year and when I can't get to important people cuz some scrub is monopolizing their time, it pisses me off.

The other thing that pisses me off is it explicitly states you have to be over 18 to get in (or 21, can't remember) yet every single year there are tons of kids in there. How does that happen?

And the OTHER other thing that pisses me off about E3 is the insane parking prices and food prices. Holy crap, what a rip off!

:) Anywayz, I'll be there. Last year, in my opinion, it sucked ass, so hopefully this year it will be better. Less noisy, less crowded, less crappy games. (Two out of three maybe?) It's sad that 90% of the games are absolutely ass at E3.

- Takr

[Nintendo Revolution]

Its worth noting that registration ended before April 10th I believe.

[Bucho]

The hell with E3! I am a contract developer thats just finishing my second game, and I applyed for registration, and they rejected me because I wasn't a Full-time employee. I showed them my W-2 from the studio as well as my paycheck stub! I was even working overtime in crunch. I tried calling their phone representatives about it and I got the run around. One guy on the phone even said that contract workers were not eligible to attend. My freaking game is going to be showing at E3 with my name on it, and I can't go.

I'm really dissapointed because this was the year to go IMHO.

Has any other contractors had any trouble getting a pass? They mentioned that they wanted to restrict access to who gets to go, but I think they got their process "eff"ed up.

At least there is GDC next year....

[ProfPuppet]

Okay, here's the plan. Evil, you make every single registered person an editor. Bap, you rent a bus. We're aaaaall editors for the major gaming news site Evil Avatar. We, uh, just have to stagger our entry into E3 so they don't get suspicious.

My plan is flawless!

[bapenguin]

Okay, here's the plan. Evil, you make every single registered person an editor. Bap, you rent a bus. We're aaaaall editors for the major gaming news site Evil Avatar. We, uh, just have to stagger our entry into E3 so they don't get suspicious.

My plan is flawless!

Too bad we couldn't even get passes via the appropriate route. Luckily another company stepped in and got them for us, unfortuantely it was too late so only LIquidize is going since he lives in LA.

[netcraazzy]

I know a girl who has an internship with a relativley popular gamesite, and she is going to E3... Guess what? She's never played a video game in her life.

That's classic! What is she interning in at the gamesite? I'll venture a guess and say she's an intern for the advertising and marketing department! Am I right?

[ElPresidente]

As someone who actually makes a living off writing about games for a prominant Australian PC games mag it too pains me no end to watch videos of E3 and see some of the people there who are OBVIOUSLY not industry types. I don't want it to be some elite fest but it is a trade show with limited places and a lot of people wanting to go. The fact that people like Bucho are passed over while our friend Skip from BestBuy goes drives me out of my brain.

Anyway this is going to be the second year I've been eligible to go and have had to give it a miss based on the fact that writing is my second job and my other job is at a very busy time at the moment... there are times where being the second most senior person in a company REALLY sucks. :P

Next year for sure!

[Heretic Machine]

That's classic! What is she interning in at the gamesite? I'll venture a guess and say she's an intern for the advertising and marketing department! Am I right?

Nope, some kind of journalism.

[bean19]

That sucks Bucho.

P.S. - I'm going.

[destoo]

Best badge to get when going to E3 is a "retailer" badge. A friend of mine went three years ago as a Costco rep..
He came back with a LOT of stuff. He gave most of it away too. Wireless PS2 controllers, games games and more games, weird new hardware...

[Jukey]

The hell with E3! I am a contract developer thats just finishing my second game, and I applyed for registration, and they rejected me because I wasn't a Full-time employee. I showed them my W-2 from the studio as well as my paycheck stub! I was even working overtime in crunch. I tried calling their phone representatives about it and I got the run around. One guy on the phone even said that contract workers were not eligible to attend. My freaking game is going to be showing at E3 with my name on it, and I can't go.

I'm really dissapointed because this was the year to go IMHO.

Has any other contractors had any trouble getting a pass? They mentioned that they wanted to restrict access to who gets to go, but I think they got their process "eff"ed up.

At least there is GDC next year....

I am the purchaser for my company. We are a retail games store. I have been to E3 for the last 4 years. I have been denied this year, judged as not being affiliated with the industry. Total BS.

[Bucho]

I am the purchaser for my company. We are a retail games store. I have been to E3 for the last 4 years. I have been denied this year, judged as not being affiliated with the industry. Total BS.


Yeah, they are really being hardasses this year. I can understand wanting to thin the herd so to speak. but to quote you, Total BS.

[ProfPuppet]

Too bad we couldn't even get passes via the appropriate route. Luckily another company stepped in and got them for us, unfortuantely it was too late so only LIquidize is going since he lives in LA.

Really? I'm surprised. This isn't one person's gaming blog or something. It's not some behemoth like IGN or Gamespot, but still, I think you guys warrant a couple of passes.

[Sl1pstream]

At least there's Leipzig Games Convention (http://www.gc-germany.de/), which seems to be getting better and better each year =)

[Morratut]

:(

I really wish I could go to E3. I'll do it someday.

[EGO]

Why don't they have a show that's only for sales people and marketing chumps, then a journo show, a devs show and one for regular people who want to see the games?

[xanthome]

To all the people that are sitting in hour long lines to see the latest video/RT Demo of XXX or hanging out to get a picture of themselves w/Lara Croft or waiting to spin the wheel of swag..... you're in my way... get the hell out... you have no business being there... you don't have the in, you're supposed to line up appointments with the publishers and devs ahead of time you #&$(*@&... there I said it... I feel much better now :D

[Serapth]

Completely random thread resurrection.

[Sl1pstream]

What the fuck. I even posted in here. I just realised that Leipzig, judging by the look of things last year, is getting worse and worse. Too many boothbabes.

[Typical_Michael]

lol i can haz res?

[Returner]

It still annoys me that people who have nothing to do with the game industry can get in to E3.

[GAThrawn]

I remember this thread. Was hoping that I'd get in on some of that E3 action.

[Bone]

It still annoys me that people who have nothing to do with the game industry can get in to E3.Well, that's what they've been trying to fix by shrinking it, right?

At the same time, they've taken the focus away from new game announcements and back to a marketing message- an industry message for publishers and the rest. Which means conventions like PAX are better for the "core gamer" reveals (like Rock Band last year).

[Shadowstorm]

Holy necro Batman!

[Micasa]

It still annoys me that people who have nothing to do with the game industry can get in to E3.

They've severely knocked that back from the days this was posted. Good luck getting in with a 'been up for two weeks' blog or your high school newspaper credentials.