E3 2008's Keynote Speaker: Texas Gov Rick Perry

[Dr.Finger]

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today announced the keynote speaker for this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles - Texas governor Rick Perry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/texas-governor-to-keynote-e3)."The Governor's keynote address is especially timely given the high concentration of entertainment software developers and publishers in Texas as well as the state's long-standing support of our industry.

"The Governor's forward-thinking leadership in encouraging the growth and development of our USD 18 billion industry is a road map for other state executives who want to transform their state economies for the 21st century."While an unconventional choice to deliver the keynote at an event like E3, it does make a lot of sense. Texas has become one of the hotbeds of game development in the 21st century, with major studios setting up shop across the state.

This bit of news comes on the heels of a string of bad news for the ESA. Several major game companies, including Activision, Vivendi and Lucasarts, canceled their memberships in the ESA, and it was also revealed today (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/santa-monica-e3-relocation-cost-esa-5-million) that the move from the Los Angeles Convention Center to Santa Monica last year cost the organization more than $5 million in cancellation fees.

[Telefrog]

Who the heck is even going to E3 this year?

[kraemer]

Please pull the plug on E3. It has clearly jumped the shark.

[Dr.Finger]

E3 serves a purpose, it's just not as important as it was 10 years ago

[Xerxes]

<clears throat>

As a Texan...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/319047856_dbf1ef3e92.jpg

You only need an website (http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/film/game/index_html)for this, not a keynote. Hell, I made a thread about this before.

[kraemer]

It seems kinda silly, I like id and 3drealms but a single freakin target store contributes more to the Texas economy than both of those shops do. So, whats the point?

[Xerxes]

It seems kinda silly, I like id and 3drealms but a single freakin target store contributes more to the Texas economy than both of those shops do. So, whats the point?

You think those are the only dev shops in Texas? :confused: Really?

[Heretic Machine]

Who the heck is even going to E3 this year?

Rick Perry, apparently... I'm thinking no one else.

It seems kinda silly, I like id and 3drealms but a single freakin target store contributes more to the Texas economy than both of those shops do. So, whats the point?

Last I checked there were quite a few dev houses in Texas. I believe EA has a large presence there, or did the last time I checked.

[Lima Beans]

I believe EA has a large presence there, or did the last time I checked.

Just Bioware Austin.

[Heretic Machine]

Just Bioware Austin.

What happened to the place that used to be Origin?

[Rommel]

E3 died two years ago. I remember eagerly reading every magazine's E3 pre and post coverage of the event with glee as a child. Now, it isn't even a shell of its former self. Just put this dog down or give it some medicine. Slowly beating it down in front of us is cruel.

[Sandman]

PAX is the new E3.

[Lima Beans]

What happened to the place that used to be Origin?

got shut down in 2004, EA did not replace it with another studio in Texas. Ea had zero studios after origin in Texas until they bought bioware.

PAX is the new E3.

Yeah, seems to be.


Texas is a hot spot for game development, its definitely one of the big 3 (Cali, Washington, Texas). It has problems producing quality titles though.

[Aaron Patridge]

E3 serves a purpose, it's just not as important as it was 10 years ago

Don't you mean 2 years ago? The last big E3 was 2006 and it was a monster that had huge announcements that have impacted the industry the last two years.

We've only had one down-sized E3 so far, and the Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo press conferences were still a big deal. E3 is the big press and vendor event. PAX is the gamer event that E3 was never intended to be but slowly became.

[Meatgortex]

E3 was a distributor show broken off from CES that became a media event and eventually just a silly marketing dick waving contest. Each year just got bigger and louder with companies all trying to be the buzz of the show. It was painful to walk through seeing millions of dollars spent on booths instead of the actual development of the games on display.

A couple years ago the publishers figured out that they can get better and much cheaper press coverage holding their own press events.

[bapenguin]

I, along with most of the people that went last year, thought the new E3 was good. No it wasn't loud, it wasn't glamorous, and it wasn't huge. But the flip side to everyone of those created a very intimate experience, which really played to everyone's advantage.

That being said - every piece of E3/ESA news I read this year makes me question the show.

[PopoWRX]

Texas has id, the formely good Ion Studios group, Bioware Austin, Gearbox, Ensemble Studios, 3d realms, etc.

I've met some of the Gearbox guys when a former WoW guidmate of mine was in town for a job interview and I came to have dinner with him and he had a friend who works for Gearbox. Nice guys, one of which tried to do a hand stand and ended up face planting on the concrete outside a bar. It was great if a bit bloody.

That said, Rick Perry sucks.

[Dr.Finger]

As great as PAX is it's never going to be E3. Now, that's not a bad thing; PAX is a convention for the fans while E3 was a trade show for the industry. PAX is a great place to let the fans get their hands on the games, but by virtue of it's date (last weekend in August) you're not going to have a bunch of announcements there like you had at E3.

Personally, I'd rather spread the announcements out, even for an amateur part-timer like me it was tiring covering all the news coming out of it. Let each company have their own 'Gamer's Day' where they get the spotlight and announce everything they've got on deck for the rest of the year.

[Adam Blue]

I don't know how anyone can look at this in a bad light. A state governor at a game conference... isn't this awesome? Isn't this the opposite of what a lot of you bitch about?

[tombofsoldier]

[ESA something something] falling down, falling down. Blah blah whatever.

[MojoJojo]

obLGOITasek&hl=en

[MojoJojo]

I would like to unfuck the code above, but I cannot edit the post, so, enjoy.

[Dr.Finger]

I fixed your YouTube link Mojo.

[dirtbag]

<clears throat>

As a Texan...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/319047856_dbf1ef3e92.jpg

You only need an website (http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/film/game/index_html)for this, not a keynote. Hell, I made a thread about this before.

As a Texas Republican, even I voted for Chis Bell in the last election. Rick Perry is the last man I want to see representing us in any forum.

[DaedalusFolly]

Just more evidence that Kinky Friedman should be the governor of Texas.