2018 marked the second year in a row that the public was invited to E3, arguably the game industry’s most important trade show. If you can afford the ticket and the travel to get to LA, you too can see all the biggest unreleased games.
But something has been lost with that approach to the show, and I saw a small part of it right after seeing a private demo of a very popular game. Here’s what happened.
My last appointment of E3 was on Thursday, which also happened to be the last day of the convention. I spent my time talking with the folks from CD Projekt Red while, in the next room over, Hideo Kojima sat watching Cyberpunk 2077’s demo with a variety of other people who had been invited to see the game’s live demonstration.
Game director Adam Badowski clearly had time to snap a picture with Kojima, but what he really wanted was to ask what one of the most legendary game developers of all time thought about Cyberpunk 2077. I smelled a story, and asked if I could tag along to hear the conversation.
I also noticed that the crowd had gotten a little larger near the small, private space that CD Projekt had rented out on the second floor of the convention center. There were no more presentations scheduled, so these people weren’t waiting to be seated. They were just sorta standing there, leaning against the walls with their swag bags tossed casually over one shoulder.
Backpacks were banned this year for everyone except exhibitors and the press, so it was clear that these folks weren’t here for an interview. There were too many of them for that to be the case anyway. And then Kojima emerged.
What followed was absolute bedlam.
Badowski tried to hand Kojima and his three companions the last four remaining statues of a character from Cyberpunk 2077 as the crowd lunged at us. These were gifts that were given to practically everyone else who had seen the demo, but they were bulky items and the foursome seemed more interested in holding their space than accepting a box. This wasn’t an insult to the gift, it was more of personal safety issue.
People began to push and jostle, reaching over and through Kojima’s companions to get closer to him. One person, a member of the press, actually pushed past Badowski with a felt-tipped pen, trying to get Kojima to sign his badge. When Kojima shrank away this individual turned around to snap a selfie. He bumped into me in the same motion, and I’m not sure he noticed.
I’m 6 and a half feet tall and built like a former offensive tackle. Which is useful because I used to be an offensive tackle. But I’ve never felt a crush of humanity quite like that before. The mob outside the offices rented by CD Projekt Red — this was not the show floor — was the only time I felt unsafe during my many years attending E3.
This year, E3 featured metal detectors at every entrance. My bag was searched by hand each time I entered the convention center. Police with dogs patrolled the floor around Nintendo’s booth while two-man teams of uniformed private security patrolled the perimeter outside. The entrance to the press room itself was guarded by an officer of the Los Angeles Police Department, his gun clearly visible on his hip, for nearly 12 hours every day.
But it wasn’t enough to prevent what happened to Kojima. A crush of people somehow formed well away from the convention, in front of a door marked “by invitation only.” Maybe they were hoping to see a celebrity? If that was the goal, I guess they got their wish.
The result was that Badowski never had the chance to talk with Kojima after the demo. “We have to get him out of here,” one of Kojima’s handlers explained before they disappeared. Badowski was visibly upset, and I don’t blame him.
This is what gets lost when you let this many people into E3, and don’t give the developers the proper space to show their games in any kind of controlled setting. What should have been an opportunity for two creative people to meet and talk about game design, if only for a few minutes, became a situation that was borderline unsafe.
E3 is going through growing pains, but there’s no reason it can’t have its cake and let fans in too. Some events, like the Tokyo Game Show, have different days for fans and the press. People want to meet their idols, and that’s fine, but this wasn’t the most appropriate time or place for it, nor was it the safest.
E3 is learning how to be a show for everyone, but it’s not quite there yet. And moments like this can help show where things could still be improved.
Comments
Yup.
Industry member here who’s gone to 12 E3’s….this game pass is nonsense just get money and everyone hates it.
It should really be 2 days of industry/press/meetings, and 1 day of rabble with gamer passes. On top of that, gamer passes should only be able to go to the hall, they never should have been able to go up to the meeting rooms. There were several times it was bedlam this year and it was always right as the gamer pass crowd started running into the halls.
By DominusSeph on 06.20.18 6:00pm
Agreed, there is virtually no reason for non-industry/non-press to be up in that area. I like that, 2/1 day seems like a better compromise.
By h4mx0r on 06.20.18 6:39pm
I liked the hours better this year, gave us time to get stuff done and meetup before huge waves of crowds came in. I’m hoping they continue to improve on this.
Also, highly amused seeing gamer pass holders swapping their badge holders to try and get into stuff. Didn’t work thankfully.
By DominusSeph on 06.20.18 9:20pm
I was watching the FFXIV live letter which was from E3 and they actually commented during the stream the doors must have been opened for the public because there were people running down the hallways right outside the small room they were filming in. Scary.
By Kaitlyn_ec on 06.20.18 6:39pm
Yeah, it was nutty. They need better control for some of these locations.
By DominusSeph on 06.20.18 9:18pm
One day? At the cost of those badges? Plus travel? C’mon man. The very fact that you’re calling them "rabble" just makes my eyes roll. You’re hurting the industry just as much as these throngs of people.
By Orenn on 06.20.18 7:12pm
This was never meant to be a convention. It’s an expo. To market and sell games, and connect with other industry veterans, and do business. That’s the entire point of this.
The price point they can set to whatever they want. If it goes down to 1 day, set it accordingly. I personally don’t care about the price, if people pay it, that’s on them. FUN FACT: Did you know you could always buy an E3 badge? It was just $999. I’ve met several people who bought those badges.
Exactly how am I hurting the industry here? The fact that an aggressive mob of swag hungry people go running around the convention trying to jump lines and get all the free crap they can? Yup, you’re right, that’s on the industry, and not the fact that the ESA is desperately losing vendor spaces due to companies wanting to set up their own events.
You know how fun it is for industry people to get SWARMED by rabid fans? Y’know, like the example in the article? This is why security details surround talent nowadays 3 people deep at E3. Hell, I remember running into Stephen Spielberg a few years back in the EA booth, nice, calm, no people clamoring for a damned selfie.
And to be clear, I’m not going to adjust my statement regarding the phrase "rabble", because I’m pretty sure you don’t understand the definition if you’re getting offended. For convenience "a disorderly crowd; a mob."
By DominusSeph on 06.20.18 9:17pm
I get where your opinion – and frustration! – is coming from. Might I argue that the problem is from booth babies on up to giant stages with hyper-presentations, E3 has done a crap job of presenting itself as a trade show? It certainly seems a bit shiny for an event meant to get professionals together…….
By Tanneseph on 06.20.18 11:53pm
THIS comment needs more visibility.
By WhyDoYouThinkICare on 06.21.18 1:27pm
That is a fairly spurious argument, I have been to trade shows for a number of industries that were INSANELY shiny, and they are just for industry.
By Chaosforged on 06.21.18 4:22pm
Out of curiosity did they get mega hyped up to the public, or rabid fan base? Or were they quiet and only paid attention to by people in those industries?
By Rachel Dratch on 06.22.18 11:26am
Right? I was seriously confused when I found out that it was supposed to be for industry folks only, between hyping up announcements (take Sony having a series on trailer drops to get us all in the mood) and the giant screens and speeches that are seemingly meant only to hype consumers…..
By Tanneseph on 06.22.18 1:51pm
This, so much this. They have no one to blame but themselves.
And the industry wonders why they are at "war" with their customers.
By Warbert on 06.22.18 11:24am
Now that’s just a tiny bit dishonest. You know perfectly well that Merriam Webster also defines rabble as "the lowest class of people". You seem to have a firm grasp on the English language and I doubt you were unaware of that particular meaning when you were choosing your wording. Which is fine, it’s an understandable opinion to have. But own it.
By Dan_Redrock on 06.21.18 3:02am
Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black said it best…."A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
From the description in the article, rabble seems like a NICE way to describe those people. Does that mean every gamer pass holder at the convention was a member of the rabble? Of course not. And I doubt that he meant it that way. Stop looking for ways to get offended.
By LBRailsurfer on 06.21.18 8:42am
To be clear, I chose my phrase and I stand by it, take it however you want.
If I were to use PEASANT or SERF to describe the gamer pass attendees, I can understand you can get uppity at me looking down on them.
But, that’s not the case. Referencing both the article and my comment, the groups of people were rowdy and uncontrolled. Every day when they were able to enter, a LOT of them came running through the halls in a panic to get in line and being overly boisterous.
I’m owning my comment, but it seems a lot of you commenters want to make an issue of it. I’m not editing or retracting my statement. They were a rabble. Period.
By DominusSeph on 06.21.18 1:24pm
I wouldn’t ask you to retract it. I’m just glad that plenty of us have pointed out that you’re wrong. You don’t need to expect it. But it’s important that you see it.
You might see them as rabble, but know that they might see the same in you. You’re not the good guy in this story.
By Orenn on 06.21.18 4:50pm
Your statement is so….white-knight ish that it’s hard to even read.
What story is this? A Fairytale with good and bad people and a magical elf?
Grow up and realize this is a business and an industry. Be offended and triggered all you want, but stop trying to paint the statement as incorrect because you disagree with a word choice.
Given all of this, clear to see you have zero connection to the gaming industry, unless you’re a Gamestop employee with too much entitlement.
By DominusSeph on 06.21.18 7:32pm
White knight-ish? I feel like you’re reaching for insults just to have one. In no way is it "white knight-ish." In fact, I seem to be the only one in this conversation that realizes that this is a business and an industry. One that can’t survive on developers and journalists alone. The player is a part of the ecosystem. Without them E3 would die out. That hype is vital, and that hype would go away without player involvement. You’re sterile way of looking at things makes it clear that my connection to the gaming industry is much stronger than yours.
Kinder, too. This isn’t a fairy tale, but you’re definitely as gross as the villains in them.
By Orenn on 06.21.18 8:33pm
WOMP WOMP.
Swing and a miss. Really interesting that you comment
At no point did I say that the gamer pass holders should be STOPPED, and that public access to E3 should be curbed, but there is a lot that still needs to change, and this was an improvement, but not enough. Again, they should look to split the days more, regardless of what the cost to the fans is, adjust it as necessary. Make it $150 if they’re only getting half the days etc.
The fact that the ESA can’t support E3 without these passes isn’t a good thing. Everyone’s moving out to create their own shows and leaving E3 with VR porn and loot box booths. The ESA has a lot of problems to figure out in regards to running this Expo, and one of those is retaining members.
You’re so offended for the gamer pass members that you can’t even see the bigger deal here. HYPE? You’re right, none of that without fans at E3! How did we live in a word without that essential gamer hyper before last year?
FUN FACT: No one is seeing an increase in sales or online conversation due to fans being at E3. E3 as a show is getting attention, but the fallout from having fans there? negligible.
So go ahead, hold your head high proud white-knight for the gamer pass at E3. You’re doing some sort of gods work.
By DominusSeph on 06.22.18 1:22pm
This was never meant to be a convention. It’s an expo.
Whether it was "meant to be" or not is irrelevant. It is now. Acting like you’re on some high horse and basically referring to anyone who bought a pass as a plebeian is pretty weak.
If you have a problem, take it up with the event organizers. Can the haughty attitude.
By KaneRobot on 06.21.18 4:40am
I’m not sure in what way his reference was inaccurate? Can you help explain? It seems like this group of people were running around absolutely crazy, like a pack of chickens with their heads cut off, swamping talent and trying to get into places they didn’t belong, and generally being extremely disorderly? He’s not the first person to complain about the new format, there doesn’t seem to be anybody in the industry or the press who likes the way it’s being handled so far.
By Fulluphigh on 06.21.18 11:24am
Haughty attitude? It isn’t a con, full stop.
It is an industry event is a shiny one, it doesn’t make it any less professional…Stop your entitled behavior.
People like are the ones that bitch everything should be free in mobile games then scream pay to win when a developer tries to recoup money.
By Chaosforged on 06.21.18 4:26pm
Let’s be real: even if it WAS a con, this behavior would STILL be completely unacceptable.
I’ve been to GenCon before. Nobody acts like entitled brats trying to swarm or trample their idols. That’s unacceptable behavior for anyone over the age of five.
By OccamsTireIron on 06.23.18 2:31pm
I take it your years of experience wasn’t in PR.
By Kirk Hodges on 06.21.18 11:01am