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IDG: E for All is not coming back in 2009
Although we've seen it reported that E for All is dead and buried, the quote being used appears to be a rehash of the same cryptic response Big Download reported two days ago. So, we contacted event organizer IDG for a definitive answer and were told, "Unfortunately, E for All will not be occurring in 2009, as our focus now turns to E3." There, now that's clear.IDG is also the organizer for E3 2009, which appears to be a return to the festivities as we once knew them -- booth babes included. E for All was a competent effort, but the show saw a dramatic drop in attendance following its inaugural year. Adding insult to injury has been Seattle-based consumer show PAX's expansion and growth. Hopefully E3 has learned its lesson, eliminating the need for another E for All ever again.
E for All attendance drops in second year
Despite IDG World Expo's press release touting a "second successful year," attendance at this year's E for All Expo was down. Official attendance numbers were reported to be 15,000, that's down from last year's inaugural event, which saw 18,000 attendees.The E for All attendance numbers aren't exactly the most robust for an event being held in a megalopolis like Los Angeles, especially when compared to PAX 2008's 58,500 attendees who trekked up through the great wilderness to find the sleepy town of Seattle. Meanwhile, BlizzCon is capped at 15,000 attendees and those tickets, at $100 apiece, sold out almost as soon as they went on sale. IDG has not announced an E for All Expo for 2009 at this point[Via Big Download]
Joystiq at E for All, the highlights and lowlights
We wandered the booths of E for All in Los Angeles over the weekend, taking in what the show had to offer. It all inexplicably began with a rousing tune played by a troupe of bagpipers. What? We weren't sure what the tie-in there was either, unless there's a Bagpipe Hero in the works. You heard it hear first.Inside, we made our way through the maze of games and past the hordes of schwag-seekers to the interior, where we watched people vie for prizes and sampled some of the local fare. Check out some of our highlights after the break, including the audio of the bagpipery, our encounter with both Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell, and also Wolf from American Gladiators and what we thought about the show in general. Plus, you can also revel in the glory of our E for All gallery.As an extra treat, check out the audio from the bagpipes that began it all below. Now if you just mail us your $35 money order, you can feel like you were there.
EA attending E for All again, ticket prices revealed
The E for All Expo website has relaunched to reveal EA will attend the show for a second year. Ticket prices are a little easier to swallow than last year, with an early bird special to the three-day event costing $45 for ages 14+ and $25 for kids 6-13 with registration by July 15. After that, tickets for all three days of the show will be $60 for adults who pre-register and $75 for general admission. (Pricing graphic can be found after the break.)This year's show is already looking to be a bit different than last year, with Microsoft already committing to the event. We'll be sure to update if more major publishers acknowledge they'll attend the show being held Oct. 3-5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Microsoft takes the pill, joins E for All expo
The not quite E3 and a lot more like video game fanboy happy-fun-time event known as the E for All expo is in its second year this year, and we can confirm that the E for All funnery will be eighteen times cooler. Cooler because Microsoft and their library of Microsoft Game Studio games will be attending E for All 2008. ZOMG! We know! It's a surprising move by Microsoft seeing that last year they refused to be associated with the E3 wannabe expo. But maybe E for All is its own beast, maybe there is value in it and maybe Microsoft is onto something. We'll just have to wait and see how this year's expo turns out. Anyhoo, if you want to experience Microsoft sponsored Xbox 360 awesomeness, hit up E for All this October 3-5, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Registration starts soon.
E for All Expo takes the reigns, stays in Los Angeles
Those of you so deeply saddened and hurt by E3's sudden departure can take heart, as there's a new trade show coming to town, and hopefully it'll be half as good as the tried-and-true Electronic Entertainment Expo of days past. Slated to open its doors to the public and adoring media on October 18th through the 20th, the Entertainment for All Expo sports a kinder, more inviting title, that apparently hopes to focus more on the general public rather than industry insiders and advertising giants. Clearly hoping to garner more attention by continually stating that "this show is for everyone," IDG World Expo also claims that we kiddos will be able to "test drive the latest in games and gadgetry" as well as purchase things we like right on site. So while it'll (probably) never live up the expo of old, we're still down with ginormous trade shows with too much to do in not nearly enough time, and hey, now you've already got something to look forward to in October.
E for All to fill E3's shoes?
Sure, E3 may have been killed, and then ceremoniously transformed into a new, more media centric event, but we all know that the real E3 is dead. Still, it had perhaps grown too large for its own good. Perhaps its death was for the best. IDG World Expo today announced a convention that may just take E3's place. The new expo is entitled "Entertainment For All Expo." The name was chosen as part of a contest by the way, replacing the distinctly less awkward name, "The GamePro Expo." Like a hermit crab, the expo will take place in E3's former shell, the Los Angeles Convention Center. The primary difference between E3 and E for All is the inclusion of (gasp) the general public. Anyone will be allowed into the expo (for a nominal fee perhaps?) and allowed to try the many products on display. Not only that, but retailers will actually be on hand to sell said products to gamers. After all the complaints that E3 cost publishers too much money, we're betting that they're kicking themselves for not thinking of that sooner ("you mean we could actually make money doing this?"). Of course, if the emphasis is placed on selling product at the show, then that may leave publishers with little incentive to show off games that aren't finished. For that matter, we wonder what efforts publishers will go to for the media in general. Still, the idea of an American version of the Tokyo Game Show makes us as giddy as a Japanese school girl. The convention will take place this year, October 18-20. Assuming we can wrangle a ticket from our cruel overlords, we'll be there with bells on.[Via Joystiq]
Gamepro expo redubbed "E for All"
The "E" referring to "Entertainment" mind you, not the easily obtainable street drug. Let's face it, the joke comparing gaming trade shows to free-for-all drug parties practically tells itself. On the topic of terrible and somewhat inappropriate jokes, Gamepro's website has officially revealed the new title for their upcoming "E3 follow-up" expo, to be held in association with IDG World Expo. Equal parts Marx and Mork, "Entertainment for All Expo" is the winning title chosen out of 3,000 entries on Gamepro's website. It certainly speaks volumes about the quality of the other 2,999. The E for All Expo is fully endorsed by the Entertainment Software Association, despite it flying in the face of E3's concerns like a shrieking bat. The event will give consumers the chance to experience all manner of games and gadgetry, allowing them to purchase some of the items they've seen on the way out. E For All will also host gaming tournaments, job fairs and Video Games Live concerts.Throbbing mass of gamers -- check. Extraordinarily loud music -- check. "No longer just for industry insiders" -- check. The evidence makes it quite clear. This is the successor to E3. Looks like members of the press will just have to make due with Min-E3 (at least it has a cooler name).[Thanks fonz!]
