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E3 will 'officially' open to the public this year

Not that you couldn't really go before if you wanted.

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

E3 has traditionally been a media-only event -- at least in theory. But starting in 2017, you won't even need a WordPress account to get access to the latest and greatest in gaming. The Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the event, announced on Wednesday that it is reserving 15,000 tickets for the general public to attend the show. Each pass will cost $250 ($150 if you buy it before next Monday, February 13th) but they'll grant you access to the show floor, panel discussions and other stuff from Tuesday to Thursday of E3.

The event organizers are also offering a new class of business passes. Aimed at lawyers, analysts and other stuffed shirt types, these passes will get you into the business lounge and grant priority access to the convention center.

This move comes after years of clamoring to open the event to the public. The ESA performed a small-scale experiment at last year's event with E3 Live. This year takes it a step further with genuine public access. However, the ESA can't guarantee that they'll continue it next year so if you really want to see E3 but don't want to blog about it, now may be your only chance.