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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.
Vest to allow WoW players to feel the pain
You know, our characters take a lot of punishment on a day to day basis. We may get roasted in hellfire, sliced nearly in two, buried alive, or disemboweled in the course of a regular game day. Yet through it all, our characters just keep coming back for more. Haven't you sort of wondered how our characters must feel at the end of a long day of punishment like that? Haven't you ever wanted to feel just for a moment, what they go through? Okay, neither have I. In fact, I'd have to say that I'm allergic to pain. But just in case we ever get the bug, here comes the next evolution of the good old rumble pack: The TN games 3rd Space Vest which uses a system of 8 pneumatic cells to deliver blows with varying levels of force based on action in game. Sure, technically rumble force vests aren't exactly new. In fact, this one came out back in March. But as our Sister Site Massively mentions, it's WoW-compatible. Specifically, it's being demo'd with WoW at the E for All Expo.Before you make plans to see how it feels to forget to activate your Tears of the Goddess though, be warned: It currently only sells in the UK. Of course, if they're demoing it at E3, maybe they'll get us a version out here sooner or later.
Nexon's Combat Arms launches today, tournament to follow at E for All Expo
Today marks the commercial launch of Nexon's newest title, Combat Arms, a free-to-play hybrid first person shooter/MMO. If the words 'free-to-play' make you cringe, have a look at the trailers on their main page, which show gameplay and customization options. You might just change your mind. While Combat Arms is heavier on the first person shooter end of the spectrum, the title has many of the elements we've come to like about MMOs -- rank rewards, in-game currency and massively multiplayer social aspects are all tied into the game. (Combat Arms has a cash economy called the "Black Market" but it's not necessary to purchase anything to play the game.) Be sure to check out Joystiq's hands-on with Combat Arms for a closer look at the title and a brief interview with Nexon about the game's features. Timed with the commercial launch of the title is Nexon's Combat Arms Tournament with Pandora's Mighty Soldiers (PMS Clan), to be held on October 4th at the E for All Expo. Pandora's Mighty Soldiers are said to be the world's largest multi-platform online female gaming group, with divisions for PC and each console on the market. If competitors can handle PMS, the tournament prizes will include Nexon game cards, t-shirts, DVDs, and an assortment of Razer gear. PMS will definitely make you work for it though.
Nintendo says 'No E for us'
Last year, Nintendo was a major exhibitor at the fledgling E for All Expo. If you were headed to this year's show (which takes place October 3-5) for a look at, say, Wii Music or Animal Crossing or a surprise announcement of Fatal Frame IV or something, don't bother, because Nintendo won't be there. GoNintendo received a message from Nintendo PR stating that E for All "did not fit into our plans for the year." Our guess is that they only planned to attend events that other companies (and people) would also attend. Can E for All survive a Nintendo-free show? Could they have survived if Nintendo had agreed to attend?
E for All exhibitor list is quite small ... and here it is in chart form!
Our pals at Big Download hit the phones, tracked down PR people and figured out which companies, exactly, are going to this year's E for All Expo ... and the answers ain't pretty. In fact, the only two major exhibitors will be Microsoft and Electronic Arts! THQ and Konami – familiar faces from last year's expo – won't be in attendance this year while Nintendo and 2K Games – also at last year's Expo – have yet to make a decision (Update: 2K and Activision, previously undecided, let BD know that they won't be attending).To make sense of the whole messy situation, we did the same thing we always do when we're upset: grabbed the crayons and expressed our feelings artistically ... then we turned those feelings into a chart comparing exhibitors for both this year's and last year's E for All, side-by-side with this year's Penny Arcade Expo. Yes, we know the Penny Arcade kids have been pouring salt into E for All's wounds for awhile now and that this is just another pile of color-coded salt that we're placing at their disposal. But really, that's a lot of salt! Chart after the break or read the full article at Big Download.[Update: IDG sent us a comment: "We're disappointed that you didn't contact us yesterday before putting up your E for All post, and we hope you'll do so in the future. At this point, we'll just say that the show isn't over until Tiger hits his last hole in one, Microsoft has packed up its last Xbox, Target has sold its last Wii Fit, Fatal1ty has blown away his last opponent, and the World Cyber Games National champions are crowned. Further announcements are forthcoming, and we are confident that E for All 208 will be a great event for everyone in the game community."]
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.
