So, by now, you’re probably aware of the news that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will all be skipping Reedpop’s revived Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) when it takes place this June. This leaves a major hole to be filled, since that means the big three companies won’t be there.
That said, Ubisoft recently stepped up, saying that it would attend the show “if it happens,” bringing a slew of its upcoming games. These include Assassin’s Creed Mirage, The Crew Motorfest and the oft-delayed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake.
But is third party support enough? Could these companies really keep E3 from sinking into a level of mediocrity? Well, there are a few things that Reedpop to consider before the show takes place this summer, so let’s see what the most vital ingredients are.
Third Parties? Yes, But To a Point
The thing about third parties is that they’re excellent when it comes to reaching out to their community. But the problem is when one of them might be too big for their own good. While that would accommodate for the thousands of fans planning to attend the show, it would also force some of their games to spread out – and could possibly intimidate other companies.
Now, Reedpop and the ESA probably want to fill the floor space, so they could be fine with “bigger and better” booths. But by the same token, that means they’re crowded all the time, making it tough for folks to enjoy the show – and, worse yet, stopping some media from making their appointments on time.
With that, there’s an example to be followed, like what third party companies have done in the past. A good medium-sized booth should do the trick, with a nice showcase stage and plenty of kiosks for people to enjoy games. Or something along those lines, depending on the publisher.
But going too big for its own good is asking for trouble, so, yeah, in this particular case, size could matter.
Plus, you can fit a great deal of games in a medium-sized booth. We’ve seen it before.
Let’s Reopen Kentia Hall
If Reedpop is serious about bringing back E3 to the kind of capacity that people remember, there’s one viable solution – Kentia Hall.
Back in the early days of E3, this place was chock full of indie companies showing off their latest wares. Not to mention it was the original home of Guitar Hero when it was first introduced. And who could forget the grilled cheese booth. Mmmm.
But then it closed, forcing companies to pay even more to have some sort of presence on the main show floors. This is a problem for a lot of indies, as they can’t afford the extravagant prices that the ESA has in place for events such as this.
It’s with that we believe Kentia Hall is a good option. We say open it up, make the table space affordable, allow developers from all over the world to attend, and run wild. Heck, if Reedpop could make the Penny Arcade Expo shows work so well based on indie love, then why can’t E3?
Crowd Control and Taking Care of Media
One other step that E3 must take in order to stay relevant – and useful – is taking care of everyone. It already has a pre-set schedule for both media and public people, but it shouldn’t let things get out of hand.
They need a good security team that will allow media get where they need to go, while keeping the public attendees from getting too out of hand. They didn’t really do a good job of that in the past, and, honestly, it shows. So for this year’s event, the ESA needs a plan. And a damn good one, because otherwise the media will likely brush it off.
So, yes, early entrance for media or maybe their own special entrance onto the show floor.
Why couldn’t that work? That way, the public could meander their way in and those reporters working to cover the show can still make everything on time.
Take Care of the Media
Speaking of the media, there’s one final step – Reedpop and the ESA need to take extra special care of reporters, YouTubers, Twitch streamers and other media types covering the event.
There’s a good reason for this.
You may recall years ago when the ESA discovered a security breach in their program, allowing the information of thousands of journalists to get leaked to the public. It’s since apologized and introduced a new team to maintain things, but that didn’t really sit well with the people whose information got exposed.
If Reedpop really wants to win over the media, they need to take extra special care of them. A media lounge with all the snacks and drinks you could ask for. Good Wi-Fi access, instead of just meager. Hell, maybe some bean bags to unwind? They worked so well at PAX.
We know these sound like nitpicks, but E3 needs all the good it can gather if it expects to make the show great again. Otherwise, it’ll likely fade into obscurity, just as many critics see it doing. It could definitely use a turnaround – right now.
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