Today is Saturday, June 2, 2012. It is 7:45am. I woke up about an hour ago. On Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 9:35am I will be on a flight to Los Angeles for the video-game industry’s largest event of the year: the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). I am excited.
E3 is a strange and awesome event that satisfies many senses. The size of the event, held at the LA Convention Center, is big! Taking up two large halls in the convention center, separated by a long concourse, you are guaranteed to get some exercise over the three days of the show.
Every major player in the video-game industry is present, in some form or another, whether it is with an overly-impressive booth or they’re walking around carrying their wares to share with anyone interested (that’s me). If you ever wanted to know where to go to find someone in the industry, this would be the place. But, without a scheduled meeting, it might be difficult to find them in the sea of thousands of industry folk.
I always find myself making a beeline for Nintendo’s booth each year. They usually have something new and exciting to show, and this year should be no different. With last year’s unveiling of the Wii-U, E3 2012 marks the moment the new console must impress. Now that Nintendo’s 3DS handheld has finally proved its value to the world, all eyes are on Nintendo’s home console.
Each year I schedule meetings with press and publishers. I meet with the press to show off our latest games, and I meet with publishers to forge partnerships in the hope of releasing new games. Very few decisions are made at E3 in terms of funding new ventures, so it becomes social up keeping more than anything else. However, as we head toward a more independent era with the dawn of digital distribution, it is interesting how that dynamic is changing – at least for us.
This year I will be showing off Bomb Monkey and ATV Wild Ride 3D on the 3DS. Bomb Monkey has been submitted to Nintendo for final approval, and will hopefully be released in June on Nintendo eShop (fingers crossed). ATV Wild Ride 3D is a few months away from completion. I hope to capture some video footage of people enjoying the multiplayer mode of Bomb Monkey at E3 for a trailer I’d like to release around the time of the games’ release. We’ll see how that goes. :)
My favorite part of E3 is seeing my friends and meeting new friends. To have an event centered on your favorite hobby, and to be able to geek out about it with like-minded friends for three days is not to be understated. It is a time to forget about the bills and all of the other worries of everyday life and share in the joy of video-games with pals. Consuming alcoholic beverages in the evenings while discussing the games of new and old at – what have become – familiar haunts in LA is something that never gets old.
By the end of Thursday, June 8, 2012 I will be tired; tired from walking, talking, and drinking far more than I do in my normal life. It will be a bittersweet moment filled with happiness for the chance to relax, and sadness with the realization that it is all to be over again. And then I’ll look forward to E3 2013!
