STACK #153 Jul 2017

GAMES FEATURE

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a brave new world? Words Paul Jones

year history, nobody was surprised. To preserve its existence it had no choice. Irrespective of the criticism it has endured in recent times, E3 still remains the video game showcase that attracts fervent media, industry and gamer attention, as developers reveal new products or updates on the titles that will be coming either this year, or the next. But it seemed unlikely that the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) – outside of recognising the commercial opportunity of ticket sales – had put much thought into how an additional 15,000 punters would affect the show’s equilibrium.

I t was clear when I left the Los Angeles Convention Center on the final day of E3 last year that changes to the show’s format had to be made. PAX and Gamescom has evolved the traditional format of video game shows to cater for the gaming community, and EA has retracted its presence at E3 over the last two

years, opting to stage its own EA Play event with the aim of getting its games into the hands of the game-playing – and buying – community at the same time as the media. So, when the announcement was made earlier this year that E3 would be opening its doors to the public for the first time in its 22-

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JULY 2017

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