Tony escapes from the SN Systems stand and takes a whistle-stop tour of the West hall, where Sony and Nintendo await...
"For the unfortunate ones who don't know, E3 is split into three halls; West, South and Kentia. I'm meant to be working - my company SN Systems produces development tools that many video game studios around the world use to code their games. We have a meeting room in Kentia hall which is perfect for demos/meetings as it's in the quietest section of all the halls. We're showing off our latest development tools for the PSP and Nintendo DS as well as discussing 'other' consoles with all the major studios. While all the glitz and glamour of E3 is kicking off, we're presenting compilers, debuggers and profiling tools to a stream of developers who will be shaping the next generation of games.
"It's a bit of a crime to be at E3 and stuck in a room all day, and while there are, to be fair, more than enough interesting things on show in Kentia hall to keep me busy for the entire day, knowing I was so close to such emporiums of fun in the other halls was killing me.
Tony has captioned this photo, "My first console". I'm just wondering what on earth this little display is doing at E3? Did he bring it with him?
"So, by virtue of me writing this blog I was able to justify escaping into the madness for a few hours, solely of course for research/work purposes. Madness is actually what the rest of the halls are: so many giant screens, speakers, pod after pod, queue after queue of developers waiting patiently to dabble on the latest title. You really have to see it to believe just how huge and loud the show is, the expense that the studios have gone to, in order to promote their games is incredible. With limited time you have to be ruthless so today I decided to split my focus and concentrate on the West hall where Nintendo and Sony are rubbing shoulders. Both of them occupy huge areas on the show floor, flexing their muscle on plush white carpet and blazing giant screens. You can't help pick up the pace as you approach.
"Then, you see the queues and crowds. I took the easy option and hovered over each pod hoping for a space but with the attention span of rat in a cheese factory I skipped from pod to pod thinking, "Yep I'll have that one on pre-order". Quickly I realised what would be getting my money: Mario Kart DS, Nintendogs (three copies please, one for me and two for my nephews Stef and Alex who already have it on their Christmas list to give to 'Uncle'), and Zelda (like it needed saying).
"Nintendo heaven," says Tony.
"Soon I was deflecting to the other side, not because I wasn't impressed but you know quality when you seen it and you don't really have to think, 'is it worth playing'? Sony have an equally impressive show area, a multitude of playable PSP demos to hover over once again. Virtua Tennis, "Yep, I'll have that on pre-order" and on it continues. Honestly, sometimes I think I should get my company to pay me in 'game vouchers' and save my bank the hassle.
Tony in the process of creating his lengthy pre-order list.
"Next on my whistle stop tour was Konami, praying for a PSP version of Pro Evolution Soccer but I was to be denied this pleasure with not even a sniff of it anywhere. "Still, that's a pre-order without question" I think to myself as I wander off.
"It's now 8.20pm and I'm sitting outside a café in the warm LA air writing this blog, waiting for some food to arrive. I've been up since 4am and eaten a burger and fries, one banana and half a bag of jelly babies. I'll eat, go to bed and repeat the whole romance again in the morning."
Tony Liviabella
SN Systems
