One thing clearly obvious from last week was that E3 has given up all pretence of being a trade-only show. Anyone interested in getting in could do have done so fairly easily - a webpage and a bit of patience is all it took. I don't have a issue with this in principle - I would have done the same thing if I was 18 and based in the US - but it does cause real problems. Overcrowded stands and an under-resourced press-room are only the start.
Getting hands-on time with the majority of titles, let alone a coffee, was ridiculously difficult this year, and more and more games are now shown behind closed doors. This is fine if you can swing an invite - Spore was my personal favourite of these - but most attendees miss out. Throw in the lack of any equivalent show in Europe, and Japan and you have a problem. My solution? Smaller regional shows, open to all.
In the UK, last year's Game Stars Live was scuppered by Sony's absence and a poor venue, but it at least allowed punters to play upcoming games, grab goodies and get excited. GSL's scrapping means UK gamers who want to play upcoming console games legally are restricted to cover discs and smaller events like Edinburgh. Mainland Europe and Japan fare a little better, but there is still nothing to compare to the behemoth that is E3.
E3 may be a victim of its own success, but there is a definite need for it. An annual event for the games industry focuses media and retail attention, but there needs to be more access for the people that really matter - the gamers. So create a similar-sized event in Europe and Japan and let the gamers in. Gaming is mainstream - it's time there was some proper public events that reflected this.
