f I have learned anything from the Penny Arcade Expo and various other conventions, it is that people don't seem to mind wandering around in circles staring at flashy things. Today was no exception as the clock struck twelve and the large crowd that formed at the foot of three small escalators made its way to the main entrance of the Electronic Entertainment Expo at the LA Convention Center.
It's easy to see that most people were excited, and with good reason.This being my very first experience, and Chris Reay's fifth, I did my very best to pay attention to the people as they swarmed the lobby waiting to be let in. People were chatting, comparing the Microsoft press conference to the Nintendo conference that had just ended. Some were standing in silence sipping their Starbucks coffee, periodically checking the time; while others were striding across the lobby floor, friends in tow, gaping at the various advertisements strung about the place.
It was easy to see that most people were excited, and with good reason. From what I have gathered in tidbits of overheard conversations and responses on Twitter, there is something for everyone to get excited about — casual and hardcore gamers alike.
Treading the expanse of the exhibition halls may not necessarily be for everyone. Just ask my poor feet. But that didn't stop an estimated 40,000 people from showing up to see the latest the video game industry has to offer. Chris stated at lunch that it really feels much smaller than the last time he attended E3 in 2006. With only two major floor areas filled with booths, it is definitely not as large as it used to be. But the spirit is still there, and it is thriving.
Our first day was spent exploring the South Hall, home to humongous booths belonging to Microsoft, Disney, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and EA. Their sizes were definitely pared down since the last big hurrah, but that didn't stop anyone from attempting great feats in booth creativity. Our favorites from today's jaunt are Warner Bros. and Microsoft.
Favorites from today's jaunt are Warner Bros. and Microsoft.The WB booth sports several cleverly designed areas for several different games. Microsoft, in keeping with their taste for the "compound" design, created a large cylindrical structure that took up most of their floor space to separate meetings from the public demonstrations that took place around the cylinder.
There is certainly no shortage of gaming going on here at E3. Today alone we personally able to sample Forza 3, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Sector 8. We really wanted to try Left 4 Dead 2 and Halo: ODST, but decided to keep exploring instead. You can be certain those two are what we are playing first thing tomorrow! Other games we saw people playing included LEGO Rockband (with giant LEGO blocks everywhere), LOTR: Arragorn's Quest, Mini Ninjas, FEAR 2, Gears of War 2 DLC, and many others that I was just too ADD to notice.
What a day, and it is only the first of three! Keep up with the latest happenings here by following us on Twitter. My interview with the president of the AIAS, Joseph Olin, discussing video games as art and the future of console gaming, will be up soon.
