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Reports: E3 expanding in 2009

Next year's Electronic Entertainment Expo said to be moved to June, returning to the big-time spectacle of years past; accounts differ on availability to the public.

In 2006, the Entertainment Software Association deemed the Electronic Entertainment Expo to be too big a spectacle, with publishers blowing millions of dollars on Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) booths to impress the more than 60,000 attendees. For 2007, the show moved to Santa Monica, was pushed back to July from its traditional May slot, and shrunk the attendee pool to an invite-only list about one-tenth the size of the previous year.

That experiment appears to have failed. This year's E3 Media & Business Summit returned the show to the LACC, and today it was revealed that next year's show will further undo the 2007 changes made to the show. However, details for E3 2009 are unclear, thanks to conflicting reports.

As reported by cable network G4's X-Play show, "The old E3 is making a comeback." Set for Tuesday, June 2 through Thursday, June 4, E3 2009 will again be held at the LACC, but this time the venue will play host to "tens of thousands" of attendees instead of the 5,000 or so who went to the invite-only events of 2007 and 2008. The event will be open to a broader range of guests, but X-Play emphasized that it still won't be open to the public.

Contradicting that report is an account from Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, who cites "inside sources" familiar with the show. Croal claims that E3 2009 will be limited to media and industry attendees from Tuesday through Thursday, after which the show will open to the public for Friday and Saturday. Although opening to the public could spur massive growth in attendee figures, Croal's source says that the ESA is going to cap attendance at 40,000. It's unclear if that 40,000 figure is per day or for the entire show.

An ESA representative would confirm nothing for GameSpot, saying only, "We'll make an announcement at an appropriate time." According to X-Play, the ESA plans to release details of its E3 2009 plans tomorrow.

For more on E3, check out GameSpot's complete coverage of the 2008 show.

185 Comments

  • buffdaddy69

    Posted Oct 27, 2008 9:19 am GMT

    "haagendaz142 Posted Oct 21, 2008 5:22 pm PT I was invited to E3 2008 and it was amazing."

    Sure you werent.

  • Adam_the_Nerd

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 6:35 pm GMT

    Las Vegas would be incredible.

  • laliberte11

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 10:32 am GMT

    move e3 to my town instead

  • ctburesch

    Posted Oct 25, 2008 6:25 pm GMT

    They should move E3 to Las Vegas. It would be a much better convention then..

  • ctburesch

    Posted Oct 25, 2008 6:19 pm GMT

    Also since when is Xbox Live the same as Playstation Network? I dont know what services YOU have been playing but my Xbox live is MUCH better than the PSN...

  • ctburesch

    Posted Oct 25, 2008 6:16 pm GMT

    Most of the quality AAA games never come to demo. I would fly to LA for the weekend if they let people in. Just sitting back and waiting to hear. It will be sweet..

  • dddddddo

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 8:09 pm GMT

    As said below, patience, my friends, patience...

  • stubbart2

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 7:05 am GMT

    E3 doesn't interest me. Who cares what's coming down the road? Simply wait to see demos and actual games. Patience.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 2:21 am GMT

    Good news. E3 2004 was one of the best experiences of my life. And no, I didn't pay to get in. Closed to the public is a good thing, it was a zoo at points.

  • NoseWeed619

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 4:33 pm GMT

    YEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Media_Mind

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 4:01 pm GMT

    step forward hopefully!

  • TheoleDominion

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 2:20 pm GMT

    Looking forward to PS3 home also. I only hope it offers completely different features than my xbox live. It's no fun having two services EXACTLY the same.

  • foeleaf

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 10:09 am GMT

    Well hopfully PS3 home lives up to promise that will ATLEAST let the public go there virtally and stream all the feed/demos to your console. The videos looked good, but home still isnt out! *sign* (-_-)!

  • stevo_360

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 8:21 am GMT

    I'll be at school then. Damn it, hopefully the times work out so that I can still watch the Press conferences and stuff.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 6:58 am GMT

    And we've come full circle

    I still don't mind it being managed just a tick so it doesn't get in the way of showing off stuff. That's what E3 is all about at heart.

    The problem the last 2 years was it was so devoid of soul the developers and even the press couldn't have been less enthusiastic about it; achieving the same problem to the opposite degree. Amazingly, they did an even worse job than the bloated version by getting companies to abandon the ESA entirely.

    Now the big question: will E3'09 be a good ol' big show, or just trying to be one?

  • TheoleDominion

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 6:14 am GMT

    Why don't they simply "section or seal" the business summit from the rest of the E3 gaming and entertainment. Perhaps placing it to the very rear of the festival.

  • PKmaster1984

    Posted Oct 22, 2008 6:03 am GMT

    -medicalmj

    your post made no sence, worst grammer known to man..
    peace bud.. the only business deals you would have are with those 16 year old kids..

  • medicalmj

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 11:39 pm GMT

    i think that would be great for the gamers if it went public.

    As someone who's always had access to E3 though i'm not so sure I just anyone to be allowed to go. Aside from all the fun of E3 this is an actual business event for those of us in the industry and it's not really a time for a bunch of 16yr old kids running around without their parents.

    I'm sure i sound like a total punk for saying that but that's just how i feel. But hey if the public can get in, then good for them...I'm sure they will enjoy it. Just don't be barging in on me when I'm trying to close a business deal with another company or something lol

  • Viral-venom13

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 10:18 pm GMT

    AS long as the show returns 2 it's glory like that of the past days then it's all good!!

  • luigigreen

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 10:00 pm GMT

    YES! Finally, the call has been answered.

  • AzureWind213

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 8:24 pm GMT

    Bigger = Better

    Everyone LOVES good publicity!

  • R-Force

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 7:55 pm GMT

    Oh yeah! Don't write off E3 just yet you jaded industry insiders.

  • cytheh

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 7:53 pm GMT

    E3 Reborn!

  • drumbreak1

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 7:33 pm GMT

    awesome

  • Eko_Eko_Azarak

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 7:14 pm GMT

    I must get there. And I also hope booth babes will return.

  • Glade_Gnarr

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 6:19 pm GMT

    I hope booth babes return.

  • sparkypants

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 5:33 pm GMT

    if it goes public Im buying tickets for my girlfriend and I...this would be so awesome

  • haagendaz142

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 5:22 pm GMT

    I was invited to E3 2008 and it was amazing.

  • amkalfus

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 5:11 pm GMT

    i really wanna go if it goes public! that would be legit

  • Prime05

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 3:50 pm GMT

    I hope it goes public I've been wanting in since the late 90's.

  • tiggerboy

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 3:34 pm GMT

    I really want to attend E3. I can't wait!

  • NyGin07

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 3:25 pm GMT

    yea isnt it sweet how we, the gamers cant go? awesome!!! way to show your customers respect!

  • UnchainedPsYcO

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 3:12 pm GMT

    Note for all u people who don't know E3's past it was never open to the public in the first place. the reason it was big is because they sold tickets. So this is the old e3 not the new e3. Geeze some people really need to stop complaining.

  • UnchainedPsYcO

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 3:01 pm GMT

    I am glad they are bringing it back. But something is missing still.
    BOOTH BABES!!!!!!!

  • zaveline

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 2:39 pm GMT

    Jeez C,mon I want this to be open to the public so that i can go see the conferences that sucks there going to fail again

  • Gamer4Iife

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 2:22 pm GMT

    If it's not open to the public, then it's just going to fail again.

  • sussmeyer01

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 2:14 pm GMT

    i hope you can ride a horse!

  • 856891

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:53 pm GMT

    they need to stop letting corporate executives handle this just do it right and make it open to the public nuff said

  • FadeToBlack90

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:53 pm GMT

    Agreed TWiSTEdmerc,

    Im a college student in atlanta...not exactly making enough money to fly out to LA and get a hotel when the urge hits.

  • koolman01

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:48 pm GMT

    why don't they bring it to new york for once the only good electronics show is digital life witch isn't all that bad but we need some thing new on the east coast

  • Downloadpilot

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:46 pm GMT

    Good news

  • TWiSTEDmerc

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:34 pm GMT

    They should host E3 in different major cities around North America each year, that would skyrocket attendance records and give everyone outside of california a decent opportunity to see an E3.

  • HA_Chaosagent

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:27 pm GMT

    Sometimes i Hate living in Canada. I would fly there tho just to see it.

  • AnelZukic

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:20 pm GMT

    good to hear this

  • okassar

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:13 pm GMT

    Microsoft was the only company that did good (out of the 3 main ones) IMO.They were just much more prepared and they had a lot of new stuff to bring to the table--I was especially wide eyed at 3 things:NXE,FFXIII,and GoW2

  • bubnux

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 1:07 pm GMT

    Nice, I had passes to '06 but couldn't get the time off work and thought I'd never get to see it in person... I will be attending '09.

  • coolguy681

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 12:55 pm GMT

    thats good.

  • Senor_Kami

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 12:39 pm GMT

    I'd be willing to pay up to $25-$30 to get access to E3. Although it sucks that it seems to be stuck in LA. I remember they came to Atlanta. I wish they would come back here.

  • djmillard2

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 12:26 pm GMT

    i hate living on the east coast. I never get to go to anything cool like this. Thank god theres gonna be a PAX in boston in a couple years

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