E3 2009
E3 2009 is scheduled for June 2-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
It is used by many video game developers to show off their upcoming games and game-related hardware.
History
E3 2009 will be greatly expanded in terms of size from previous year as it has been reopened to all qualified computer and gaming audiences. In 2007, the E3 was restructured and downsized and renamed to E3 Media and Business Summit.
The move was widely criticized by those both within and outside the gaming industry, and E3 2007 was extremely quiet with few attendees which is in stark contrast to previous years.
E3 2009 aims to return E3 to its 'pre-E3 2007' state, by reopening it to a larger audience allowing more attendees. As well as having a larger venue and allowing more exhibitors, E3 2009 has also reverted its name to Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Floor Layout
E3 2009 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center with the show occupying the South and West Halls as well as the second floor.
West Hall
The west hall will house both Sony Computer Entertainment and Nintendo as well as game makers and/or publishers Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, THQ and Atlus.
It will also house Gamespot's booth.
South Hall
The south hall will house a larger number of major booths, which include Microsoft and other major publishers/makers such as Square Enix, Koei, Ubisoft, Namco Bandai, Warner Bros., Disney, Eidos, MTV Games, EA, Sega and Konami. This will also be where most of the major media reporting will take place with G4 which will cover the event live located here as well as the Media and BLoggers Lounge.
2nd Level
The second level will house smaller booths of certain companies on the first floor such as Square Enix, Sega, Capcom and Activision.
It will also house the main booths of other game companies such as LucasArts, Majesco and Sony.
Notable exhibitors list
Atari was originally due to exhibit at E3 2009 but pulled out at the last minute. The reasons for this sudden withdrawal are still currently unclear.
Notable games showcases
Notable games to be showcased at E3, arranged alphabetically.
Since the planned demo was in an early stage of development, the development team wasn't comfortable with someone else exhibiting it.
Capcom have confirmed to be developing the sequel to an already established Capcom franchise, which is not Devil May Cry 5 nor a remake. Capcom has also dropped a further hint that "this franchise has never appeared on this hardware,” meaning that it will be a franchise from a previous generation and might also mean that it is exclusive to a specific console, hence the word 'this', signifying a single console.
Square Enix has three unannounced titles. The company stated that "fans of their two greatest series will be extremely happy."
Major press conferences
E3 consists of many press conferences most of which will usually contain new game announcements, new console announcements, new portable announcements or important gaming news.
Microsoft Corporation (June 1, 2009 10.30am PST)
Electronic Arts (June 1, 2009 02.00pm PST)
Ubisoft (June 1, 2009 05.00pm PST)
Nintendo (June 2, 2009 09.00am PST)
Sony Computer Entertainment (June 2, 2009 11.00am PST)
Media coverage
G4 is the official broadcaster of E3 2009.
G4 will offer 22 hours of live event coverage, coverage of all 5 major press conferences and exclusive gaming interviews with gaming executives. G4's coverage of E3 2009 will begin on June 1, Monday to June 4, Thursday.
G4’s comprehensive coverage kicks off on-air and online at G4TV.com Monday, June 1 and continues through Thursday, June 4. G4 will also cover many exclusive game demos at E3 2009 as well as Steve Wiebe world record Donkey Kong high score attempt.
Pre-E3 2009 hype
All 3 major game companies are promising major exhibitions at E3 2009.
Sony Computer Entertainment America
SCEA marketing director John Koller stated that in terms of software and the direction of the PlayStation platforms and brand, E3 2009 will be one of Sony's larger E3s in his 11 years with the company.
A tautological quote from Jack Tretton: "Sony Computer Entertainment America is looking forward to another great showing at this year's E3 Expo.
The audience of North American-based and foreign media and key industry partners makes E3 Expo an ideal place for us to unveil the latest PlayStation news and products at our press event on June 2."
Nintendo of America
Nintendo also promises that it will bring a much bigger E3 showcase in E3 2009 in comparison to E3 2008.
A quote from Reggie Fils-Aime: "Nintendo has been a long time attendee of E3 and it has our full support. It's the place where creativity is on display, and as a 'sneak peak' for our entire industry it helps generate excitement for gamers around the world."
Microsoft Corporation
A quote from Don Mattrick: "Microsoft is gearing up for a big presence at E3 which will provide people with a different view toward the aspects home entertainment.
We're excited about the momentum that is building in anticipation of our June 1st media briefing, which should help kick off E3."
Both Capcom and High Voltage Software have stated that they will be revealing 2 new games each at E3 2009. Games have also been affected; Dead Rising 2, which was originally planned to be demoed, was pulled from the showcase due to the Capcom Japan team not being able to attend and the development team not being comfortable with someone else exhibiting it.
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