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LOS ANGELES - The more things change for E3, the video game industry's premier trade show, the more they stay the same - if preshow news from Sony is any indication.
While attendees will discover that the event has been scaled down considerably, another aspect of E3 remains:
The show is a backdrop for big announcements about hardware developments from major console manufacturers.
Amid much speculation, Sony announced Monday that, effective immediately, the 60GB PlayStation 3 model that now sells for $599 ($NZ769) will now go for $499.
In addition, a new model with a larger 80GB hard drive would be available beginning in August. That model will also include the popular racing game MotorStorm, which retails separately for $59.
"It's important that we continue to evaluate our product line, offering consumers the technology and features that meet their growing needs," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America.
The downsizing of E3 has occurred after years of an escalating arms race of ever-larger booths, expensive parties and legions of game fans hoping to skirt the Electronic Entertainment Expo's notoriously lenient "trade only" attendance policy.
After E3 2006, the Entertainment Software Assn., the trade organisation that represents U.S. video-game publishers and runs the event, decided changing times necessitated a new approach, described by the organisation's then-president Doug Lowenstein as "more personal, efficient and focused."
The new event, renamed the E3 Media and Business Summit, runs until Friday.
After spending 10 of its previous 12 years at the Los Angeles Convention Centre (the 1997-98 shows were in Atlanta), the event is not only moving from its usual spot in May but going west to a series of smaller venues in Santa Monica.
The need for more intimacy has turned E3 into an invite-only affair, with far fewer game companies and media attendees. The 2006 show claimed about 60,000 participants; organisers expect 3,000-4,000 this year. More than 400 companies exhibited last year at the convention centre, but the current count of participating companies stands at 36.
Darren Gladstone, senior editor at Games for Windows magazine, said the reduced number of attendees and exhibitors is cause for concern. "It appears that all E3 has done is keep the big companies, weed out the up-and-comers and make the show less convenient for those attending," Gladstone said.
Sean Kauppinen, VP at Kohnke Communications, a major video game public relations agency, sees the advantages of a streamlined show.
"The new format definitely has its critics, but I think we'll be surprised that it's actually set up to accommodate a smaller group of more relevant game industry professionals," he said.
-REUTERS
