E3 reborn as GamePro Expo

[D_o_S]

With the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) gone as the world knew it, left in its place was an enormous vacuum at the LA Convention Center just begging to be filled.

According to a memo sent out to LA Convention and Visitors Bureau members, magazine publisher and show organizer International Data Group (IDG) will be creating a new games show that should be similar to E3, except it will run in mid-October instead of mid-May.

"IDG has been secured to run the new GamePro Expo show, what we knew as E3," read the memo. Also written was that IDG will "use E3 as a guide" in designing and organizing the new trade show. GamePro magazine is an IDG property, which would explain the name tie-in.

GameSpot spoke with Michael Krouse, vice president of convention sales for the LA Convention and Visitors Bureau, to confirm the news.

"I am absolutely convinced this show will be as big as [the old] E3," Krouse said.

Much of staff who were responsible for E3 are now a part of IDG, which could make replicating the format of the past trade show a natural task.

The inaugural GamePro Expo is tentatively scheduled for October 18-20, 2007, at LA Convention Center.

The new E3 Media and Business Summit will be held July 11-13, 2007, in Santa Monica, California.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Jimmy 2004]

But I thought gaming companies dropped out because of the huge costs, won't this be more or less the same in that way?

 

[Lord_Garshna]

Game companies need not bitch and moan about a little cost to get their fans pumped and ready to play. I think this is a very good move... people were really pissed about not having E3 to attend, as well as they should be. I guess if game companies are having such a friggin loss over a little event like this they should just pull out and advertise in other ways that they see as more cost effective.

 

[i_am_mustang_man]

it's always been a dream of mine to attend that show. glad to know the dream can live on as gamepro expo instead of E3.

<<< a happy fan

 

[Jimmy 2004]

Game companies need not bitch and moan about a little cost to get their fans pumped and ready to play. I think this is a very good move... people were really pissed about not having E3 to attend, as well as they should be. I guess if game companies are having such a friggin loss over a little event like this they should just pull out and advertise in other ways that they see as more cost effective.

That's what I thought they were going to do.

 

[Track]

I still cant believe that E3 is gone..

This new E3 wont be the same, because the whole point was making it in the beggining of the year, before the summer. What are we going to talk abt in October, and does this mean that there will be no E3-like event in 2007?

The whole point of E3 was the press conferences! Not the 3 days of playing games, because u didnt get to do that anyway.
E3 was interesting to 99.999% of the gaming population because it was THE event where Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo unveiled whatever they were working on.

No one like the 3 days where 0.00001% of those who want to - play games that havnt been released. The only interesting thing abt that, is the new games that u can WATCH ppl playing if u can stream E3 from some site. So it would be a good advertisement not only to those playing, but those watching.
But having those 3 days where players can play games that havnt been released, i guess costs a lot of money and isnt worth it if almost no one can play them, because no one can attend E3 and ppl just hear abt the games, because u can catch gameplay and previews of all the games on any game review site!!

So, i would love for them to keep the press conferences and do what they will with the rest of E3 that is useless to everyone, except the companies (but i guess not them either). But there isnt that 3 days then E3 will not be big enough for Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to do their annual press conference in, so its a problem. Maybe they dont need it to be big.. we sure dont.