Getting into E3 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

n0nsensical · 02-26-2004, 02:59 PM

This is the first year that I would be able to attend E3, however, there's an obvious problem. I'm not in the game industry. Does anyone know what the best plan of action is for convincing them otherwise? They say they want two forms of industry identification. Maybe someone who can hire me for a week while I register and then fire me? I can do some DirectX or OpenGL coding for a few days, why not? =P Help me I must go to E3 ;-)

Church · 02-26-2004, 04:02 PM

Just do what they did on the Bacardi commercial. Get past security wearing a chef suit and then take it off and enjoy the party!

BuddyHawks · 02-26-2004, 05:28 PM

If you're desperate, someone will accept a bribe....dress and act like you're supposeed to be there(fashion a nametag with a company emblem)

mrquackers · 02-26-2004, 05:39 PM

I'm going to sound like a wet blanket here, but since I'm a member of the working media there, I beg you not to go. This will be my eighth E3, so I've seen the crowds grow exponentially each year. I know it seems like a really cool event to go to, what with the new games and all. And, to an extent, it is. But because so many people who have no business being there sneak in every year, it has gotten overcrowded and the show floor is jammed with C titles. The triple-A titles are behind closed doors.

It can be a fun show, but if you're not there to work, the gaming companies will spot it quickly and you'll be the first to be kicked off the machines so they can get work done. And you'll ultimately be in the way of people there trying to make a living.

n0nsensical · 02-26-2004, 06:37 PM

I'm not going to E3 to play games. I'm the most inconspicuous person I know, believe me, nobody would notice either way if I was or wasn't there. Also, I'm sure there are plenty of people legitimately there who are doing no real work either.

I will just start my own game company in March; I'm a programmer; I can make a game. =P

Mr.Deflok · 02-26-2004, 09:22 PM

Dress up and turn up in a giant Pikachu suit, no-one will ask any questions at all.

Ganguro · 02-26-2004, 10:57 PM

im going this year with exhibit services.. It's great.. i get to spend a week in La before the show opens scoping out the booths being built and placed, and get to meet clients and see what their display needs are.. then i get to do "tech support" while the show is going on, and get to hang out after show for teardown. Pretty nifty.. but get's repetitive after a while.. plus a suprising amount of clients dont know jack shit about Plasma vs LCD displays... *sigh*

as for sneaking in.. talk to a friend in inudstry and try to go with his/ her company.. or get a jjob as a teamster, Electrician, Stagehand, etc.. and go down to LA and just walk in like all the rest of them do.

Krycheck · 02-27-2004, 06:50 PM

mrquackers wont like this but I've gone for the last three years.

Last year a friend who owns a pc store added me and a few others as employees of his "company". We plan on doing the same this year.
Year before a friend who did some work for Gamespy let me have his pass as my own. So that was somewhat legit being that he's from Canada and couldn't go.
Year before that I borrowed someone elses pass and hoped not to get id'd by a door guard. Name didn't match my appearance if you know what I mean

Yeah, it does get pretty crowded and looking around about 40% of the people you see makes you wonder if they belong there.

opackfan · 02-27-2004, 07:06 PM

well my plan of action is to dig my way in! Unfortunatly I live in Minnesota, so this will take awhile

charlesesl · 02-27-2004, 07:35 PM

Man, why arnt there any expos open to the public

BuddyHawks · 02-27-2004, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by charlesesl
Man, why arnt there any expos open to the public

good call. HUGE ones, since there would be mega people going. I can see how it could easliy be spoiled by stupid kids though...(maybe place 18+ age limit?)

Ganguro · 02-27-2004, 10:27 PM

well there is the classic gaming expo here in vegas, and there is also a fairly large on in California each year.
Also the game deveopers conference and independent gamers conference as well..

mrquackers · 02-28-2004, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BuddyHawks
good call. HUGE ones, since there would be mega people going. I can see how it could easliy be spoiled by stupid kids though...(maybe place 18+ age limit?)

There actually were plans to have one in LA last year in... I believe it was August. Problem was no one signed up to go - neither fans nor publishers. From the publisher side: Putting on displays like they do at E3 costs literally millions of dollars. They see a reward on their investment there with media coverage and retail deals. They wouldn't see that sort of reward by doing something like that for gamers. There's also a big human toll in arranging that show. About now, every PR person in every gaming company is questioning why on earth they work there. (They'll continue asking themselves until about the end of May, when a huge percentage will go on vacation.)

From a fan perspective, I don't think enough people heard about the show - or it didn't have the cool factor of E3. Thankfully, more and more gaming companies are taking their new products on road shows for the public, setting up game stations at clubs, malls, etc.

02-26-2004, 02:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
n0nsensical Junkie Location: San Francisco	Getting into E3 This is the first year that I would be able to attend E3, however, there's an obvious problem. I'm not in the game industry. Does anyone know what the best plan of action is for convincing them otherwise? They say they want two forms of industry identification. Maybe someone who can hire me for a week while I register and then fire me? I can do some DirectX or OpenGL coding for a few days, why not? =P Help me I must go to E3 ;-)

02-26-2004, 04:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
Church Tilted F*ckhead Location: New Jersey	Just do what they did on the Bacardi commercial. Get past security wearing a chef suit and then take it off and enjoy the party! __________________ Through counter-intelligence, it should be possible to pinpoint potential trouble makers, and neutralize them.

02-26-2004, 05:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
BuddyHawks Swashbuckling Location: Iowa...sometimes	If you're desperate, someone will accept a bribe....dress and act like you're supposeed to be there(fashion a nametag with a company emblem) __________________ Watch More TV

02-26-2004, 05:39 PM	#4 (permalink)
mrquackers Exhausted Location: Northeastern US - please send help!	I'm going to sound like a wet blanket here, but since I'm a member of the working media there, I beg you not to go. This will be my eighth E3, so I've seen the crowds grow exponentially each year. I know it seems like a really cool event to go to, what with the new games and all. And, to an extent, it is. But because so many people who have no business being there sneak in every year, it has gotten overcrowded and the show floor is jammed with C titles. The triple-A titles are behind closed doors. It can be a fun show, but if you're not there to work, the gaming companies will spot it quickly and you'll be the first to be kicked off the machines so they can get work done. And you'll ultimately be in the way of people there trying to make a living. __________________ "If you're walking on thin ice, you may as well go ahead and dance."

02-27-2004, 06:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
Krycheck Sultana ruined my evil persona Location: Los Angeles	mrquackers wont like this but I've gone for the last three years. Last year a friend who owns a pc store added me and a few others as employees of his "company". We plan on doing the same this year. Year before a friend who did some work for Gamespy let me have his pass as my own. So that was somewhat legit being that he's from Canada and couldn't go. Year before that I borrowed someone elses pass and hoped not to get id'd by a door guard. Name didn't match my appearance if you know what I mean Yeah, it does get pretty crowded and looking around about 40% of the people you see makes you wonder if they belong there. __________________ His pants are tight...but his morals are loose!!

02-26-2004, 06:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
n0nsensical Junkie Location: San Francisco	I'm not going to E3 to play games. I'm the most inconspicuous person I know, believe me, nobody would notice either way if I was or wasn't there. Also, I'm sure there are plenty of people legitimately there who are doing no real work either. I will just start my own game company in March; I'm a programmer; I can make a game. =P

02-26-2004, 09:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
Mr.Deflok Blood + Fire Location: New Zealand	Dress up and turn up in a giant Pikachu suit, no-one will ask any questions at all.

02-26-2004, 10:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ganguro Army of Me	im going this year with exhibit services.. It's great.. i get to spend a week in La before the show opens scoping out the booths being built and placed, and get to meet clients and see what their display needs are.. then i get to do "tech support" while the show is going on, and get to hang out after show for teardown. Pretty nifty.. but get's repetitive after a while.. plus a suprising amount of clients dont know jack shit about Plasma vs LCD displays... sigh as for sneaking in.. talk to a friend in inudstry and try to go with his/ her company.. or get a jjob as a teamster, Electrician, Stagehand, etc.. and go down to LA and just walk in like all the rest of them do.

02-27-2004, 07:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
opackfan Tilted Location: St. Paul	well my plan of action is to dig my way in! Unfortunatly I live in Minnesota, so this will take awhile

02-27-2004, 07:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
charlesesl Psycho	Man, why arnt there any expos open to the public __________________ It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. Dr. Viktor E. Frankl

02-27-2004, 10:27 PM	#12 (permalink)
Ganguro Army of Me	well there is the classic gaming expo here in vegas, and there is also a fairly large on in California each year. Also the game deveopers conference and independent gamers conference as well..