E3 Moves Away from the Crowd

SANTA MONICA, Calif. —The massive crowds and sensory overload that used to be part of the Electronic Entertainment Expo video game show are now a thing of the past. The Entertainment Software Association will hold this year’s show July 11 to 13 and has moved it from downtown Los Angeles to a quieter setting in Santa Monica.

And ground zero for the new show, now called the E3 Media & Business Summit, will be the Barker Hanger, a special event venue that will serve as a show floor for manufacturers and publishers displaying new products. Game companies will hold most of their meetings at nearby hotel suites and meeting rooms and the ESA is expecting attendance at this year’s event to top off at 4,000 people.

The ESA made a decision to change the style of the show and the location after years of out-of-control growth that frustrated game publishers trying to get new product information to buyers and the media. Last year’s show attracted more than 70,000 people in three days to the Los Angeles Convention Center, a crowd that overwhelmed the center’s facilities and prompted organizers to come up with a new venue.