Signs of the ESA being more accepting of attendees outside of the industry has been apparent since last year. It gave away 20,000 tickets for E3 Live, an event located outside near the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year, it’s going to sell 15,000 E3 tickets to the public, a first for the exhibit. According to GameSpot, tickets will be on sale this Monday (February 13th) at noon EST. Tickets will be $150 on February 13th and $250 after.
Fans with tickets will get to check out the show floor, panel discussions and more during June 13-15. The ESA will be teaming up with Geogg Keighley to “provide attendees with access to special benefits associated with Keighley’s own E3 programming, such as developer interviews and more.”
“The feedback we heard was clear–they wanted to play the games inside the convention center. In addition, exhibitors inside the convention center wanted to have access to the fans. So this year we’re bringing the two together,” ESA’s senior VP of communications Rich Taylor said about last year’s E3 Live.
“It’s a changing industry, and E3 has always evolved to meet industry needs and anticipate where we’re heading together–as an event, as an industry, and as fans. The decision to open our doors to 15,000 fans was a strategic decision. It is thanks to our members and their vision and leadership that made this possible. We have a model that allows the business of the industry to continue for our business and media attendees and provides an opportunity for video games’ biggest fans to experience the latest in innovative, immersive entertainment.”
This year will be a big test to see if it will be open to the public again in 2018.
“I think asking, ‘How can we improve?’ ‘Where are video games headed?’ ‘How do we connect with fans?’ are all healthy questions, and that helps ensure E3 stays current and meets exhibitors’ needs,” Taylor said.
E3 was a place for publishers and retailers to meet, but it’s become an important event for the media and fans worldwide. Business passes will be available and will allow business attendees preferred entry to the event and more.
from Nerd Reactor
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