E3 is open to the public this year for the first time ever. If you’re willing to put the money up, you can attend the LA convention and play some damn videogames.
Excited about the future? Check out our list of upcoming PC games.
The LA convention will open its doors to hordes of hungry gamers who are now free to queue for precisely two games, play for five minutes and then go home.
For the event, there will be 15,000 tickets available to the public. In previous years, it’s only been open to industry folk, but publishers have been dropping out over the past few years, opting instead for hosting their own show for much cheaper.
No doubt this is one of the things that prompted E3 organisers the Entertainment Software Association to make the change. The 15,000 tickets will be made available next Monday, February 13. I’d expect them to sell out pretty fast.
The regular price for the tickets is $250, while there will be a limited-time offer for early birds at $150. Not a bad price for standing in queues and seeing adverts, eh?
ESA are partnering with Geoff Keighley for the public attendees. Apparently the Doritos Pope himself will supply special benefits for the crowd, interviewing developers and the like.
According to the ESA, the decision was made off the back of fan feedback.
“The feedback we heard was clear – they wanted to play the games inside the convention center,” says the ESA’s senior VP of communications, Rich Taylor, via GameSpot. “In addition, exhibitors inside the convention center wanted to have access to the fans. So this year we’re bringing the two together.
“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.”
If this is how the event survives, then it definitely makes sense. Just be sure to pack a nose peg or two because that is a lot of bodies in one place. E3 2017 takes place June 13-15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.