E3 is around the corner, I know you all have it circled on your calander in permanent red ink. For the longest time it was the prom night of video game news. Once upon a time everything huge got announced there. New consoles, biggest new games, brand new IP’s, or anything else a company can wrap a bow on and super glue some sparkles to to sell to the journalists. The journalists then turn around and sell it to the consumer, who then give the companies a shitload of money without asking whether or not its really worth it. I’ve had a frustrating week, and I feel even more acrimonious than usual, so in honor of the video game Oscars, here’s the Top Three Reasons I Hate E3.
3: It used to be fun.
Way back in the day E3 was more than just the white house correspondents dinner for nerds. In years past it was essentially a con. You could get in with a good enough costume. Everybody came to party and celebrate video games, not make connections and kiss asses. As far as I’m concerned the day they closed the expo to the public was the day E3 died. We used to have a yearly event with none of the oppression or hate that we collectively suffered in high school, where we reveled in the things that we love. I guess, to be fair, we still have that — it’s just at PAX now. E3 has lost its heart and its soul and sold out to the huge companies that milk it for everything it’s got. Now before I float away on a hipster cloud of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, let’s move on to point two.
2: It’s usually a letdown.
For the months leading up to E3, it’s the only thing you hear about; speculation, possibilities, rumors, and general hype. Its fun to theorize with friends about what games may be coming out or what new functionality will be added to what old system. So you read all the hype articles (like the ones on our website. No seriously, go read them), and get all excited about the awesome new games you are going to buy, or might buy six months later. Sure you get some cool trailers and occasionally an exciting reveal but everything is always so far away and so young in development that half the games don’t even make it to production and the other half won’t be out for another couple years. It does little more than whet your appetite. It’s appetizers with no steak, so at the end of the whole thing you’re just still hungry with crumbs all over your shirt.
1: Nothing competitive.
This should really come as no surprise but the number one reason I don’t really like E3 is that there is nothing there for me. I have to listen to everyone scream and yell about all the cool new things coming out but none of them are ever going to be competitive. I always hope and watch with bated breath but am always disappointed. Most competitive games don’t draw a huge crowd and often don’t make the greatest trailers. Another factor is that the companies that seem to be interested in eSports consistently don’t come to E3. Blizzard, Valve, Riot, all don’t make it out Los Angeles to hock their wares. Blizzard has Blizzcon, Riot really only does LoL, and Valve…. well Valve is Valve. So this year I will join in with all my friends and maybe feign a little excitement here and there, but in reality I will just be counting down the minutes until I get the bandwidth back from my room mates to play Dota 2.
Tyler Morse is a Contributing Editor for aybonline.com.
