E3

E3, that’s all a bit weird isn’t it?

I should probably expand on that a bit, but it’s true.  There are few things in the world that compare to it.  A whole bunch of game developers get together in Los Angeles to pimp their wares and win an imaginary war, in order to gain the attention of the world’s gaming press.  It’s like Comic Con for video games and it is all surrounded in an insanity that really is unique.

For one thing, if you sit down as just a fan, rather than a media person, and watch these press conferences, 90% of them are a waste of time.  Sure you get some new trailers and a bit of game play, but you can watch that on YouTube at any time.  The rest of it is filled by uncharismatic developers, who have no place on a stage that big in front of that many people, trying to sell their product in a variety of ludicrous ways.  EA even reeled out Pele for some random interview to promote FIFA.  I respect Pele, but how is interviewing him going to make me want to buy FIFA?  What does it tell me about the game?

Then you have all the marketing bullshit, all the ‘this many people have bought Playstation 3s and this many have used it primarily for porn and Call of Duty’.  Now a look at the internet suggests some people do care about that.  They seem to feel the need to justify their own console buying by telling everyone how many other people have bought it rather than you know, just playing with it.  But here’s a thing, I really don’t care.  I’ve never cared.  I don’t need to know about how well Square Enix are doing this year.  In fact I can’t think of many things worse than having to listen to it.

Then there is just how serious the whole thing is taken.  I get 99% of my video game coverage from Videogamer, whose video coverage is essentially what wrestling would be if it was about video games and I loved it.  Because they just took the piss.  Yet, if you once again delve into the comments, there are so many people hurling abuse at them for insulting their favourite game or something along those lines and I can’t help but think how massive a waste of time that is.  It’s fucking video games.  Now I spend a lot of time playing video games, but they aren’t serious.  They’re games, they’re for fun and distraction and spending a few hours away from the real world every now and then.  Why can’t it just be that?

I enjoy E3, it’s a time when there are hundreds of games being announced and there is always a whole bunch of things to get your teeth into when it is over and done with.  Whether it’s Shenmue 3 or Unravel it’s all exciting and that’s cool.  However, I think it is good to step back and really just how ridiculous this whole thing is and remember that at the end of the day, it’s a bunch of folk getting into some giant rooms to talk about games.  That’s all.