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The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 (E3 2017) will take place in Los Angeles the United States from June 13–15, where major companies of the game industry will present their new products to the public. However, E3 took the unusual step this year of making about 15,000 tickets available at 149 US dollars each, allowing fans to explore the show floor and attend panel discussions.
"There is a lot of interest in the industry to speak more directly to the gamer," Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden told AFP. At the same time, the famous American video game company, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), held the first of a series of press events by console and game makers in the days leading up to E3.The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 (E3 2017) will take place in Los Angeles the United States from June 13–15, where major companies of the game industry will present their new products to the public. However, E3 took the unusual step this year of making about 15,000 tickets available at 149 US dollars each, allowing fans to explore the show floor and attend panel discussions.
"There is a lot of interest in the industry to speak more directly to the gamer," Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden told AFP. At the same time, the famous American video game company, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), held the first of a series of press events by console and game makers in the days leading up to E3.
"We got a lot of feedback; a lot of it positive and a lot of it constructive," said EA chief executive Andrew Wilson.
Endless play
EA's fan-fest comes as the video game industry flourishes and shifts to cultivating ongoing relationships with gamers instead of simply selling them blockbuster games in packages or as digital downloads.
Historically an event exclusively for the industry insiders, E3 appeared to be adapting to the trend of game makers building relationships with players in online communities.
“E3 is evolving to try to bring in people who are not involved in the industry, who are fans, ” said Ted Pollak, senior video game industry analyst at Jon Peddie Research.
Netflix-style games
Hot trends at E3 next week will include the rise of streaming games, to be played subscription-style as a service or to be watched as spectator sports on the booming 'eSports' stage.
Amazon-owned Twitch and Google's YouTube are once again at E3, streaming announcements, game trailers, interviews and other game-content to viewers around the world.
Microsoft just launched a subscription service for Xbox, letting players pay a monthly fee for access to a library of video games for its console.
Sony makes video games available as part of a subscription service for PlayStation consoles.
“Most important for the console space at the moment is the concept of games as a service,” said video games analyst Mat Piscatella.
“Games are now designed around keeping people engaged for years.”
Dueling consoles
E3 will once again be an arena for competing consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony to battle it out.
Sony PlayStation 4 has dominated the market, while Nintendo's recently-launched Switch has been a hit, with fans snapping up the console and a “Legend of Zelda” game that has become a must-play title.
Microsoft is to spotlight a muscular new Xbox model, referred to in development as “Scorpio,” at a special E3 press event on Sunday.
PS4 and Xbox One are both performing better in the market than their respective predecessors, and Nintendo “is back in a big way” with Switch, according to Piscatella.
Chinese game companies
In recent years, the game industry in China, especially the console and mobile sector, has been booming. More and more Chinese game companies are now looking to explore the global market.
Chinese game companies including NetEase, Tencent, Perfect World and Wangyuan Shengtang are expected to attend the annual exhibit and present their games during E3 2017.
(AFP)
