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"[This new E3 format] marks the industry's change from show business to 'business business.' Even at the very top of the industry, budgets are tight, margins are squeezed, people are looking for cost effectiveness," added a high-officed game publisher. "There was a while when cost almost didn't matter if you could just make a big enough splash. That day is gone."
Having to spend less money is always a good thing, but will that saved money go back into game development? For the industry heavy weights, that may be a possibility (provided that it doesn't go to lining pockets as bonuses for the higher-ups), but one effect of E3 becoming a smaller event is that many of the other industry events take on larger importance. Unless a company already attends these other events that get coverage, as much of the larger gaming companies do, them being more important means that companies will have to spend more money in order to participate. That extra funding might go beyond what money will be saved by making E3 a smaller event.
"[We] attend events like Game Developers Conference, Tokyo Game Show, The Leipzig Games Convention, D.I.C.E, and Game Connect: Asia Pacific. These events compliment a hectic schedule of international travel, meeting with publishers at every stop to discuss new opportunities and progress on existing projects. Whatever happens with E3, this process will continue," said a president of a game developing company.
The other great resource that is spent, and perhaps wasted by E3, is time.
"I'm glad E3 is ‘gone'," said an insider, "because it meant nothing but frustration for most developers and journalists. Don't get me wrong, I liked meeting with people like you guys, but it meant three months of the worst stress ever, and we didn't benefit much from it. Developers [have to stop working on games] because they have to work on the ‘E3 version,' which isn't work that goes into the actual final game."
Every year we see content and sometimes full game ideas that are never released. By removing the stress and central importance of E3, developers can spend their time preparing the final builds of games. In turn, this means less delays and possibly games being released in the summer. However, E3 is an important ground for developers to get feedback not only from the media and peers, but also from gamers who will ultimately buy (or not buy) their products. Having E3 in the summer, and having other venues to show off products, certainly works to the advantage of developers in that sense.
Some of those small players liked the old E3 format because of its central importance on the industry.
