New E3 Dates and Location Revealed

New E3 Dates and Location Revealed
The ESA reveals fresh details on the revamped show.

The revamped Electronic Entertainment Expo will be held July 11-13, 2007 in Santa Monica, California, where a number of hotels and the Barker Hangar will host press conferences, smaller meetings, and gameplay demos, the Entertainment Software Association announced today.



In late July, the ESA stirred game developers, press, and gamers alike when it announced that E3 -- a massive yearly games convention which had become an institution in the industry -- would be overhauled. Rather than the boisterous, crowded, Vegas-like affair it had become, the ESA said it would now offer a significantly more intimate, invitation-only event. The new E3 focuses specifically on game developers, retailers, and the press.

Today's announcement is the first official word on where and when the new E3 will be held.

In addition to conferences and play time, the new E3 will offer a daily luncheon session with executives and analysts; time for evening parties; and events like the Serious Games showcase and "Into the Pixel" art exhibit.

The nearby Barker Hangar, where companies will set up games for hands-on demonstration, will accommodate display areas ranging from 100 to 400 square feet.

"By combining suite-based meetings with the software showcase in a controlled and business-like environment, we believe we will successfully fulfill our primary objective of giving high-level media the best of all worlds -- the chance to engage in highly personal, one-on-one dialogue with leading game company executives, as well as the chance to demo games on their own time and to check out offerings from both the best known and emerging game publishers and developers," said ESA president Douglas Lowenstein. "It will also provide an excellent opportunity for meetings with retailers, developers and other audiences."

Participating hotels are within walking distance of each other, and the ESA will provide shuttle service between hotels, the Barker Hangar, and off-site press conferences.