Preview: E3 Expo 2010

Q: First of all, how did you feel last year's event panned out? People seemed to be a lot more positive, compared to the previous couple of low-key years.

Rich Taylor: To be honest we felt it went as well as - if not better then - we had hoped for, and the feedback echoed that. It was a year when the show increased in size and recaptured a lot of the energy and personality of the computer and videogames industry, after being a smaller show for previous editions.

What was interesting is that it increased to about 40,000 attendees last year at the same time that, here in the US and globally, shows of this type were actually shrinking significantly because of the economic situation that was going on... and in many ways, continues to go on.

So it was heartening and reaffirming, both to the importance of the E3 Expo and to the strength and vitality of the industry that we were able to grow it in the opposite direction.

It was the way that the show came off, more importantly than the number of attendees, and the experience almost across the board. The news that came out of it, the fact that a hell of a lot of release information from the publishers was held until the week of E3 - there were exciting innovations and new games shown, and the analysts and media had access to see new products.

All in all I think it was extremely positive - us at the ESA being happy is one thing, but exhibitors and attendees also echoed that happiness, so that was really what proved the point.

Q: Many people see the calendar year split into two halves - pre-E3 and post-E3. What does that tell you about how important the event is to the industry globally?

Rich Taylor: I think the level of participation is a great indicator of that - it's certainly the industry's biggest forum, and showcases all the innovation and excitement. All the major hardware platforms will be there, the top 20 lead publishers will be exhibiting - and many more beyond that cut-off range.

It's the long-established, and in many ways re-established, launchpad for industry-defining hardware and software announcements.

Q: Will we see costs of exhibiting at the event creep up towards 2006 levels, or are publishers determined to keep costs at a more realistic level?

Rich Taylor: For this year, if anything there will be a modest, slight increase in attendee numbers, probably in the region of 45,000 compared to 40,000 last year. We're not tearing the doors off of the Convention Center and waving traffic through the door.

Right now the important thing is that the show provides value for the exhibitors, and to the high value attendees from the media and analyst community. That's the primary purpose of the E3 Expo.

Every year as the show finishes we go back and talk to all of the key constituencies that participated in the event, and we get feedback. That's what helps to design and drive future editions - so it's impossible to forecast beyond this next event, because we'll go through and find out what levels folk want dialled up or down.

Were the hallways wide enough? Were the bathrooms clean enough? We get feedback on everything, and that will help shame the 2011 editions. But this year's event, size-wise, will feel not dissimilar to 2009.

Q: And everything is ready?

Rich Taylor: We're all ready to roll - we're still very busy, but things are looking great. The show floor is as exciting and vibrant as ever, and while there have been a couple of years of restraint in terms of booth design, last year we returned to having more freedom to design the look-and-feel from the bottom up.

So I think we'll have some exciting displays going on, and when you're driving down into Los Angeles I think you'll know that the videogames industry is in town - we're just taking over the place.

International retail attendance is up over past years, with close to 200 buyers coming from 74 countries - and that number's probably going to grow still. International media attendance is up as well, with about 1000 foreign journalists coming to the Expo, which is about a 30 per cent increase, and says a lot about the show and the industry itself.

If you look at those numbers, everything's pointing to a very strong show.

Q: It's been a tough couple of years for the games business - do you think E3 will herald the start of a proper recovery for the industry?

Rich Taylor: I'm very optimistic, based on the innovations you see and some exciting titles you hear rumoured - everything from developments on motion technology with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 joining the Wii in that respect to new, great titles.

When it comes to the industry's downturn, there are a couple of other factors that need to be remembered as well - it's a reflection of our own great success just prior to that, with the business showing incredible economic growth. There's going to be a bit of levelling off from time-to-time, and we're experiencing a bit of that, even though last December was the largest Dollar-revenue month in the industry.

The other thing is that there's so much activity that's not really being counted right now - digital download transactions, and so on, and all of that is making more money than ever. But I do think we're at the point now where we're going to see another exciting boost for the industry, both in terms of the entertainment that's being produced and in the consumer appetite for that entertainment. I think it's all going to match up and tell a very good story for the coming year.

Q: How are videogames seen on the social level in the US at the moment? There have been a few political issues to get around in recent years.

Rich Taylor: Right now we're seeing, in a general sense, a greater appreciation of the industry than at any time in our history. I was recently up in Boston where they had a games and health conference, with panels talking about great, positive ways that games are being used in everything from exercise and senior care to psychotherapy.

We're seeing the White House embracing computer and videogames as part of what they call their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) push. Videogames are a key component in that, and a competition just ended which used LittleBigPlanet in that - and there's more to come.

So those are great indicators - you're seeing games applied to health, education, rehabilitation, so folks are finally starting to understand the industry more than when it first emerged as a prominent entertainment form.

That said, there are critics out there, and those who don't have a full understanding - so part of our challenge as the ESA is to tell that story.