Hello to all my friends. Both new and old. I have gained a number of friends over the past month and that is a great thing. The success of any socisl networking site is the people and the bonds they form.The site has one of the best, if not THE BEST, support groups anywhere. It always amazes me the way total strangers from all walks of life come together to support each other and cheer each other on. I could go on but enough about that.

2011 E3 is inthe history books. I liked wayching the coverage here and on G4TV. I hope everyone else got a chance to keep up on the events surrounding the week. Attendance was very good.Not the best ever, but up from last year.I myself am looking forward to Bioshock Infinate, Dark Souls, Dragon Dogma, Rage and Dungeon Siege 3. What are some of the title you are looking forward to the most? Ooops..I almost forgot Catherine.Then there were some title that just didn't excite me all that much. I want Ghost Recon to be good, but I'll stay sceptical. The others I won't mention as to not offend anyone.

Despite attentance being up, the number of booths was about 100 less than last year. That's 33% less sponsorship for those who like fractions. That is just uncalled for. 2011 has been an excellent year for gaming. And the onslaught of great titles coming out, for all systems and handhelds, is not slowing down.Some areas of ther world are coming out of a recession or the ecomomy is not that good in some. But through it all, GAMING thrives!No matter where you. No matter what you do. No matter what your circumstance. We all have the need to be entertained.But 100 less exhibits seems to give the impression otherwise. I am very disappointed at these numbers. These was ground-breaking news announced at E3. But some companies wanted no part of it.

Which brings up to "what E3 isn't". Well for starters it isn't the show it was a few years ago when there were a lot of vendors and tables set up. After 2007 a lot of folks pulled out and decided to skip E3 altogether. Some have lived with this decision now for 4 years.Others less than that.Nis America held their press conference last Friday, before the start of E3. In a sense "stealing some of the thunder" of the show.Without sponsers, with out tables, without people, there;'s no show.Ahh....

But that leads us into the greatest sin of E3. It not open to the public.I seem to recall the E3's of the 80's when they were held in Las Vegas and they were open to the public. How times have changed! Not for the better either. Not don't get me wrong. I am fully aware that the press needs days to themselves to go in and get their stories. This need to be done with little outside interference. But the reason JGS (Japanese Game Showing)is loved more than E3 is is that one a select number of days it's open to the public.

Putting the public, the potential consumer, in front of your new machine or software means a lot to the customer and the customer will likely remember their experience with the product.Thus they will be more likely to buy that product when it is realeased if they liked what they saw, Could it be that the reason a lot of vendors have puled out of E3 is beacuse they CAN'T get their product in the consumers's hands?I like watching the coverage of the show as I said before. but it's not the same as a hands-on approach would be.Look at capcom,-At JGS they are HUGE!! Numerous dispalys. Mdse for sale, trinkets, CD's, Jackets,..Same with Square Enix and others.Major companies don't even get a chance to sell gaming related wares to the gamer at E3!

E3 could more consumer friendly. The press has access to all the major hardware and software companies each and every day of the year.The press will get advance copies of the titles, demo titles, trinkets and souveniers from the game sent to them. Waivers will have to be signed to get the above and secrecy clauses will have to be adhered to. but that's the nature of the business. The comsumer, the gamner, gets nothing gratis like that. No shirts, no hats, no CD's ect. So why not let the gamer have their few dqys where they can go and freely walk around E3.

Attendance would rise--again. But more importantly table would be full and most of the vendors that left in 2007 or after would come back.Little by Little.

In closing. I don't mean to put dowm E3. On the contrary, I want to make it biger and better.The vendors that have displays there leave with no customer feedback for the many thousands of dollars invested(for their space).I want it to be the E3 it used to be. I also understand the press has a job to do as said before.For the most past the gaming press does and excellent job. Except for those who review games. But that's a whole different blog! So I 'm not beating up on them but it could'nt hurt to get visitor reaction in your stories. it would make your story seem more real and more intimate.

In anxoious to hear what everyine thinks. That is if you read this blog in it'd entirity. Hopefully you did. Have a great weekend and a great week to come.