One of the many things we discussed in our wide-ranging interview with EA's top man John Riccitiello was the rebirth of E3. Whereas E3 many years ago was viewed as a major event for publishers to connect with the retail community, Riccitiello explained to us that he now thinks media is actually the most important audience at the annual expo.
"E3 is now really a PR event, and it's where companies like ours and other major publishers show what's new, and that sort of starts the process of buzz around content for the coming year," he said. "... I actually think media is the most important audience here."
He further elaborated, "Ultimately, we sell pretty complex products. Smart journalists can be an interpreter for a mass audience that doesn't get to come to E3 or see the products before they're on the shelf. There's only so much we can do. There are a number of journalists that have their own following and can guide people to what looks good or doesn't look good. And news is actually pretty important in our industry. You wouldn't want the best sales to go to the guys that spend the biggest ad dollars but it happens sometimes."
Besides liking having our egos stroked, we obviously agree with Riccitiello. E3 is the gaming event of the year, and since it's not open to the public, it falls to folks like to us to distill the information for gamers and those in the industry who don't attend.
