When talking with the insiders at E3 this year, we saw a rather prominent pattern: the old E3 was simply too expensive, and the new E3 isn’t cutting it either. Capitalizing on the show’s old glory was a taxing endeavor, but the ESA’s new convention format, while better on some levels, doesn’t provide enough incentive to keep companies coming back. It’s a rough situation, and Denis Dyack, friend of Silicon Knights and Too Human, would rather see the show dissolve to make way for smaller, more accommodating events spread throughout the year.

We asked Dyack which E3 format he preferred, to which he responded:

"I think this has definitely been better for the industry, simply because the amount of cost that was sunk into 2006 was not supportable. It could not have continued much longer. It was funny because I remember 2005 and 2006, and I was talking to people going, "I do not even know why we are doing this stuff anymore, delaying games by like two quarters to do these demos to get "Best in Show for E3" that really does not mean that much." And suddenly it crashed; it was like the Berlin Wall falling in 2006 after they announced it.

"I do not really understand at some level why it all needs to be shown all at once. I would rather like to see it more like press junkets when stuff comes out, with a rotation for [press] to cover things in a really thorough and critical way. So I think this is better because it is smaller, but I think it would be better if it was not around at all. Nothing against ESA, but you know, I think, ’Oh well, there is another controversial thing I just said.’"

It’s ok, we still love you, Denis.

When covering these events, I’ve often caught myself thinking about how nice it would be to have a few more minutes with a game, how easier it would be to study the game were it quieter, or how much clearer my preview would be if could just talk with my demo guide instead of screaming over the din. I would certainly miss the exciting week of surprise announcements and the ability to gather with colleagues in a single place, but for the industry to be taken more seriously, its media coverage needs to be taken more seriously, and honestly, it’s hard to write well-crafted prose with trance blasting in your ear and a booth babe giving you a Shiatsu massage.

*sniff* Actually, I think I might miss that the most.