It seems that this E3 was the last E3 in LA; with renovations being done to the expo center moving them out next year and the issues currently with the construction of Farmer's Field it seems that the ESA is looking for possible new locations for the show. The current locations being considered are rumored to be New York, Chicago, New Orleans or San Francisco.

With them changing locations now would be a good time for them to reevaluate the show and it relevance to the market. The glorious E3 of days past use to be as some put “Christmas for gamers” with a barrage of announcements and new sights on the expo's floor. Now the bigger developers and console manufactures prefer using their own channels and platforms to introduce new titles so they can control the message and the exposure the games get the last two E3's have been for lack of a better word flat and unable to recapture the excitement they lost when they “slimmed” down the show.

Since the show is now not a place for the “hot new” announcements they may want to change the show from industry only to a more accessible format such as Gamescom or the Tokyo Game Show has. Where the first few days is industry only with a day or two for gaming enthusiasts to get a first look of what is going to hot in the next few months.

And they may be leaning towards the direction the location of E3 was chosen because it was an industry only event and with the majority of developers and console producers having their headquarters on the west coast and west coast location was the way to go. But only one of the four rumored location are located on the west coast.

New York and Chicago are great places to locate to since both are fairly accessible Chicago boasting one of the biggest international airports and a more “tourist friendly“ and New York while not as cheap as Chicago is located in one of the highest population densities in the US.

Also by opening it up to the public can also boost potential exposure to titles shown at the show, which may help give the show a better chance to be the place that new hot titles get announced at.

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-e3-convention-may-leave-los-angeles-in-2013-20120603,0,2779571.story

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30664

Hopefully it goes to New Orleans or Chicago. Just get it in my time zone! I don't suggest New Orleans though. I went there and it was awful although I did go there only 2 years after Katrina and hung out in the French Quarter.

Well I do think New Orleans needs something like this. I doubt they would go there. The accessibility it a little low for the event. I think they are including it because the city it offering "cheap" rates for the show to move their, my bet if the show moves off the west coast would be Chicago, only because of accessability and the economics of it. It would be cheaper for the show and show goers for it to be in Chicago.

The Internet killed E3 surprises. 


Look at how many LEAKS there were this year. In the past, games like GOW, GEoW, Beyond, The Last of Us, etc. wouldve been saved for E3 debuts.

but this year, they were all leaked or shown on purpose before E3.

I'd like to see E3 reserved for the mainstream media (Nintendo Land/Kinect/Wonderbook etc) and see more Nintendo Direct esque conferences (for all 3 console makers) throughout the year aimed purely at involved gamers.

That way when one is scheduled you get the appropriate amount of hype, for the ONE game we expect them to show off.

I'll have my fingers crossed for Chicago, being a Greyhound bus trip away from the convention would really help my budgeting.

I thought E3 already was open to the public. Wasn't that the change from the "slimmed down" test E3?

Please, keep E3 in California for at least one more year because a group of friends and I were planning on going next year.

I believe it's somewhat open but you still have to be involved with the industry in some cursory manner like work at a gamestop or something.  And then there's the exhorbant price for tickets if you arne't getting them free as media.  

If it's in New York next year I will be pissed because I live there yet don't plan on going.