For the first time in history, E3 will be giving out tickets to the public for entry – about 15,000 tickets, starting Monday, February 13. In order to celebrate the “changing industry” that has always been inclusive of developers and fans alike, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) decided to make it official and allow public.
But why would anyone want to come to the E3 this year just because tickets are now available? What is the E3 anyway? How does one go about to acquire these tickets?
For the uninitiated, here’s the breakdown.
What E3 is about
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (or E3 for short), is the annual trade fair made solely for the video game industry and organized by the ESA. It’s usually held around late May or early June at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in Los Angeles. All gaming publishers, big and small are present during the event for them to showcase their newest games, interact with the press and also make announcements and release new titles, most of which have been widely anticipated by fans and the public throughout the year.
Up until this year, the event was only open to industry professionals, where ESA had to first certify them in order to give them an invite. It was during the first E3 that various ‘game-changing’ consoles and accessories were announced such as the Virtual Boy, the Sega Saturn, the PlayStation and also the Nintendo 64. 21 years later, it is now the biggest and most anticipated gaming event in the world.
In layman terms, it isn’t an expo that anyone would want to miss. The three days that span the event will feature exclusive insights and releases that will not have been released anywhere else. The discussions and exhibitions on display are also worth taking a look at. Many gaming-centred news outlets such as IGN, GameSpot and GameTrailers will also be present covering the event.
How to buy tickets
Tickets this time around will be available starting at around $250, but as an early bird discount on February 13, the public can purchase them at just $150. These tickets will give access to panel discussions, the show floor and other very cool areas around the event throughout the week where it is being hosted. Video game veteran Geoff Keighley will also be in attendance, hosting his own E3 program.
For those interested in purchasing tickets, they can visit the official website of E3 – www.e3expo.com and make their purchases. But only the first 1000 tickets will receive the early bird discount, so users will have to be quick. It’s expected that all the tickets will be sold out within minutes.
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