E3 2017 Diary Day 1

The day began full of hope. Surely these publishing and marketing companies will be prepared for the new E3 policy of allowing the general public to buy passes for the show. I arrived at the park and ride for the Blue Line of the LA Metro in high spirits. When the train arrived it was one of the new models with the big windows and that good air conditioning; not one built in another age when I was a mere freshman in high school.

The mural across the street from my Metro Station.

As I am possessed of limited income and unable to purchase a pass to the Electronic Entertainment Exposition, my entry to the show was contingent on volunteering at the Extra Life booth. Oh the joy of this segment of my day. Smile at all the nice folks as they head off to try out the newest and greatest in gaming. When someone has a moment give them a quick pitch on donating money to a children’s hospital. Give all these people a chance to do a good deed i between bouts of targeted marketing.

And then the worm turned. At the end of my shift at the extra life booth a survey of the convention floor revealed massive lines at even historically deserted sections of show floor. Even the IndieCade booth, which at every E3 I’ve attended was criminally under attended, had no free stations. By the time I reached the West hall and the Sega booth I'd resigned myself to find contentment with the seeing of only one game, Yakuza 6. I waited in line for almost an hour for eight minutes of hands on time with this game, which is shaping up pretty nicely.

After that demo I wandered from booth to booth trying to get in line to play games.

“Is this the end of the line.” I’d ask.

“Well yes but we’re capped for the day, sorry.” They’d say,

Or they’d utter, “ Actually, the end is over there, but it’s capped for the day.”

This was an hour and a half before the show floor closed.

I abandoned all hope and went to Fatburger.

There were way more people on the Blue Line ride home with E3 badges than in years past.