Dopass.com

News broke today and yesterday that E3, the biggest and most expensive entertainment show of the year will be downsized...big time. From 60,000 attendees, to only 5,000. Also instead of holding it in the big convention centers, it will be held in local L.A. hotels.

Yes it will save money for many of the developers, no more multi million dollar booths to grab attention. A more discriminating and selected public. No more Wal-Mart employees who pass by the video game section getting passes for them and their friends.

However I see two problems with this change in E3:
....

"Why son, celbs!"
From the game blog Kotaku
It seems that a few famous people will pop up their heads to smile at all the game journalists and insiders at the biggest gaming event this year, E3.
In the article people who are supposted to attend are:
Adam West [Family Guy game...I wodner if he will wear his Batman outfit...]
Clint Eastwood [oohhh...Dirty Harry game...]
Paris Hilton [For her Cell phone game...Did it just get cold in here?]

My bets: Paris Hilton will be there a hour, say "Its hot here" and leave to ge spend some more of daddy's money.
Why are we giving this idiot more press time? What has she contributed to even the entertainment industry beyond a late night video and a tv show that involves her going "That's Hot" every 3 minutes.

Ever want to know where your game was made? Well reading Kotaku i came across this really interesting link.
It lists the location of many of the Major game development companies around the globe.

Gamedevmap

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Did you know that there is a Game development company in Iceland? Well you do now.
Its called: CCP Games
Makers of a little game called EVE online.

Through gaming history there have been many excellent games that just have not sold. Sometimes its due to Shoddy marketing, poor word of mouth, poor company reputation, Wal-Mart could refuse to carry it, to something even as simple as bias of a game selling store employee [“You know, I’ve played that game and I don’t like it, why not buy your son this?”].

What is a Beta Testers job in the world of Game development?
Are we nothing more than Glorified stress testers?
Are we essential places for information on the public? Basically a free marketing survey?
Are we places for a outside point of view?
Extra Minds to find bugs?
Replacements for QA?
Free Advertisement?
Etc.

Or are we all of the above?

Bow To The Green

“The great battles of the technological era will pale in comparison to the might of the changed...”
-Unknown Avenger
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Message from an Unknown Archon to Prime Archon of Tocado
June 13th,

“The scouting of the sites has nearly completed. The Humans and their servants of Machines do not yet understand the plans we have taken. Soon the ultimatum will arrive at the doorsteps of all that have fought us, all that we consider to be the enemy. ‘Bow to us, or perish’.”

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