As promised earlier, tonight’s episode of X-Play asked the questions that eager E3 09 anticipators wanted answered. Will bikini-clad booth babes be running rampant through each of the four massive halls the LA Convention Center has to offer, or will we be once again treated to a substandard event.

Hit the jump, and let Adam Sessler work his interrogation magic, while you frantically search for a sharpie to mark “vacation” across your first few days of your June 2009 calendar. Read more…

Extra extra, read all about it. G4TV’s X-Play has just announced the return of E3 to the LA Convention Center. In addition, they shared the following details:

• The event will run June 2nd-June 4th at the LA Convention Center.
• It still won’t be open to public, but ESA has plans to help increase attendance.
• Unemployed booth babes waiting by the phone will have to sit tight for now.

I guess this news is better than finding out the event would be held in an LA In-N-Out Burger, but there’s still a lot of questions left to be answered. Higher attendance numbers could be a good thing, assuming the event is set up properly, and as for booth babes — I won’t be holding my breath for anything remotely close to this.

Check out the video segment highlighting the announcement after the jump. Read more…

As the Golden State begins to look like the “Lead Balloon State,” California is showing the ESA the money.

The Entertainment Software Association was awarded more than $280,000 for attorney’s fees while battling the state over a videogame law that proved to be unconstitutional. Read more…

You never really appreciate something until it’s gone — or in this case, chased from a city by angry gaming press with torches and pitchforks.

As E3 showed up, sputtered, then crept out of Los Angeles — hanging its head in dejected embarrassment — industry bloggers and reporters of every stripe began panning this years offering from the Electronic Software Association. Some pontificated on the trade show’s demise, stating that this year’s incarnation was merely its death-throes, and that it had become a weary, tired beast, in desperate need of being tied to a tree and mercifully shot.

Puzzlingly, the ESA seems to be the favored whipping boy when I believe that it is the developers who showed up ala the Emperor, wearing nary but a smile.

There is no doubt that E3 has been suffering from a degenerative illness as of late, but one that can hardly be blamed on the substantive lack of booth-babes with dual-side airbags. The truth is that the offerings from the Big Three have been mediocre at best, and at worst, a bloviating scrum of corporate narcissism.

How else could anyone characterize the Nintendo conference? Microsoft was a little better, and Sony continued to march merrily, if not obstinately, off a cliff called “denial.” Read more…

Kotaku’s managing editor, Brian Crecente, states that he had several conversations with “well connected sources” at this years E3 — all of which believe that next years event will in fact be open to the public.

However, upon reaching out for an official comment from the ESA, he was given a very cookie cutter response, stating:

“The ESA is currently in the process of receiving feedback and will make an announcement about the 2009 E3 Media & Business Summit at an appropriate time.”

While it would be cool to get live reactions from gamers, in addition to our own hands-on impressions of the games, the biggest (albeit selfish) perk that I would look forward to, as a result of a policy change, would be a bigger/more impressive E3 experience.

Source: Kotaku

Reports confirm that E3 is slated to return in 2009, however it may be the event’s swan song. Gamespot’s Brendan Sinclair stated the following:

” … there are plans for at least one more E3. A representative with the event’s organizers at the Electronic Software Association affirmed that much for GameSpot today …”

The aforementioned ESA associate was then quoted saying:

“As we do every year, we’re beginning the process of surveying exhibitors and attendees to determine potential changes to the Summit … Once this is completed and shared with the ESA’s Board of Directors, we will make an announcement about the specifics of the 2009 E3 Media & Business Summit, which will occur.”

It appears that the once proud event may be on its last leg, and it is unclear just how much more verbal punishment the ESA is willing to tolerate before closing E3’s doors for good.

Source: Gamespot

The State of the Industry? It’s good, according to Michael Gallagher, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association. In fact, he thinks that 2008 will be looked back on as the year that videogames went mainstream. Read more…

Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, discusses the companys split with the ESA in an upcoming interview with Variety. The full interview has yet to be published, however a few short quotes pertaining to Activision’s involvement with the ESA were transformed into a write up.

When asked specifically about their break up, Kotick attempted to clarify stating:

“… don’t view it as anything but time off …”

The logic, explained by Kotick below, revolves around the merger, controlling expendatures, and interum decision making.

“With the combined companies, the dues went up enough that I said for it to make sense [to spend that money], we have to make a strategic plan … We don’t have that because nobody owns it for us right now.”

I will attempt to predict the collective reaction by ESA upon hearing this news. “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” - Lloyd, Dumb & Dumber. If no one owns strategic planning and company expendature, why is Activision going to be present at Comic-Con? Maybe the “time off” would better be described as “time off to see other people”.

Source: Variety

Only a few shorts weeks have passed since Activision and Vivendi announced their departure from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and their disassociation with this year’s E3. Following in their wake, the ESA confirmed yesterday LucasArts has also separated from the organization. Read more…