More Than 1000 Products to Launch at E3Expo 2005

[digitalpress]

LOS ANGELES--April 25, 2005--More than 1,000 computer and video
games and related products will make their debut at the 11th annual
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2005 (E3Expo) May 18 - 20, according to
exhibitor survey data released today by the show's owner, the
Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The show, which is
completely sold out, will host more than 400 of the world's leading
interactive entertainment companies in more than 540,000 net square
feet of exhibit space at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC).
"The more than one thousand products debuting at E3Expo 2005 are
examples of the innovation and creativity that will drive industry
growth in the coming year," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the
ESA, the trade association that represents U.S. computer and video
game publishers and owns E3Expo.

The trade-only show is the premiere product launching pad for the
global interactive entertainment industry. According to a separate ESA
consumer survey, 90 percent of gamers say they've heard of E3Expo and
50 percent say they rely on news and other information generated by
the show to learn more about games and other products they plan to
purchase. The E3Expo exhibitor survey results also show that consumers
will not have to wait long to buy the products previewed at the event,
as more than 4,000 (81 percent) of all products shown will be
available on store shelves this holiday season. While consumers cannot
attend E3Expo 2005, they can visit the show virtually through
E3Insider (www.e3insider.com), the show's official consumer Web site
featuring exclusive coverage of the show, including news updates, fan
cams and photos.

Overall, more than 5,000 products will be shown at E3Expo 2005.
The nearly 300 exhibitors who participated in the survey were asked to
provide details of what they consider to be their top-ten products at
the event. According to survey respondents, top-ten titles at E3Expo
2005 will fall into the following categories:

-- Action/Adventure games (19 percent);

-- Role Playing games (13 percent);

-- Sports/Driving/Racing games (11 percent);

-- Child/Family games (6 percent);

-- Strategy games (5 percent);

-- Simulation games (4 percent);

-- Educational/Edutainment games (3 percent);

-- Arcade games (3 percent);

-- Other games (4 percent).

E3Expo's "First Looks" program will specifically spotlight
products showing for the first time ever at E3Expo. Participating
"First Looks" exhibitors will be designated in the E3Expo exhibit
guide, the E3Expo Show Daily, the official E3Expo Web site
(www.e3expo.com) and on the exhibit floor, beginning May 18.

[GrandAmChandler]

I really hope I read about the following at E3

Price Drops on something. I don't care what. Any price drop is good.

Zelda for Cube. Log awaited, and way overdue. Come on Nintendo, give us more.

Speaking of more, more DS games! Seems like a typical nintendo system already! Great system, great games, just not enough titles!

XBOX 2 / NEXT / 360 - I want to see a video of what this bad boy can do, and I want a title list with screen shots if Microsoft wants to even consider me as a potential buyer.

Sony - Well, I don't have a PS2 or a PSP, but if you announce a price drop I may have one by the end of this summer!

Sega- Let's not forget about you! Hopefully you will suprise us all with some awesome remake of a game everyone forgot, but is awesome (i.e. Nights)

Let's hope for the best!

[calthaer]

I'm not so sure about the "innovation and creativity" part that Lowenstein seems to think is all over the industry. Most of what I see are sequels and movie licenses.

1000 products...365 days...and only so many purchasing dollars means that a lot of companies are going to lose a lot of money this year.

[NE146]

I hope an Adventures of Lolo 4 is one of them.

[VACRMH]

1000 products...365 days...and only so many purchasing dollars means that a lot of companies are going to lose a lot of money this year.

Then again, how many games announced at E3 come out that year?

Aren't a good amount announced but will take a year or 2 to come out?

Still, 1000? Sounds like overkill to me

[Richter]

now how many of them are sequels or cart racing spin offs?

[Dimitri]

Here's hoping for an announcment on a new Smash Bros. Or perhaps news from Sega that that Shadow the Hedgehog game really is a joke...

"Haha, we got you good, stupid consumers!" -Yuji Naka

[Gamemaster_ca_2003]

Wow that's alot of titles to sift through. Well I hope that.

- That there is at least some inovation this year
- Namco X Capcom is shown
- CGE at E3 will happen again
- Everyone haves a great time at E3

[DeputyMoniker]

What is it like there? So if/when the new Xbox is shown, will the low level attendies be able to see or play it or are those things usually only shown to the not-so-low level attendies?

[InsaneDavid]

I'm not so sure about the "innovation and creativity" part that Lowenstein seems to think is all over the industry. Most of what I see are sequels and movie licenses.

1000 products...365 days...and only so many purchasing dollars means that a lot of companies are going to lose a lot of money this year.

I have to agree with everything you said. Sleeper games are cool (and it looks as if 2005/2006 will be the year of the sleeper) but rarely do companies want to get behind franchises that get burried under über titles. (Beyond Good and Evil is a good recent example)

- Namco X Capcom is shown

..Let us pray. Would also be nice to hear if we'll get any other Sega Ages 2500 compilations aside from what was on Sega Classics Collection and Phantasy Star Collection.