Now that E3's getting all gussied up for next year's event with bigger booths and a larger guest list for the party, what's going to happen to the E for All Expo? Let's just say it's not looking good. Details after the link.

IDG World Expo finally breaks the silence and brings us an update on this year's E for All Expo. Microsoft has confirmed to exhibit their goods at the said event, and you can bet there's gonna be a whole lot in store for you guys. Details at the full article.

In some parts of the world, people are making profit off arcades hosting consoles. In particular, business in Sierra Leone of Africa is booming due to the popularity of the PlayStation brand. Head over to the full article for more details.

IDG Entertainment is sending word that instead of August, this year's E for All Expo has been moved to October. This news should serve as a relief for those worried the the event may conflict with PAX's own schedule for 2008.

Details are in the full article. Just click the "read more" link below.

Not all the battles being waged in the current console wars rely on big, hard-selling game titles. In a recent survey conducted by IDC and IDG Entertainment, revenues from online console downloads are fast becoming the standard ammunition that Internet capable consoles are using to draw in gamers to the fold.

Billy Pidgeon, IDC's program manager for games research, put out some numbers analyzing the booming popularity of online capable video game consoles. He estimated that by 2008 over 37 million console units will be installed in North America with online capability.

Currently, the online gaming industry has jumped up from US$ 133 million in 2006 to a whopping US$ 583 million this year. Downloadable content from Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network, and the Virtual Console has boomed over the past year. While sales from software titles are still very positive, Pidgeon sees the potential of downloadable content as the "the industry’s most exciting growth opportunity in this hardware cycle".

Also, IDGE separated the gamers into five interesting categories based on their attitudes towards gaming, as well as their social characteristics, and purchasing habits:

• Core Gamers: Core Gamers choose gaming as their main form of entertainment and want to maximize their time gaming. They prefer gaming over going to the movies or out to dinner.
• Status Gamers: Status Gamers are proud of their gaming skills and enjoy being the first to try the newest and hottest titles. They also like to discuss their gaming experiences at school or work.
• Social Gamers: Social Gamers view gaming as a communal experience. They prefer to play games with people they care about, forming a social link, and coordinate social functions around gaming.
• Active Gamers: Active Gamers prefer games where movements are reflected in the game and allow gamers to get out of their chairs. They use gaming as a physical release.
• Casual Gamers: Casual Gamers use gaming as an emotional release and as a way to play different roles. Casual gamers view gaming as a secondary form of entertainment and don't feel the necessity to be the first to try a new game.

Which, poses another interesting question - which gamer are you?

 

Telltale Games, developers who revived the scruffy duo Sam and Max, have recently announced that they have received US$ 6 million in Series B finances, which include contributions from Granite Ventures and IDG Ventures SF. Telltale plans to make use of the funds for refining new business models for their games and efficient avenues for digital distribution. And included in their list of improvements is their investment in multi-platform development.

"Digital distribution is changing entertainment, and Telltale is helping define the new landscape," said Telltale CEO Dan Connors. Having independently distributed the conclusion of Sam & Max: Season 1 online, Telltale is also looking forward to give other licenses the "episodic treatment."

Granite Ventures and IDG Ventures are investment firms that have been looking for pioneering development teams and business models in the industry. "Telltale has it all—a great group of people who are changing an industry while doing what they love. We look forward to helping them build the next major player in the gaming industry," concluded Granite Ventures managing director Chris Hollenbeck.

As of press time, there have been no details divulged on the Season 2 episodes of Sam & Max.

 

In an official press release made available today, IDG World Expo has officially announced that former senior VP Carolyn Rauch of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has been appointed a key position in the development of E for All.

Her more than 20 years of prior experience in the business will aid her to cultivate the consumer leg of the subdivided E3 as VP of Event Development. She will be responsible for planning out new events for IDG World Expo and business development initiatives.

She used to manage ESA's E3 Media & Business Summit, a strictly invite-only event for the press and investors, and a year earlier from that she served as public relations, research, and managed certain aspects of the E3 Expo trade show prior to its downfall. Mary Dolaher, CEO of IDG World Expo, concluded the announcement, stating:

Carolyn is a seasoned executive who brings a broad range of experience to IDG World Expo and we are thrilled to have her on board. She will play a pivotal role in helping us build our event portfolio, as well as build on the success of our existing events.

All the analysts agree: E3 got too big for itself that it eventually collapsed. The E3 Media and Business Summit coming this July and E for All this October are simple spin offs from the normally huge gathering of gamers, media, developers, publishers and even investors, and neither even sound the least bit sizeable anymore.

 

What forced the Electronic Entertainment Expo to break itself down to two separate events? In the fifth episode of the Bonus Round for GameTrailers TV, Geoff Keighley spoke with Wedbush Morgan's analyst Michael Pachter, IDG World Expo's CEO Mary Dolaher, and Electronic Arts' Director of Corporate Communications Tammy Schachter.

 

Michael Pachter was a fan of E3 for years. In fact, he probably does miss the booth babes as much as Keighley says he does. Pachter has been through the most recent of the ESA's Consumer Electronics Show spin-off, and particularly noted his aggravation with just how big it had become.

Click on Full Article to see Pachter's insights into E3 and its downfall.

 

IDS World Expo, alongside the Worlds Series of Video Games (WSVG), announced today that they have teamed up with the Entertainment for All (E for All) Expo to host one last competitive circuit before the party flies to Europe.

The E for All Edition of the WSVG circuit will have four arenas of competitive game play on various titles, including some of the world's biggest games like Blizzard's World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, Guitar Hero II (Activision), and Fight Night Round 3 (EA Sports).

The event will be covered online, as well as on a one-hour TV special in November. Participants will also be able to get their hands on titles set for release come the Holidays. That's a perfect preview opportunity for you right there.

Meanwhile, Mary Dolaher, CEO of IDG World Expo, has this to say about this collaboration: "By featuring the WSVG at E for All, we're able to offer fans a direct connection to the energy and excitement of gameplay at the competitive level."

The E for All Edition of the WSVG Circuit has US$ 90,000 in cash prizes and a whole lot of fun in store for all. If you're interested, the event will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown LA, on October 18 to 21.

We know about our last report about E For All Expo">IDG Entertainment's E For All ticket prices, but this report from Next-Generation has a different price listing. But that's probably because Next-Gen says these prices are for "advanced registration." Probably the "advanced ticket sales" they have yet to announce (well, it's announced NOW).

Anyway, here's what next-Gen says the price is for the early bird to catch the worm:

• 1-day pass, Thursday/Friday: US$ 45.00
• 1-day pass, Saturday/Sunday: US$ 60.00
• Full four-day pass: US$ 90.00

Compared to US$ 110.00 for four days when purchased at the gate, being an early worm does cut those costs down. A penny saved... more games to buy later on.