So far, E3 had been a tremendous event for gamers around the world, and for Brad Bretz and I, it seemed like the hours just slipped through our fingers. I suppose time really does fly when you’re having fun.
This day started out with us forgoing a couple of appointments in favor of doing more floor exploration. The best way I can describe the show floor (there are two floors, by the way) is like a buffet at a restaurant. Instead of food choices however, you have a smorgasbord of game choices, as well as some other tasty bites, like energy drink booths, and even a woot.com booth! It’s often a good strategy to get a little taste of everything to check out your options, then go back to the buffet line to take in more of your favorites. Really though, it’s quite impossible to absorb everything, even in three days, so we had to be picky with where we’d spend our time.
By the way, I should point out that outside of the Convention Center that morning, we saw a bunch of people who called themselves “Salvationists Against Virtual and Eternal Damnation,” protesting EA’s Dante’s Inferno. They carried signs that read “EA = Electronic Anti-Christ,” and “Just say Infer-NO,” and handed out flyers. For a split second there, I was convinced that they were legit protesters, but after seeing the intentionally cheesy look to the flyer and signs, it became apparent that this was merely a staged protest, intended to promote the game rather than bash it.
Inside the Convention Center, thanks to our friends at Microsoft, we managed to get in some quality time with model, gamer, and all-around awesome person, Liana Kerzner. We’ll post our complete interview with Liana in a little bit. While inside the Microsoft booth, we ran into Lakers point guard, Jordan Farmar, who was apparently taking in some Xbox 360 action before playing in Game 1 of the NBA Finals the next day.
After our visit with Liana and Jordan, we rushed over to the J Lounge and Restaurant, courtesy of Windows 7. It was a little drizzly out that day, and Windows 7 generously secured transportation from the Convention Center to the J Lounge via stretch limo. The folks behind the Windows 7 event, Promethium Marketing had something really special planned for us. While absent from the show floor, Gaming for Windows 7 was available in force at the J Lounge. Top of the line desktops and laptops were loaded with Windows 7, showcasing game performance, and experts were on-hand to talk about new technologies, such as D3D 11.
The really special treat at the Windows 7 event however was the opportunity to talk on camera about what Windows 7 meant to me as a gamer. The video interview was even uploaded to youtube.com’s main E3 page! We really appreciate Tony, Nelson, and Chris from Promethium Marketing for the royal treatment.
After our J Lounge session, we made our way to the Bethesda booth, where we checked out Wet and Rogue Warrior. We chatted a bit with video game journalist, N’Gai Croal, and to our surprise, got close and personal with beauty Eliza Dushku and Former Laker, Rick Fox.
Our next appointment took us back to our home away from home, Microsoft’s huge booth, where we were squeezed into a session with Alan Wake. Even in a room packed with a dozen other people, Alan Wake freaked me out. The sound effects, haunting storyline, and ghost-like enemies (who were actually possessed locals) added to the freakiness. Alan Wake unlike me however, doesn’t scare too easy. He has at his disposal a variety of light-based weapons (flare gun, flashlight, etc.), as well as firearms (pistol, shotgun, and others). What Alan Wake doesn’t have however, is control over what his manuscript says is going to happen. We’ll be looking forward to seeing more from this episodic thriller in the near future.
While there were still a few more hours left of E3, Brad and I had other plans today – we had tickets to the Jimmy Kimmel Live taping! Despite the typical traffic gridlocks, we made it in time, and had a fantastic time seeing Jimmy banter with guests Heather Graham and Denzel Washington.
A few hours later, we were on the road, headed back to the J Lounge for the Windows 7 social event. Promethium Marketing really outdid themselves with the food choices (the chocolate fountain and sliders were the stars of the evening), and it was just a wonderful time to end a long and eventful day. We decided to cut out a little early to rest up and recharge for our last day at E3.
