Back in 2004 I was given the chance to go to E3, but I could not go due to prior obligations. Having a second chance at going to E3 was something I have wanted for several years and I am glad I went. When the time came to go I was a bit nervous, I kept worrying about every little thing that could go wrong. I was also stressed about writing for two different sites for one event. Yet I was able to get through everything and it all came together wonderfully. I am quite proud of the job that I did for E3 for both CtrlAltKill and Scarlet Rhapsody.

I must say that it was great working with the members of CtrlAltKill as they allowed me to go at my own pace and cover what I could on my own. I love having that kind of freedom on an assignment. It was also fun teaming up with Adam and Jay at different times during the event. Without the help of the CtrlAltKill team I would not have been able to to complete this report. Thanks guys! I am looking forward to the next event where we can team up.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo offers so much it is too much for any one person to cover everything. Being the only person on assignment from Scarlet Rhapsody made this difficult, but I still covered as much as I could. The two halls are huge and filled with so many booths, so many new games, and so many other events that I had to pick and choose what to do in order to make a more exciting report. Though, I wish I had time to hit some of the signings or one of the game shows.

Most of the booths were well set up and the staff was very friendly and helpful. I was very impressed with how there was always someone available at Microsoft and Nintendo despite how many people were at those booths. Tecmo-Koei, Natsume, Bathesda, and especially Disney Interactive all had great people staffing that helped me during my appointment. I really loved Bethesda’s refreshment table at their booth. I was surprised at how much fun the models and actors at the booths were having. The Dead Rising actors and the Glee girls made me feel welcome and were really cool. I also loved how several companies had translators on floor to help in discussing games with Japanese developers. I also loved the giant spectacle of the big screens and loud music, despite the sensory overload it caused by day’s end.

It is unfortunate that there were some problems at E3. I was really disappointed and insulted by the staff at Take Two. There are many great people programming and designing the games for Take Two and the PR staff that runs their booth was the rudest staff I have had to deal with in a long time. The media badges are clearly marked and to have PR staff treat media that way is unheard of in any industry. I am surprised that Take Two would have such an unprofessional organization representing the company. On the other hand there is G4. They did not do anything to clearly insult me, but the guards following me made me feel uncomfortable. I have heard other people talk about the staff at G4 and the reviews are usually mixed. I do not like the fact that I had to walk ten to fifteen feet away from the booth to comfortably take pictures, but no one said I had to do that. The staff seemed nice, but the security made me feel out of place. I kept thinking that the security thought my badge said “criminal” not “media”.

A few bad experiences did not ruin my E3, they just made the good parts better. I feel lucky to have been there and I like the swag I brought home. I got Victoria a Sims 3 shirt and head band, I got myself a stuffed Harvest Moon horse and an Epic Mickey pin, and I got a few other things for my friends. Some swag is hard to get because it is only given via a raffle or by winning a demo/contest. Still I really liked what I got and I am glad to have some E3 swag.

I would like to say thank you to the staff at Natsume, Disney Interactive, Tecmo-Koei, and Bethesda for being so gracious and friendly during my appointment. I would also like to thank Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Warner Bros, Perfect World, and Konami for being very friendly and answering my questions even though I did not have an appointment. It was great meeting you Angry Joe and Spoony, I hope to see you guys at another event. I would also like to thank Andrew, Jay, and Adam from CtrlAltKill for helping me out with rides and booth hopping. Thanks to Stan (Plastic Joint) for letting me go to the Rage screening. Finally, thanks to my brother Keven for helping me get around the craziness that is Los Angeles.

This was a great experience for me and I hope to return next year. If you have any comments or complaints feel free not to e-mail me at: jared @ scarlet-rhapsody.com and until next time give my love to the Cheerios!

The List: Go Forth And Conquer!

1. E3 was a success.
2. To hell with the haters it was a great show.
3. OMG, the 3DS!!
4. Can’t hear you I’m busy playing Castlevania.
5. What? No Dead or Alive 5…?
6. The Cheerios, nice!
7. KILL ZOMBIES!
8. Angry Joe awesome to meet you.
9. Spoony hope I can rip Final Fantasy with you someday.
10. Next cosplay: James Bond!
11. Note to self: Go with a team next time.
12. The press room has snacks… wait they are already gone…
13. I missed the wrestling match…
14. Thank you CtrlAltKill staff!
15. Sonic 4, can’t wait.
16. I wish there were more booth babes to take pictures with…
17. In-N-Out best way to end an event!
18. Seriously Square, another MMO?
19. My lucky number, what are the odds?

Pictures are copyright by Scarlet Rhapsody. If I took your picture, feel free to use it on your site or cosplay gallery. While you're here, do sign the guestbook. This site was brought to you by the font A Charming Font. Many thanks to Chaz Boston Baden for the image resizing and watermarking program.