My yearly pilgrimage to E3 alternates between years where I'm working the show floor showing off a title I'm working on, to years where I'm just a visitor checking out the new games for the holiday season. Well, this year was double the fun as I have two games I'm working on showing on the show floor. Double the stress, double the excitement, and double the number of people I'm interacting with. Not to mention keeping my two games straight when I'm giving interviews! But E3 is great because you get to interact with gamers who are getting their hands on your games for the first time in public. And typically the great vibes you get from these first-looks really helps with the home stretch (i.e. crunch) that inevitably follows between E3 and your final retail release.
So here are pics from Day 0 (day before the show opens, including evening festivities). I had no time to leave the Microsoft booth so pics show off all the places (as few as they may be) that I went :-)
Gears of War floor mural
South Hall lobby
Microsoft Xbox 360 stations
Crackdown 60 foot banner - not sure I have room for that anywhere
Sony had some huge ads
But so did we
Crackdown floor crew practicing
Checking out the build
Big sign
Crackdown - Agent Jones sprinting to the next crime
As much fun to watch as it is to play!
Crackdown co-op pods
Better when there's two!
Setting up the PR room for Crackdown
Too Human's PR room
View from above
Live arcade announced a bunch of new titles at E3 including Lumides Live
Partner reception at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood
Pool - no one dove in to chill on the pad
Ahhh, this is the way to demo a game! Poolside rooms with big screen HD and Xbox 360 unreleased games!
Grauman's Chinese Theatre for the Microsoft Partner Briefing
Some new wireless accessories - cool!
Bill Gates and Peter Moore talk game
Theatre entrance
Partner Reception at the Roosevelt - bar area
Real Time Worlds guys including Dave Jones chill between receptions
Bar area
Too Human poolside room
Pool view from the room
Spike's E3 Too Human related henna tattoo
Billy, Bill and Phil have some fun in Crackdown
When the Scots come to America, take them to Hooters!
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Roosevelt exterior with the Xbox community representation on their signboard
Prepping for the evening party
Crowds begin to roll in - sightings of Paris Hilton and Matthew Perry were reported
Denis Dyack demoing Too Human to the Real Time Worlds crew