Utter astonishment. That's the closest I can come to describing what it was like to walk into this expo for the first time. I should have been more prepared considering the money spent on outdoor advertising, but no. This simply blew me away. WOW!
With that out of my system, I can focus on some business observations:
1. The Wii. The phenomenal success of this product has created an industry inside of the industry. I'm not just talking about the game companies and third party joystick manufacturers that we have seen since the beginning. No, this is something else. Tennis rackets, swords, rifles, crossbows, bowling balls, even skateboards are popping up everywhere as add ons for the ultimate Wii experience. These are not high ticket items, but on the off chance you doubt how much money these items generate, there are over 20 booth spaces dedicated to these third party products here at E3. Competing companies all trying to become the defacto supplier for Wii add ons. Incredible.
2. Input devices. I just saw a demo of Sony's answer to the Wii controller. The two part device looked like you were holding two small microphones, one in each hand. Staying true to the Playstation target market, the demo was played on a sword and shield game (left hand shield, right hand sword). The accuracy was incredible. No need to chop like a mad man when you have motion capture this good. I think we all knew that the Wii and the iPhone were pushing us in this direction anyway, the reason I bring it up is this:
Game design is no longer limited by input controls and this is both wonderful and scary at the same time. As the realism of game play skyrockets, so will the difficulty. I can honestly see a future where a game is released that is simply too hard to play (and therefore not fun). Will you have to be a ninja to play Ninja Gaiden X? Perhaps these controls will become a means of controlling the level of game play, becoming more realistic as you crank up the difficulty settings. Either way, it will be fantastic to see how game developers use this technology for something other than fighting.
3. The Art of Marketing and the Marketing of Art. Marketing may be the last thing on the minds of game developers when they begin the brainstorming process. Right or wrong, here is some advice:
Make the art work for you.
Find an artist who can capture the imagination of your target market. If you are going cute, go cute to the point that people will want to buy stuffed fuzzy versions of the characters. If you are going sexy, go sexy to the point that hormonal teens are getting in trouble because they are taping posters of your characters up in their lockers. If you are going tough...well let's just say it better inspire tattoos.
Don't settle. Mediocrity will cost you fans and promotional opportunities.
T-shirts and posters are still huge here. If your art is awesome, fans will help you advertise and spread the word. Used to it's full potential, quality art can generate a greater return on investment for any project.
More E3 pics here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129522&id=608075070&l=8c3068eee6
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