E3 2011 attendance grows to 46,800

Wow I could've sworn that the top part of the LAAC building in the pic where the battlefield ad is at was a giant n64 game cart lol.

this E3 was the start, just wait till next year for the biggest shock in gaming. yes i said gaming :)

That's 5.8 miles of poop. If everyone dropped pipe in one day and each turd was approx. 8" long and layed end to end.

@amaan4ever That was not the reason for the higher attendance figures in 2006 (2005 was actually the highest), the same industry people would have been present at the show regardless. The higher attenandance was due to retail store employees being allowed access back then. This is not the case anymore. For example I was able to attend E3 from 2004-2006 because all you had to do was be an employee of an electronics store like Best Buy or Gamestop and you got in, so there were lots of regular people like me there and not just industry insiders and journalists. However regular retail employees are no longer granted automatic access, you have to be a higher level employee of a retail store such as a corporate buyer (or submit fraudulent credentials) to get in. This is why attendance is lower, because entrance requirements are still more strict than they used to be. Regardless, I don't think E3 cares to go for attendance records, because they could just open it to the public if they wanted to do that, and if you were there during either 2005-2006 shows you would have saw how crowded and outrageous it was (not denying that it was still the most fun I've had at any convention ever of course). I imagine for those who actually go to E3 for its intended purpose, doing your job would have been incredibly frustrating with all the gamers and fans like myself crowding the place up. An extra day or two for gamers and fans is still needed, a modest and fair entrance fee would have to be determined to offset the enormous cost to the game companies for staying at the convention of course...so they don't leave early.

Why not make E3 a 7-day event (first 4 for the people who don't really care but go because of their jobs) then have the last 3 for gamers and fans? Of course if I were planning it, the journalists, analysts, retailers, etc....would sit at home watching it streamed from the internet and the fans would get in free!

Went one year...I'll just watch from home now...

i would give anything to go to E3 :(

is battlefield 3 going to be on wiiu?

The reason 2006 attendance was so high was cuz of the unveiling of the wii and ps3. Btw i so wanna go to e3 but the tickets are extremely limited to the public and each one cost around $500. I can get a 3 day disneyworld pass+hotel with that price

@ mateusprado I agree with everything u said. E3 needs 2 b open 2 the public. Let the industry go 1st & then let the fans come in on the last day or on an fans only day or something.

e3 is a business show, BUT like TGS and GC, needs a 1 DAY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, 1 OR 2 DAYS IS ENOUGHT, BUT ESA IS SO IDIOT AND CRUEL

e3 2012, 1 DAY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, like TGS and GC, if you think so, positive me.

i will probably go next year or the year after that since i live close to the convention center and i find it awesome to see it in person

Decent showing, interesting to note a lot less group doing exhibits, not suprised in this time of recession.

ya know the numbers would be better if they let the darn public into the event for once i mean like as in letting the public inside their doors so they can get a taste of the games not just watch them

battle field 3 is on the n64 ?

@kindredmachine Ahk thanks for clarifying that, considering the entry prerequisites the attendance rate is pretty good then, if it were open to the public those figures would easily be 100,000+, possibly even higher, i for one would kill to go lol

@Dojomeat E3 is for industry insiders, media, developers and retailers etc... Our company goes every year but for extra tickets we pay $500 per person for entry. If this expo was open to the public, we wouldn't even go. It's already too crowded as it is...

I am surprised to see such low numbers, i would have thought such an awesome event as E3 would draw a crowd of 100,000+ especially considering its in America. In a few comments people mention "open to the public" is this event only for Journos and writers and people in the industry or it is open to the public but you have to pay a entry fee? There is a car show in Australia every year and even with a $30 entry fee it brings in around 20-30,000 every year.

@soulless4now You're welcome.

tsk why they care about how many exibitors and attendees there are? they're the ones who closed the door to the public...idiots...

So many more if it was open to the public.

almost 70k in 2005/2006... good old times

Just make it a public event, or do I have to make my own video game blog or something, tell them I'm journalist, THEN gain access? I don't care if I have to wait 10 hours to play the latest demos and consoles.

[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

If they ever opened to the public it would like 100,000+ just like how Comic-Con is.

Go BIG or not at all. Anything less than a glitzy LA E3 and you might as well pack it up...

lol sadly it was a terrible E3, lack luster reveals on up coming games passed the Fall line up.. Lots of good games that didnt even show up or release anything new. Was just over all un impressed.

@m3g4t0ky0: Oh, I always thought it started that day as well. :P Thanks for clearing that up.

@soulless4now The convention itself opened on Tuesday. Companies hold their conferences the day before just to get a head-start on things.

46,800!?....... 38,000 live in my city

@m3g4t0ky0: E3 was four days this year since it started on monday. Next year it's a day less. Seems like they're being cheap is all.

@soulless4now It's still 3 days, just like this year.

So it's going to be one day less next year? Sounds good to me.

Off topic maybe, but when looking at the photo thumbnail, did anyone else see an N64 cartridge?

It seems that E3 would be during finals week again next year. :(

i want to get iin

Well guys if you include me that makes 46,803, I've gotta find a way to get in E3

I say it goes down to population growth

@demonkingx5 46,802. I want in as well. Maybe next year .. somehow.

@demonkingx5 lol, nice.

could've been 46,801 if they'ed of let me in