For the past few years, game fans have been inundated with requests from journalists to avoid E3. As the conference has grown in both scope and popularity, the crowds have become a nuisance to people trying to do their jobs by providing event coverage for the unlucky majority of gamers stuck watching from the sidelines. Newly coined events like the "running of the nerds" provide entertainment for established journalists who've already gotten their exclusive peeks at the show floor earlier that morning.

I understand that journalists have a job to do, and that the massive number of people really do prevent them from giving us spectators adequate E3 coverage. GameSpot has done a relatively good, albeit somewhat hypocritical, job of explaining this predicament to its subscribers. Editors have repeatedly talked about how much of a hastle it is to sift through all the people at E3 who shouldn't be there. Yet they hold their own Undercover Contest so that one of the aforementioned unworthy individuals can bum a ticket to the show. 

Recently, a number of publications' requests for independent journalists or specialty store employees to stay away from E3 have become increasingly insulting (listen to the first few minutes of radiOPM's May 22nd podcast to see what I mean).

Yes, E3 is an industry trade show and, no, it should not be open to the public. But give us a break, guys. E3 needs Average Joe Gamer to spread the news by word-of-mouth. Sites like GameSpot, IGN, GameSpy, or 1UP offer great professional coverage, but sometimes we just want that "awe factor" that can only come from first-hand stories. And call me crazy, but when I walk into my local game store, I like for the employees to be informed about what's going on in the industry. I don't appreciate it when I know more about the product I'm purchasing than the salesman who's hocking the wares. And fan sites, run by the independent journalists that people from professional publications like radiOPM deride so heavily, are the lifeblood of the gaming industry. The care and dedication that these individuals have for their sites and the games that they cover is unrivaled, even by more "reputable" sources.

So, the next time you're tempted to complain about the sweaty doofus standing in front of you in the three hour Twilight Princess line, try to remember how you felt at your first E3. Or how you would have killed to attend the show before going the professional route and getting your legitimate pass. Game fans really only have one time of year where they can all rally behind the hobby they love so much. All I ask is that you let them.