E3 Day 1

E3 Sophomore

I revisit E3 2004 with a semi-fresh set of eyes as this is my second trip to the Los Angeles Convention Center for the gaming feast. Basically, I wanted more from last year, and more is what I got. I knew this year was going to be a big year for the tenth anniversary of E3, so I spent all of day one in the South Hall, where the major buzz was. Coverage in the other halls will follow. Last year all I did was cover the event with photographs, but this time around, I will share with you the hands-on games that I tested out while still delivering tons of images from the event. This year, I had not wanted to grab all the free goodies that is usually prevalent in the booths, since I found from last year they weighed me down and slowed me up.

Initial Thoughts

Walking into the convention center this year brought back memories of the past year. Lines of gaming enthusiasts lined up outside waited eagerly to get in. America’s Army had a Kiowa scout helo parked outside in the main area. There was a giant balloon Spider-man clinging onto the side of the convention center structure. There were tons of bacon-wrapped hotdog peddlers on the street corners, making the air smell like burned fat and toasted onions. One or two news helicopters floating overhead on a perfectly smoggy and sunny downtown L.A. morning. Anyway, I couldn’t wait to get in! What did I personally want to see this year? Doom 3 playable version, another Half Life 2 demo, and whatever little ‘surprises’ we can find that is a soon-to-be-released gem.