Last year E3 opened its doors to the public for the first time in years with thousands of non-industry attendees packing the halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center. In terms of attendance and revenue it seems like it was a major success for the show as the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is once again allowing the public to attend E3 by selling a run of public access Gamer Passes that will go on sale starting Monday, February 12, 2018 at precisely 9AM PT.
“Gamers raise the energy of E3 to a fever pitch, reinforcing its place as the world’s preeminent event for video games,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of ESA in a prepared statement. “We are excited to fuel that passion and enhance the gamer experience at E3 by extending show hours and adding a third day to the wildly popular E3 Coliseum.”
One of the major issues at E3 last year that arose due to the influx of public attendees is that the show floor was often over-crowded and it was incredibly difficult for members of the industry (developers and press alike) to reach appointments or even enter the show floor without waiting in public access lines.
As a result, E3 will have extended hours this year to provide industry and media attendees exclusive hours, but still giving the public the same amount of time each day overall. The new Convention Center schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, June 12 Industry hours (11AM – 7PM) and Gamer Pass hours (2PM – 7PM)
- Wednesday, June 13 Industry hours (9AM – 7PM) and Gamer Pass hours (12PM – 7PM)
- Thursday, June 14 Industry hours (9AM – 6PM) and Gamer Pass hours (9AM – 6PM)
The first 1,000 Gamer Passes will only cost $149, at which point the price will increase to $249. Do you plan on trying to buy a pass this year? If you attend and see us on the show floor this summer, make sure and say hello!
