E3 Back to Convention Center

[Toxa]

Big E3 is Back

The Entertainment Software Association will be bringing back the high-octane version of E3 to Los Angeles next year, G4 TV's X-Play reported Monday night.

The confirmation comes two years after the ESA killed off the large, loud and expensive E3 format for a more "intimate" version in 2007 and 2008 that catered to a limited number of media and business attendees.

E3 2009 will once again take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, but take place earlier on the calendar, from June 2-4 next year.

The X-Play report said to expect "tens of thousands" of attendees at E3 2009.

At its height, E3 was able to attract 70,000 attendees. After the reconfiguration, that number dwindled to just a few thousand due to a more stringent vetting process.

Tickets to the event will not be sold to the public.

E3 2006 was the last time the event was the huge media circus loved and hated by journos and game companies. When the cost to make a splash at the event got too high, particularly with extravagant booths and other expenses, publishers became critical of the event.

But after E3 2008, game execs seemed to have changed their tune, saying that a small E3 had lost its relevance, and a large event that attracts mass market attention was needed for the industry.

X-Play said the ESA will make an official announcement tomorrow.