TRIPLEPOINTS OF INTEREST – JUNE 5

In this week’s TPoI, PlayStation VR sales surpass one million, Valve replaces Steam Greenlight with Steam Direct, and Xbox extends briefing at this year’s E3.

PlayStation VR Sales Hit One Million Units Sold

During an interview with TIME, President and CEO of Sony Shawn Layden disclosed that PlayStation has sold over one million PlayStation VR units worldwide. GameRant suggests that Sony should release more exclusive titles and show off unique features of their VR headset to stand a chance against top competitors like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. GamingBolt expressed positive sentiment towards the reveal, exclaiming, “PlayStation VR is the most successful high end mainstream VR headset worldwide.” VG24/7 points out that while the numbers are good, Sony could have potentially sold more but ran into supply constraints during the initial rollout. DigitalTrends reports that the shortage has been resolved and the numbers of the PlayStation VR sales are expected to rise in the coming months. With E3 fast approaching, outlets are anticipating major announcements and reveals from Sony.

Valve Swaps Steam Greenlight for Steam Direct

After five years, Valve has officially shut down Steam Greenlight, the service that allowed Steam users to vote for indie games to become available on the platform’s marketplace. Polygon reports that Valve will evaluate and determine if the remaining 3,400 titles under Greenlight will be approved for Steam Direct. PCGamer explains that Steam Direct will allow developers to publish their games on Steam directly for $100. The feature is set to launch on June 13th. VentureBeat states that while Greenlight helped Steam figure out what titles users liked and disliked, it was often an expensive and stressful process for developers. Direct will hopefully resolve those issues. Destructoid thinks it’s too soon to determine how effective Direct will be, but believes it’s headed in the right direction and is beneficial to developers and users alike.

 

Xbox E3 Briefing Expected to Run Over 90 Minutes

For the first time, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has announced that Xbox’s E3 presentation is expected to go over 90 minutes long. GameSpot disclosed that Spencer wanted more time to show off games explaining, “Had some games that just didn’t want to leave out to hit the time, so made a call to just run a little long.” ScreenRant hopes to see teasers and updates for Destiny 2, Call of Duty:WII, and Red Dead Redemption 2 to name a few. In addition, The Escapist states that Microsoft plans to release details on Project Scorpio such as its official name, the release date, and price. VG24/7 is curious to see if Microsoft reveals additional hardware as well, considering the lengthy presentation. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s in store next week!

TRIPLEPOINTS OF INTEREST – MAY 8

In this week’s TPoI, EA addresses mixed reactions of Mass Effect: Andromeda, Nintendo Switch’s eShop is upgraded, and Project Scorpio shows off its official headset.

 

EA’s Response to Mass Effect: Andromeda Reviews

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson disclosed that despite the varied critiques on Mass Effect: Andromeda which launched back in March, he trusts that developer BioWare will make the right modifications to please disappointed fans. Gamespot reports that during an earnings call Wilson recognized players’ dislike for the game stating, “It represents a fanbase that’s very passionate, that’s looking for very particular things, and many players found exactly what they’re looking for, and some players did not.” VentureBeat felt that the game narrative lacked depth, and wished the facial features had more expression. GameRant states that BioWare is currently working on a patch to resolve these issues and will continue to regularly release new content to increase interest in the game. According to Kotaku, Wilson is confident that the game will continue to be a success with these improvements.

 

Nintendo Switch eShop Gets New Feature

Two months after launch, Nintendo’s eShop now allows users to store credit card information. Gamespot confirms that the option appears to be working for accounts in the US, Japan, and Australia. Slashgear noticed that no official statement was made regarding this, and wonders if this is a stepping stone for upcoming updates. BGR feels that this feature should have been available from the get-go, and wants to know more details on the console’s future paid online service. Additionally, Shacknews wonders if Nintendo plans to add Virtual Console games to the Switch, and is hoping that they will reveal details at E3.

 

Xbox’s Project Scorpio Reveals Official Headset

Although Project Scorpio is still in the works, IGN revealed that the newest licensed Xbox product is LucidSound’s LS35X wireless gaming headset. Slashgear notes that what sets this piece apart from others is its ability to to use wireless technology without extra attachments or configuration settings. Trustedreviews found its stats to be decent and doesn’t find the headpiece to have any outstanding flaws, and believes it would be a good investment for consumers. The headset is expected to release during the holidays of this year. Digital Trends is looking forward to its debut at E3 in June, but wonders if this new concept will end up hurting Microsoft in the long run.

TRIPLEPOINTS OF INTEREST – WEEK OF MAY 1

In this week’s TPoI, No Matter Studios modifies game title to avoid legal battle, Blizzard reveals revenue data for Overwatch, and E3 announces a new series of panels for this year’s convention.

No Matter Studios Avoids Dispute With Bethesda & Zenimax

Indie developer No Matter Studios was recently forced to change its upcoming game title Prey for the Gods to Praey for the Gods after Bethesda and parent company Zenimax filed a trademark complaint for using the word “Prey”, as it’s the same spelling they’ve used for their latest title. IGN reveals that No Matter Studios seriously considered fighting it but decided against it as they’ve already spent a tremendous amount of time and effort raising funds via Kickstarter. According to Heavy, Bethesda’s legal team also clashed with Minecraft developer Mojang in 2011, which was eventually settled out of court. Hardcore Gamer predicts that readers are more likely to lean towards No Matter Studios than Bethesda and Zenimax, and is hopeful that this won’t end up hurting development in the long run.

Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch Earns $1 Billion to Date

Debuting in May of last year, Activision Blizzard announced that multiplayer and FPS Overwatch has already made more than $1 billion according to to their fiscal Q1 2017 financial statement. VentureBeat disclosed that this is the company’s fastest-growing franchise ever. GameRant surmises that part of its success stems from keeping fans engaged with ongoing limited-timed events, modes and skins. May 24 is Overwatch’s launch anniversary, and VG24/7 reports that Blizzard President Michael Morhaime may have a celebratory event or surprise in store for fans that day.

E3 Introduces New Panel and Series, “E3 Coliseum”

For the first time ever, E3 will be officially open to the public and that’s not all. GameSpot revealed that Journalist and Video Game awards host Geoff Keighley announced E3 Coliseum, a two-day series of talks and panels from gaming companies occurring on June 13-14. This new series is intended to take attendees behind the scenes of the gaming experience and VG24/7 disclosed that Bethesda Softworks, Microsoft, Gearbox Publishing, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Ubisoft are just a few of the publishers that will make an appearance at the panels. CinemaBlend hopes Gearbox Publishing has Borderlands 3 in the works, and predicts this year’s E3 to have one of the highest turnouts. For those unable to attend, Polygon reports that a live stream will be available to view on Twitch and other platforms.

TRIPLEPOINTS OF INTEREST – WEEK OF FEB. 13


In TPoI this week, we see a sneak peek at the Nintendo Switch, mobile esports comes on the scene, and Microsoft releases news that we can expect to see an update at E3 regarding Project Scorpio.

Here’s 3 minutes of the Nintendo Switch menus, thanks to an early shipment
Although details regarding the Nintendo Switch have been kept under wraps by Nintendo, Switch fans eagerly awaiting the console’s launch were treated to an early look at the product this week thanks to one lucky gamer who uploaded videos of their new Switch and its system menus after receiving an early shipment from an undisclosed retailer. Polygon reports that the user interface and system menus have been carefully guarded by Nintendo – though it’s no longer a secret as the video garnered over half a million views in just two hours. According to Business Insider, the short video shows a notable improvement in the Switch’s processor speed and responsiveness from previous handheld consoles. With this level of hype surrounding the Switch, the console may very well outperform some analysts’ projections of 40 million units sold through 2020. In the meantime Switch fans… keep waiting.

UK esports champions Fnatic are getting into mobile gaming
With the popularity of games such as Call of Duty, League of Legends, and Defense of the Ancients 2, esports has reached a golden age of success and viewership. However, teams such as Fnatic have refused to limit themselves to console and PC games and are beginning to branch out towards popular mobile games such as Vainglory. Fnatic’s growth into the mobile gaming industry reveals the ever increasing popularity and potential of mobile games as the demographic that owns a smartphone is much larger than those who own a gaming console or computer. WIRED reports that Fnatic and others in the esports space see mobile gaming as the next play in esports due to its accessibility and intuitive gameplay. So if you like mobile games and esports, you might be able to tryout for your favorite team in the near future!

Xbox Project Scorpio will finally get some face time at Microsoft’s E3 Event
As E3 draws closer, the gaming world is officially abuzz as companies put the finishing touches on their games and products for the summer event. Earlier this week, Microsoft tweeted an announcement from their official Xbox account regarding Project Scorpio – their next-gen console. The exact specifications of Project Scorpio are still unknown, but what we do know is that it will have the most powerful GPU installed in a console to date, allowing it to run games in true 4K resolution along with VR capabilities. TechCrunch reported that we’re not likely to learn anything else about the project until June, since the company has been very “mysterious” surrounding the product up until now.

TRIPLEPOINTS OF INTEREST – WEEK OF FEB. 6

In this week’s TPoI; press reaction to Nintendo announcing 2-3 mobile games per year, E3 opens up to the “public”, and Valve confirms VR game development (no proof of Half-Life 3… yet).

Nintendo Aims to Make 2-3 Mobile Games A Year From Now On
In this week’s Q&A session for investors, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima announced that the company plans to make 2-3 mobile games a year moving forward. IGN reports that the company will still primarily focus on the Switch and 3DS, but that it seems Nintendo sees mobile gaming as a serious prospect with potential for long-term gains. GamesIndustry sees the plans as potentially precarious, due to the parallel business risks to manage simultaneously, while iDigitalTimes is a bit more optimistic noting it believes Nintendo will learn what it needs to continue creating classics for a new generation. No doubt that the success and fanfare surrounding Pokémon GO and Super Mario Run played a role in the decision, and it will continue to pursue a strategy of expanding its core IP into mainstream audiences to drive sales of its primary business units.

 

E3 Opens To The Public For the First Time Ever
This week the ESA announced that 15,000 tickets will be made available for anyone wishing to attend E3 this June, for a price of $250 (or $150 for lucky early birds). Tickets provide access to the show floor, panel discussions, and other related events Tuesday-Thursday of the week. Gamespot noted availability to the public may be in efforts to keep the conference relevant, as major players like Activision and EA have pulled out in recent years. For their part, the ESA has noted the success of the public-facing E3 Live, held outside the convention center last year that drew impressive numbers as the catalyst to give access to the full convention to fans. Our take here at TriplePoint is that there were already 15k “loose”, non-trade attendees already making their way into the show in recent years. With some tightening of the admission process we could see non-trade attendees – like GameStop employees for example – having to pay their way into the show moving forward.
 

Valve is working on three ‘full’ VR games
This week Valve founder Gabe Newell confirmed that the company currently has three full VR games in development. He noted that, with the HTC Vive on the market, Valve is now in a position to develop hardware and software simultaneously, nodding to Nintendo’s success with the same framework. Engadget added that with low headset sales and the difficulty in persuading developers to make VR software, Valve and their games could turn the popularity and ubiquity of VR around.

The Brand Benefits of Publisher Conventions – BlizzCon

Conventions and the video game industry go hand-in-hand: there’s the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), Germany’s Gamescom, Comic-Cons, and more. Other than QuakeCon (and EA Play this year), it’s rare for publishers to host their own consumer-facing “mega event.” Most companies like Capcom, Ubisoft, and Nintendo share the stage and make special reveals during E3 (which is no longer open to the public) and other general gaming events.

Blizzard Entertainment is not like many companies, though as its 10th annual BlizzCon wrapped on November 4-5 celebrating all of the brand’s biggest franchises. Selling out in roughly 10 minutes, it is safe to say this annual convention is one of the most popular in the industry with no signs of slowing down!

Hosting a convention to promote your own properties and celebrate your fan base can be an extremely effective brand marketing strategy — evidenced by Blizzard. Publisher conventions can make fans feel rewarded, important,and valued. It gives attendees a chance to meet the artists and developers behind their favorite games, creating a personal connection that helps strengthen their brand affinity.

In order to understand why publishers should host conventions of their own, TriplePoint takes a look at what makes BlizzCon an impressive marketing tool, unique from other experiences, and what other companies can do to provide that same value. TriplePoint has taken all of this into account and has established five key BlizzCon 2016 brand marketing takeaways:

 

Surprising Announcements / Unique Information Distribution Structure

Each year, BlizzCon is home to new reveals and big surprises surrounding its IPs (World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch). Key highlights from this year’s BlizzCon included the eagerly awaited new Overwatch hero, Sombra, the Overwatch League announcement, Diablo 3’s upcoming Necromancer class, and Hearthstone’s new expansion Gadgetzan, and more. Interestingly enough this year Blizzard chose to separate its product news from esports news, with product on the first day and esports on the following day.

Blizzard’s strategy to lead its announcements with product news is because unlike product, which has more timing flexibility, esports stories need time to develop — tournaments need to be played and winners need to be determined. Having designated days for both types of stories ensures a steady flow of information for the press and consumers. Press will have enough time to cover, news will be easier to digest, and information won’t get lost — they can dominate the news cycle.

 

Watch the Best of the Best Play

Esports are another unique aspect of BlizzCon that is surprisingly not explored by other video game conventions.The best players from around the world gather to BlizzCon to showcase their skills and compete for huge prizes. The convention center is split into several parts where each space is devoted to specific tournaments in Blizzard’s gaming library. Having world championship tournaments during BlizzCon generates tournament results and team interview coverage, fandom, and an overall event spectacle.

 

Green screen by PhotoBoothless, find out more at http://www.photoboothless.com/

Network with Industry Professionals

BlizzCon serves as a mecca, drawing in fans from all over the world and from different backgrounds. Since there is something for everyone, BlizzCon was filled with cosplayers, community managers, artists, press, developers, representatives from other games, tech companies and more. BlizzCon is a dense concentration of video game industry professionals and offers immense opportunity to connect with key industry players.

 

Get Up Close and Personal with Devs and Artists

One of BlizzCon’s greatest strengths is being able to generate a personal connection with fans through intimate events like Signing Areas and Q&A’s. Often times at conventions developers have little time to talk about their games, only showing cutscenes and trailers of games without being able to provide details on other aspects — not the case at BlizzCon. Not only should developers and artists interact with press, but the community itself is just as crucial. Q&A’s set time aside for the community and helps them understand where developers and artists are coming from when designing a game. Blizzard understands this and does it well.

 

Hands-On Experiences

BlizzCon had many demo stations for Blizzard’s key titles, filled with new content yet to be released to the public. This concept is not new for video game conventions, but BlizzCon has the advantage of knowing virtually all consumers will be interested in all demo stations; therefore can optimize and personalize the content for the trade show attendees (vs. a content free-for-all at an event such as PAX). BlizzCon’s demo stations allow players to take their time, experience the new changes implemented into franchises they are deeply invested in, and provide valuable feedback. Sure, companies can host events for press to test a demo, but it’s equally important for the game’s community to experience it. It brings insight from different skill levels and backgrounds as well as tests what works and doesn’t work with its most important stakeholders — the fans.

 

Red Shirt Guy!

BlizzCon is a celebration of not only Blizzard’s video games but also its dedicated community they’ve cultivated for many years. Conventions can serve as an effective marketing tool, providing long-term value and building faith with your audience. In the end, players want games to succeed and to have fun. Personalized trade events such as BlizzCon are a great way to connect and celebrate with the fans.

 

TriplePoints of Interest – Week of July 6

What is everyone spending their summer 2015 playing? I just need a reminder that it is summer since it’s gray and chilly here in San Francisco. For those of you mobile folks, who has tried to stream your gameplay? I really wonder how many people would tune in to watch birds get flappy or angry. I know I would!

The rise of streaming mobile games

Sony announced a partnership with Twitch to stream mobile games from Xperia devices. The Xperia exclusivity is due to the fact that the streaming app is developed by Sony and not Twitch, according to SiliconAngle. Writer, Eric David, asks whether there is an audience yet for mobile game streaming, seeing that PC still dominates Twitch. Twitch, on the other hand, believes that creating as many avenues as possible to stream games on a wide array of devices is necessary to serve the community properly.

Your weekly VR report from Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida

GamesIndustry International caught up with Sony Computer Entertainment president, Shuhei Yoshida, to hear his take on the state of the VR industry. He discusses Sony’s focus on VR content at E3 versus GDC’s focus on the hardware itself, emphasizing the need for swift turnaround in profits for developers creating games for the headsets. He also explains why virtually no headset maker has discussed price points yet despite most release dates being set for as early as Q1 2016.

Bet to make eSports bigger!

There is already no question that eSports is a global phenomenon. Will the age-old pastime of betting on traditional sports establish itself in the video game space as fast as competitive gaming did? VICE believes it will based on companies like Unikrn receiving large sums from investors and its ability to bridge the gap between hardcore and casual viewers of eSports.

The Early (Access) Bird gets the worm…or does it?!

DayZ’s creator, Dean Hall, presented his insights on the pros and cons of using Early Access as part of a game launch’s strategy. According to Gamasutra, Mr. Hall believes that Early Access allows developers a chance to receive authentic user feedback, but can also set wrong expectations for the game at launch. He used Kerbal Space Program as an example of a game that benefited from Early Access as it allowed the game to improve into the experience it needed to be, while delaying and launching the game as a fully finished product might not have given the game room to grow.

Photo from Digital Trends

TriplePoints of Interest – Week of June 15

It’s just one trade show after another! This week is of course the special E3 edition of TriplePoints of Interest. Now sound off in the comments: what is your favorite announcement from the show? A game? A VR headset? Or something different entirely like photos of the awesome crowd and the industry’s gamer spirit shining through? In any case, here are some highlights!

Through the eyes of VR

Much like most trade shows these days, E3 continued to show love to VR. Gizmodo’s Sean Hollister released his list of his favorite games coming out for Oculus Rift, which includes Chronos, a “Zelda meets Dark Souls” game, platformer Lucky’s Tale, and EVE Valkyrie. Any one of Sean’s picks catching your eye?

GameSpot, in particular, was very impressed with Microsoft’s HoloLensHalo demo, saying it should be aptly renamed “HaloLens.”

Shenmue blows the doors off Kickstarter

Following the same trend as Mighty No. 9 and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the Kickstarter campaign for Shenmue 3, the long-awaited sequel to 2001’s Shenmue 2, reached its funding target of $2 million in under 12 hours, according to GamesIndustry International. This marks yet another major franchise revival game finding great success via crowdfunding. Funds poured in from fans who waited over 14 years for a three-quel after the announcement of the game at Sony’s press conference.

E3’s attendance grows yet again

Over 52,000 people attended E3 this year, up 3,000 from 2014, says VentureBeat. ESA chief, Mike Gallagher, said this year’s show was a testament to the way gamers are revolutionizing how news and media is shared with over 1 million clips uploaded to YouTube from the exhibit halls and 6.3 million tweets referencing the show. The show will return next year to Los Angeles June 14-16, 2016.

For those of you who missed the show…

Didn’t have time to watch all the press conferences? Polygon has you covered with summaries from Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, EA, and Ubisoft.

Photo from Tech In Asia

Keeping Promises: How to Have a Successful E3

E3 2013 was arguably the biggest gaming event in the last five years. The dawn of a new generation of consoles brought with it a bevy of games to every publisher’s booth. With big competition for media attention, you need to be seizing every opportunity you can to stand out and get your game the attention it deserves. Here are a few tips I’ve found useful to help make every moment your finest at E3, based on working at the show the last few years and on the successes of working with the indie horror game Outlast this year.

Have faith. Make promises. When you truly believe in the game you’re representing, you exude confidence. When you’re confident, you start making promises — promises you can keep — such as, “Outlast will scare the s*** out of you.” A lofty statement like that will almost always lead to skepticism, and the natural reaction will be for a journalist to find out for themselves if you’re spewing PR rainbows or the de facto truth. Promises, when kept, have a domino effect. After someone has a positive experience with your demo, your claim can be amplified as they discuss their experience with friends and coworkers, driving more traffic and attention to your booth. By the end of the week, some publications had sent their entire staff to experience the Outlast demo!

Come armed with different stories. A good game will shine on its own – but that doesn’t matter unless the right people see it. Help this happen by painting a bigger picture around the game. Come prepared to suggest and discuss larger stories that will amplify the experience. Consider having discussions about the background of the development team, media or pop culture that influenced the developers, interesting research conducted by the team to offer a realistic or factually accurate experience, etc — many attendees have very little insight into the research that goes into creating a game. Sharing these stories offers an interesting perspective about the developer’s creative process. Some examples of stories we helped to tell this year include:

**The fainting actually happened! An attendee fainted while playing Outlast, and after making sure they were okay, we told one person who told another, who told another, until the story began to spread all throughout the show.

Be aware. Capture reactions as they happen… And share them! If you’re not speaking with someone in any given second, there’s probably someone you should be speaking to. During half-seconds, your eyes and ears should be peeled to what’s happening inside and outside of your booth. New opportunities may present themselves that you want your game to be a part of. For example, one of the bigger stories at this year’s E3 was the concentration of high-quality indie games appearing on next-gen consoles. Email editors you see talking about this or use Twitter to make sure your game is a part of the conversation!

What are people saying about your game after they play? How are people reacting? Capture these using tools like Vine for reactions or Tweet out quotes, tagging the appropriate person. Keeping promises is easy when you’re creating content to prove it.


Timely reminders and follow-ups. Did you speak to a journalist about a story idea that piqued their interest while at the show? No matter how interesting it is, words are easily lost in the hustle and bustle of this hectic show every year. Send a follow-up thanking people for coming by and playing if you haven’t already and rekindle the discussion of any story ideas shared during your E3 meeting the week following E3, or sooner, depending on deadlines.

Surviving E3 2012

Whether or not E3 is still the games industry’s foremost gathering, or whether that honor has been usurped by shows like GDC or PAX, one thing about E3 remains true every year: It’s nuts. Whether you’re an exhibitor or a reporter, you can expect to run yourself ragged, staying on your feet for hours on end, scrambling to meet your various appointments while trying to wedge in just one more meeting in between the big presentations. Then, you’ll try to see just how much socializing you can do while trying to finish the rest of your workload that evening — assuming the Wi-Fi works in your hotel room — and convince yourself that 4 hours of sleep will be enough to let you get up and do it all again the next day.

This pattern of self-inflicted abuse is true for most conventions and expos, of course, but the brutal traffic of Los Angeles and the mainstream appeal of the biggest names in gaming makes E3 especially trying for even the most seasoned attendee. Thankfully, your friends at TriplePoint are here with another helpful set of tips and reminders to help ease the pain of next week’s quagmire. Continue reading Surviving E3 2012

PAX: The Indie Game Developer’s E3 Expo

With millions of marketing dollars hard at work on games like Call of Duty and Mass Effect, do independent developers stand a chance? You bet! The games industry has reached an interesting period where consumers have begun to actively seek out indie games. Is it because traditional big-budget titles are sorely lacking in innovation? Are today’s indie gems fulfilling a need through their willingness to take risks with gripping, heartrending tales like Freebird Games’ To The Moon? Or is it simply because there are now popular trade shows like the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) that let developers bring the games face-to-face with their target audience? It’s very likely a combination of the three, but PAX is the puzzle piece that has put the power directly in the hands of these indie studios.

According to the NPD, in Q4 2011 consumers spent $3.3 billion dollars in games outside of traditional boxed products. That includes “used games, game rentals, subscriptions, digital full-game downloads, social network games, downloadable content and mobile games,” and downloadable gaming plays a large role in this figure. Interestingly, SEGA, one of the larger publishers attending PAX East 2012, is showing eight titles at the show this year, including games like Jet Set Radio and Hell Yeah from smaller developers, while showcasing only one boxed retail game.

With a price tag of around $2,000 for 10’x20’ booth space and an attendance of about 70,000 at PAX East in 2011, PAX is the sweet spot for indie developers. At a show like this, not only can they meet their existing fans, but it’s also much easier to garner new fans, and even shake their hand, too. It’s hard not to feel special when given a chance to meet the actual creator of a game and offer feedback and encouragement. Attendees of a show like this are some of the most passionate fans, making PAX ideal for viral, word-of-mouth excitement.

Having attended PAX East since it originated in 2010, I’ve noticed a few trends – the ratio of big name studios to fresh new faces is almost 1:1, and nearly every booth location can be good real estate. A spot beside a booth like Rockstar Games may at first seem intimidating to a small developer, but with long lines wrapping around the booth, con-goers will quickly move on to the next shiny booth that catches their eye, willing to trade some play-time for feedback.

Traditional gaming expos like E3 cost developers hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars; journalists have limited time and resources to cover a slew of smaller titles that don’t generate the same attention as the AAA games. For these reasons and more, PAX has become an affordable, welcoming trade show that lets developers bring their games directly to the players. In fact, top-tier gaming press attend PAX to cover and discover the latest and greatest in indie gaming. It’s one of the few showcase opportunities where you’ll see indies honored right alongside their big-budget buddies.

TriplePoint will have a ground team at PAX East this year, manning booth #368 for Paradox Interactive and booths #548 and #448 for SEGA. Follow us on Twitter and send a shout-out if you see us or if you’d like to meet up!

Stephanie – @tigresaa  |  David – @dasupa1  |  Dustin – @DustinBlackwell  |  Ryan – @ArrrMo

Recipe for an E3 PR Spectacle: Jessica Chobot, Frederik Wester and a Hair Clipper…

The Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) is one of those rare trade shows where with a little bit of effort, the stars can align to produce something spectacular.  With nearly every major company in the gaming industry vying for attention at the show, breaking through the clutter and noise of the West and South Halls is no small feat.  It requires thoughtful planning, timely execution and well, a CEO who is willing to shave his head to fulfill a bet.

Continue reading Recipe for an E3 PR Spectacle: Jessica Chobot, Frederik Wester and a Hair Clipper…

Enthusiasm for LEGO Universe Builds at E3 2010: Awards & Impressions

The LEGO Group and developer NetDevil made a resounding splash at E3 2010 last week with LEGO Universe, the upcoming MMOG that will change the way you think about online play.

E3 attendees were able to demo the game live on the show floor and take home customized Minifigures from the “build bar.” Members of the press got a special look at the game’s unique “behaviors” system, which enables players to apply simple programmable abilities to their LEGO creations and literally bring in-game models to life.

As the development team works around the clock to perfect LEGO Universe for an October launch, enthusiasm is rapidly building among LEGO fans, gamers and press around the globe. From hardcore MMO enthusiasts and game industry influencers, to mainstream media, kids and parents, LEGO Universe is striking an imaginative spark in everyone who plays it.

Judging from journalist reactions at E3, what’s not to love? LEGO Universe beat out big names like Final Fantasy XIV and Star Wars: The Old Republic to bring home some of the top E3 awards, proving to gamers everywhere that LEGO Universe is a force to be reckoned with – not just for kids, but for LEGO fans and gamers of all ages.

See what all the cool kids are saying about LEGO Universe at E3 2010, including top awards and preview impressions to-date:

Continue reading Enthusiasm for LEGO Universe Builds at E3 2010: Awards & Impressions