EPTI've been super busy recently, so I haven't had a chance to post new recipes. I just got over recovering from E3 and I wanted to share how this year's E3 went (for me).
I had a exhibitor bag, so I was able to get in early. I definitely did not take advantage of that because I was too exhausted from staying out much too late... But hey, I didn't bring my computer, so what else was I going to do besides par-tay. harharhar.
I actually wrote a blog on my website about my trip to E3 -- here shorter version of my blog:
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Last week, I attended one of the biggest gaming industry shows around: Electronic Entertainment Expo (or E3 as its commonly called) in Los Angeles, California. My company generously sent me and my coworkers to attend the 3 day event. Luckily, I didn't have booth duty, so I was free to explore...And explore I did!
E3 is held each year in the Los Angeles Convention Center. When June rolls around, the massive building is transformed into a mecca for gaming industry news. News about the latest and greatest games are touted by their respective publishers and studios. However, this year it was all about the new gen console war between Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
These are the exteriors of both Xbox and PlayStation booths. There is a small hallway between the two exhibits and each outside wall prominently displays the company's product.
I had a chance to check out the Xbox and PlayStation booths during my run at E3. While I definitely lean a bit towards one side, I still plan to obtain both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. With that being said, I was pretty darn impressed by both companies' showings at E3. Daaaammmnn!
While I definitely didn't get to play everything the convention had to offer, I did manage to play a few games: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Company of Heroes 2, Diablo III (console), The Last of Us (I TOTALLY FAIL AT THIS GAME, BTW), Gran Turismo 5, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden 2, Halo: Spartan Assault (mobile), and few others.
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_kiergaming.jpg)
During the convention, my coworker and I wandered around aimlessly through the two halls. I probably got lost at least 3 - 4 times in the West Hall alone because I'm terrible with directions. But, this meant I had some time to check out the awesome booth set-ups!
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_ubisoft.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_konami.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_castlevania.jpg)
Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to take photos of every single booth I visited during the convention. I did manage to get quite a bit of swag from most booths though. Hooray for shirts I can never wear! (they were all given to my boyfriend haha).
I did see some very familiar faces at both the Activision-Blizzard booth and the PlayStation booth:
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_diablo.jpg)
I will say that Activision-Blizzard had a very impressive booth. There was a large panoramic screen which surrounded a nicely carpeted stage. This wasn't any ordinary stage though... The stage rumbled! During the trailers, there was coordinated shaking, mists, and FIRE. Yes, pyrotechnics!
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_activisionbooth.jpg)
While I enjoyed walking around E3 for hours, I couldn't have done it on an empty stomach... Luckily, there were many places to enjoy food in and around the convention center. So, I indulged as much as I could!
I'm surprised I didn't immediately food coma from eating so much in LA! :D Well, I did a lot of walking at the convention, so I probably burned some calories.
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_sushi.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_calamariahituna.jpg)
E3 is about the games in the morning, but at night, it's about the parties. Bottomless drinks, loud music, bright lights, and tons and tons of dancing... Sometimes these industry parties seem more like raves than simple industry mixers. But what can I say? Nerds know how to party.
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_gamesradar.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://kierpanda.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/e3_wargaming.jpg)
I'm not a big drinker, but I do enjoy going to gaming parties and having a good time. The Wargaming party actually had a claw machine where you could win swag.
I tried several times, but I didn't win anything. Someone did manage to get lucky and hook the claw through one of the canteens. A roar of cheers and clapping erupted from the crowd as the canteen slowly made its way to the exit. It was pretty insane watching a group of adults freaking out over a simple claw machine!
All and all, E3 was a pretty fun time (and a good excuse to be out of the office for once!). It's nice knowing what other gaming companies are up to and it's nice to see them finally showcase their hard work. Unfortunately, E3 is typically industry only, so a lot of gaming fans don't get a chance to see what's behind the doors of the LA Convention Center.
E3 is definitely more geared towards marketing and PR, so it's a lot less gamer-focused than other conventions such as PAX. Regardless, I still had fun collecting swag from various booths. If you get a chance to go to E3, I highly recommend that you go for the sake of the experience. Just wear comfortable shoes because you'll be doing a lot of walking!
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I did leave out some portions of my blog because some of the text was fairly specific to the photos I posted.
Anyway, you can check the rest of the blog/photos on my website here
Thanks for reading, TL!!
Edit: oops, forgot the most important part about my E3 trip... the SWAG counter! Here's what I got:
- Gran Turismo Academy tshirts
- Gran Turismo lanyards
- Wargaming tote bags (picked them up for friends)
- PES 2014 t-shirts
- ARMA II t-shirt
- a foam crown from Dragon's Crown
- a shin megumi tensei bag
- Playstation + backpack
- Diablo III playstation skin
- tons and tons of stupid pictures from the Nintendo booth
- Last of Us t-shirt
- Halo: Spartan assault shirt (THIS IS THE ONLY SHIRT THAT FITS ME LOL)
- Nvidia shield shirt
- Halo XBL avatar code
- Company of Heroes II extra DLC code
- some random shirt I got from the gamesradar party?? lol
- Elder Scrolls bottle opener (I think I might've lost it though @@)
I might have more. I kind of just threw everything into a big bag and stopped looking at it.
It was sorta annoying to get gigantic tote bags through airport security -__- they wouldn't fit through the scanners, so I had to consolidate everything. booo!
![[image loading]](https://p.twimg.com/A0Uj6EfCQAAzKZ6.jpg)
