Revamped 2009 E3 Debuts Exhibitor List, Wider Eligibility

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has revealed an initial set of exhibitors for the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 Expo), the industry group's annual video game trade show. Attendee registration and media credentialing are also now opened for the event, which is expanding and widening both eligible attendees and possible exhibitors, following criticism of the recent slimmed-down E3 events. This year's E3 will take place in June 2-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Credentialed international and U.S.-based media, industry analysts, retailers, developers and business partners are all eligible to attend. Activision Blizzard, who withdrew from the ESA and skipped 2008's E3, hosting its own separate press event during the same week instead, will return to exhibit at this year's show, as will Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, who both publicly criticized 2008's expo. After years of encouraging expensive, opulent booths and accepting up to 60,000 attendees, the ESA chose to scale back the show in recent years for a more "centralized, business focused and personalized experience," with only a few thousand attendees. Ubisoft's North America president Laurent Detoc described E3 2008 and its downsizing as "terrible" shortly after the event ended, leading to the ESA's announcement last October of an expanded E3 for 2009, with major publisher support. Organizers are now expanding the list of companies allowed to exhibit this year, welcoming both ESA and non-ESA members, and inviting companies involved in console, PC, online, and mobile publishing and developing. Qualified business partners, video game hardware companies, and peripheral manufacturers can exhibit as well. This year's expanded show will also feature a much more lax admittance policy, allowing more media, retail associates, and bloggers to attend. E3 2009 will also feature a much larger showfloor and expanded publisher presence. The full list of current exhibitors follows:

"The 2009 E3 Expo will be the preeminent North American computer and video game event," said ESA CEO Michael Gallagher. "With robust exhibitor sales, high attendee interest, and strong commitments from multiple industry sectors, we are going to ensure the full excitement and energy of this industry is on display."