Texas gov keynoting E3 '08

Rick Perry to deliver remarks at the ESA's annual gaming industry trade show; preliminary exhibitor lineup revealed.

Following the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the Entertainment Software Association's annual trade show has been in a state of flux for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which being an indefinite location and flagging support. As part of its efforts to retune the show last year, the ESA did away with the show's traditional conference program, where industry luminaries gathered to share insight into the industry.

Rick Perry

While the ESA hasn't explicitly stated the conference program will return for this year's E3 Media and Business Summit, it indicated as much when it detailed this year's E3 Media & Business Summit in December. Today, the industry representative body gave a further indication that the track would be returning, saying Texas governor Rick Perry would deliver a keynote address at this year's show. E3 is scheduled to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 15-17.

"Governor Perry and the E3 Media & Business Summit are both great success stories. The Governor's keynote address is especially timely given the high concentration of entertainment software developers and publishers in Texas as well as the state's long-standing support of our industry," said ESA CEO Michael Gallagher. "The Governor's forward-thinking leadership in encouraging the growth and development of our $18 billion industry is a roadmap for other state executives who want to transform their state economies for the 21st century."

Earlier this month, soon-to-be merged publishers Activision and Vivendi left the ESA, and subsequently decided to skip this year's event. Following that announcement, previous E3 exhibitors NCsoft and Foundation 9 said they too had scuttled the event from their calendars, while LucasArts said they would be attending the show, but would not be renewing their membership with the ESA.

Helping to clear up some of the confusion surrounding who's in and who's out, the ESA today released a complete list of companies that have committed to exhibit at this year's E3. Noticeably absent from the list is id Software, which previously told GameSpot it would be attending, before recanting its statement.

A list of announced attendees is as below. The ESA said it expects additional exhibitors to sign on in the near future.

Akella
Atari
Bethesda Softworks
Capcom USA
Crave Entertainment
Codemasters
D3Publisher of America
Deep Silver
Disney Interactive Studios
Electronic Arts
Eidos Interactive
Fox Interactive Media; Indie Games
Jagex
Konami America
LucasArts
Majesco
Microsoft
Midway Games
MTV Games
Namco Bandai Games America
Natsume
Nintendo of America
Novint Technologies
Nyko Technologies
Rebellion
Sega of America
Serious Games Initiative
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Sony Online Entertainment
Southpeak Interactive
Square Enix USA
Take-Two Interactive
Tecmo
THQ
Toshiba America
Ubisoft
Valve Software
Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment

40 Comments

  • TheVinster

    Posted May 24, 2008 11:39 am PT

    I find it hilarious you just tried to use "aint" in a grammatically correct fashion, jknight5422. Terrible.

  • jknight5422

    Posted May 21, 2008 12:49 pm PT

    Yeeeeeeeeehhhhaaawwwwwww!!!!!!

    I noticed that ID Software isn't on the list...they're in Austin ain't they?

  • yeby

    Posted May 21, 2008 11:27 am PT

    Higgs64: One of my biggest complaints is that he's largely backed tons of legislation which essentially privatizes state universities, allowing tuition rates to skyrocket, and thus making education much harder to achieve unless you're one of the few that manages to get scholarships.

  • mwa

    Posted May 21, 2008 10:27 am PT

    anyone who's not from texas probably thinks rick perry's presence is a huge deal...and they might be right. i mean, how often do you see politicians publicly come out in support of the gaming industry?

  • Ranteal

    Posted May 21, 2008 12:57 am PT

    I likeed E3 better when it was called " The big fantastic and all the trimmin's annual video game melee and buffet" That, my grapes, was when a man could live in basket, and still have water for little deals and winks.

  • living_wmd_888

    Posted May 20, 2008 7:28 pm PT

    Because today's E3 is pathetic. The Tokyo Game Show was always a much better show anyway. At least the general public can attend TGS.

  • acsam12304

    Posted May 20, 2008 11:45 am PT

    Im a little lost on this. What going on with E3? why are a lot of companys are saying no to E3 this year can?

  • ShadoweaverCode

    Posted May 20, 2008 11:37 am PT

    higgs64 - BLASTER MASTER FTW!!

  • higgs64

    Posted May 19, 2008 8:10 pm PT

    I really wonder how many of you fellow Texans really could speak specifically about why you dislike Perry, but I guess that doesn't really matter anyway.

    It is true that the governor in Texas doesn't really have much power, especially compared to governors in other states, but he's still the governor. That title alone makes his opinions mean something, even if he doesn't have much actual power in getting things done. Perry has been governor since Bush took office, and Texas has become more and more like a silicon valley in the south. I'll admit when I saw the headline the first thing I thought was, "did they move E3 to Texas?"

  • jakob_187

    Posted May 19, 2008 5:41 pm PT

    I'm from Waco, Texas...and personally, Rick Perry is a tool. But when he does stuff like this...

    http://screenburnfest.com/2007/?p=264

    ...and signs a bill providing $22 million worth of incentives for the film and video games industries in the state of Texas, then I can't complain too much about it.

    Despite his other political views, he happens to be one of the guys that DOESN'T get his panties in a wad about violent games and, moreover, is one of the few trying to help expand the potential of the medium, as well as opening up job possibilities in our state.

    So I'm totally down for him talkin' at E3.

  • StillWingless

    Posted May 19, 2008 5:02 pm PT

    I'm indifferent on Perry, I really wanted anyone but Kinky to get into office, to be completely honest. And even though the governor's useless in Texas, he's a good figurehead to have representing our support for the gaming industry's presence in our state.

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted May 19, 2008 4:10 pm PT

    Unexpected.

  • tracertGMR

    Posted May 19, 2008 3:49 pm PT

    Well cmpepper23, I'm from Texas as well. And, to be honest, most Texans agree that Austin, though the capital and the heart of Texas, is very different from the rest of the state.
    Most Austiners may not like Perry, but the rest of the state seems to pretty much support him.
    Not my political opinion, to be clear, but most people around here (Dallas) are his camp.

  • cmpepper23

    Posted May 19, 2008 3:43 pm PT

    I'm from Texas and currently living in Austin, and I can tell you that Rick Perry doesn't have very many fans if you will. Most Texans don't like Rick Perry. I remember going to the UT National Championship celebration where he also gave a speech and he was heavily booed. Oh well at least it's somebody from Texas although he is a crooked politician.

  • Kfoss

    Posted May 19, 2008 3:40 pm PT

    Gov Perry? WHAT!!! i live in Texas and if its anything...THAT GUY IS USELESS!!!!! and USELESS BY DEFAULT!!!!! the Texas state constitution strips the governor of all the powers (except veto among a few other things) people associate with a person being a gov...we have the weakest gov in the usa!!! don't people know this!!! its the lieutenant gov in Texas who actually has (and is granted) real authority and power and that guy is David Dewhurst right now...you want new leg you go to him and his power ranchers... NOT Perry...Perry is a figure head...(says so in Z doc)..a puff ball...and now hes giving key note at E3!!!! WHAT are they thinking!!! have they lost it...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ESA!!! you not fooling anyone here...in Texas..(thats assuming people actually understand the 456+ plus amended version of our constitution)... *cringes**keels over**drops dead**...

  • yoyoman10

    Posted May 19, 2008 3:29 pm PT

    somebody thats a part of the machine at the E3? wow now its REALLY gone down hill.

  • PSWi60

    Posted May 19, 2008 3:26 pm PT

    Well I care about the Big Three (sony,MS,Nin) adn what they are going to do I just hope I don't miss the MS stuff like I did last year.

  • bennie12

    Posted May 19, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    They should go back to the old E3 format, it was much better and much more fun.

  • fs_metal

    Posted May 19, 2008 2:35 pm PT

    Wooooooooo! Texas kicks ass

  • assassinX01

    Posted May 19, 2008 2:18 pm PT

    To CheddarLimbo.
    I second that. I'm not a particularly big fan of conserative pricks, but he's been good at handling economic-minded legislation. Still, he does look a little bit like two-face from Batman. . .

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted May 19, 2008 2:13 pm PT

    I lol'd. Most Texans would tell you that Rick Perry is a crook. Nice job, E3...

  • yeby

    Posted May 19, 2008 2:01 pm PT

    "Ice_man_1985

    can't wait for alan wake, resident evil 5 and project origin."

    I just can't wait for Rick Perry to not be my governor anymore.

  • FF6fan

    Posted May 19, 2008 1:50 pm PT

    So Squareenix is at this years E3...i don't think they were at last years. Good thing because then this year will be better than last years. Hopefully see some more info. on Versus especially about it's battle system.

  • thepwninator

    Posted May 19, 2008 1:16 pm PT

    He's probably the worst governor I've ever had-I hate the guy-but I do like the fact that he was willing to do this.

  • drangel_jam

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:56 pm PT

    I'm glad TX is aknowledging games more since they are many great companies in TX like Bioware, Epic, Id, and even technologies like DLP, and all that stuff. Not to mention that Houston is the number one XBL city, well at least it was last time I checked, with London in 2nd place.

  • tyler2357

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:42 pm PT

    Never liked him a whole lot as my gov...but this is an improvement

  • RealKilla_789

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:30 pm PT

    cool

  • planetpib

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:28 pm PT

    Great day to be a texan!

  • karnis

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:12 pm PT

    square-enix capcom ubisoft microsoft
    scea are what companies i'm looking forward to & hopefuly some over due ff 13 info

  • Ice_man_1985

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:10 pm PT

    can't wait for alan wake, resident evil 5 and project origin.

  • Bodboy466

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:05 pm PT

    ...Toshiba? What the...?

  • Arkk_Angel

    Posted May 19, 2008 12:01 pm PT

    SOMETHING is majorly wrong with E3 if we have our monkey-of-a-govenor giving the keynote address.

  • CrashMacKenzie

    Posted May 19, 2008 11:59 am PT

    Kinky for Governor!

  • Ra-Devil

    Posted May 19, 2008 11:55 am PT

    Well, here's hoping to some exciting news and announcements at E3 this year. Go Gaming Industry, Go!

  • SaintRasmus

    Posted May 19, 2008 11:55 am PT

    What !! No Fable 2(Lionhead Studios) or maybe thy are under Microsoft, but there is better to be something about Fallout 3 from Bethesda.

  • Kazona

    Posted May 19, 2008 11:42 am PT

    @berlindex Activision pulled out of the ESA and this year's E3.

  • berlindex

    Posted May 19, 2008 11:21 am PT

    Yeah there are still a few missing. I can't see activision there for example... And MTV Games? Can that mean the next rock band after the competition anounced what they have? Let's hope to see new stuff from there. I mean I still don't have the first rockband (only arivrs on the 27th :\) due to living in Europe but it would still be really awsome! xD Just 8 more days of terrible waiting....

  • Alastes

    Posted May 19, 2008 11:10 am PT

    I can't wait for Fallout 3 coverage from E3

  • TexEx03

    Posted May 19, 2008 11:01 am PT

    Rick Perry? Makes you wonder how many people refused if they want that idiot.

advertisement

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

Tags

e3   texas

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!