GamerNode: Columns - The Lindsey Chronicles 08: #1: The first day of E3

The Lindsey Chronicles 08: #1: The first day of E3

The sun is setting on the first day of E3, allowing many of the attendees to come out from beneath their rocks and move free from fear of the harmful UV rays' effects on their pasty white skin. So far, it's been a day of wins and failures, but to be fair most of it has been pretty failtacular when all things are considered.

I began my journey (like usual) driving to PDX to fly down to LA for E3. No traffic; sweet. Got to my flight on time, it wasn't delayed, and I was up in the air 30,000 feet above everyone else (except other people in planes and people not at sea level) and reading Game Boys by Michael Kane. Then, unwillingly, I played peekaboo with the little girl in the seat in front of me for about five hundred hours before she started screaming and bashing against the seat so hard I had to put the seat tray in its upright and locked position, and read with one hand whilst holding my beverage in the other, like a true member of Oregon. (After four years maybe I'm finally fitting in.)

After landing, I grabbed my suitcase and met Dave and Eddie at the curbside pick-up. We drove to the hotel, and that's when the "fun" started.

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On the E3 confirmation email, it explicitly says you need to "Print and bring a copy of this email and a government issued photo ID" to pick up your badge (which we needed before the EA conference at 3-we didn't get into Microsoft's because apparently we're not press). Dave had a printer with him knowing he would need it, so Eddie and Dave (who didn't print out their emails in advance like I did) were set. Then we realized Dave didn't have a USB cable. So we went to the front desk, and had Eddie's new girlfriend (a nice overweight middle aged Latina) print out their emails. She must have thought E3 was a geriatrics convention, because she printed what was normally less than one page of text off in size 300 and about two-thousand sheets of paper. After using an industrial stapler to get their confirmation emails together, we were off to the West building of the LACC.

(We also met the Hip Hop Gamer; look for more on him in a later entry.)

After going against Eddie's adamant wishes and Dave's TomTom, we found the LACC. (The exact opposite of the direction Eddie and his computer friend/possible lover wanted us to take.) Surprisingly we found a parking spot very quickly, parked, paid $5 and walked over to the Convention Center.

Actually, we walked over to the Convention Center shipping and receiving depot. Who the hell puts seven sets of steps and neon scrolls in front of the shipping area? The LACC. That's who. The real entrance turned out to be about half a mile closer to where we parked. (And, admittedly, Eddie was right about where it was; I still don't trust him and his computer-empathizing directions, though.)

Registering took about 30 seconds. I told Dave and Eddie it would be quick, but Dave was sure it would be painful. Some random guy who looked like he was waiting in line with the intent of reenacting the Donner Party stopped Dave and asked if he knew "Kyle, that dude who writes for GamerNode." (Which Dave obviously does since he gets here at 1AM, but I think Dave was too afraid of him to say anything.)

Unfortunately, between finding the LACC and getting INTO the LACC by the time we registered it was already 3:30, well past the start time of the EA conference. So apologies to Mariam, Wendy, and Jino on that one, but hey, what can you do. The detours and idiot navigation system were killer. The computers obviously wanted us to miss it, and it was amazing we warded them off as long as we did.

With the EA conference a bust, we went back to the hotel after a quick stop at Ralph's (where Eddie and I bought crackers, juice, and other healthy materials while Dave bought alcohol, and probably pistols and bullets) then rested for a minute, and drove back to the same parking lot we already used to go to the Into the Pixel Gallery Reception, which Eddie should have pictures of any time now.

I don't want to get too into it because I think that's going to be Eddie's main discussion for the day, but let's say it was very underwhelming compared to last year's. The art wasn't as good, they tried a little too hard with the cheese and potato chip finger foods (but Dave loved the free drinks), and when one of the judges for an art show says that the selection process is blind and, "Even if it wasn't I don't know who any of these people are anyway," it's not a great sign.

Poor Eddie was crushed by the reception. He was looking forward to it, which anyone who reads his columns should understand. (He's keeping track of how many times I call him pretentious this year.)

After eating just enough cheese, crackers, and what I'm pretty sure wasn't just decoratory melon to satisfy our hunger, we took off and came back to the hotel. Dave drank some more, Eddie and I got online and started looking at stuff we missed and emailing people back, and I started to write this.

All in all, a pretty uneventful first day, especially compared to last year's Microsoft conference back when they apparently did consider us press.

Although I will admit Dave was on to something when he was trying to pitch the idea of a prison-based reality TV show with Eddie as the prize when we were walking down the street on the way back to the Convention Center...

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