Gamers are getting 
grayer.
The average vidgame player is now 37 years old, and individuals who buy the most games are 41, on average, according to a survey of 1,200 households compiled by the Entertainment Software Assn.
Tag Archives: e3
E3 confab hits next level
The videogame industry 
is at a crossroads of whether to reinvent itself or continue hyping what’s working.
While Nintendo and Sony are expected to unveil new hardware at this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, the videogame biz’s biggest tradeshow, which kicks off Monday from various venues around downtown Los Angeles, Microsoft is putting more promotional muscle behind its Xbox 360 console.
EA takes on Steam with new ‘Origin’ service
EA is digging deeper into
the digital distribution space.
The company has completely revamped its online store, expanding its focus and renaming it ‘Origin’ in the process. The move will put EA in direct competition with Valve Software’s dominant Steam service — and, in some ways, Apple’s GameCenter.
Gaming Companies Search for Next Big Thing
As the video game industry 
prepares for its annual trade show, known as E3, it’s carrying a lot of baggage.
Social networking and mobile games continue to eat away at the market share of traditional publishers. A crucial Supreme Court decision, which could fundamentally change the way the industry operates, looms over its head. And many companies find themselves at a critical juncture in their evolution.
E3 2011: EA launches digital distribution service
Valve Software’s Steam has been the big dog 
in the PC digital distribution space for a while now, but one of the industry’s biggest publishers is ready to take it on.
Electronic Arts has announced Origin, an updated “direct-to-consumer gaming platform” that will let people buy titles directly from the company, rather than via retail or another service. Given how heavily EA is betting on PC games in the year to come, it’s not an altogether shocking move.
Analysis: How Important Is This Year’s E3?
Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris 
considers how important E3 now is to the gaming industry, noting that “the industry has changed – and so have the marketing strategies of its players.”
As the circus comes to Los Angeles and the gaming industry prepares for the weeklong bacchanalia that is E3, there’s already plenty of hype about what to expect, what will be said and what will be the biggest thing at the show.
These are all fun questions – but as E3 enters its 17th year, it’s worth a look to see if the show is as important and as relevant to the industry as it was in years past. While E3 used to be a Mecca for game developers and publishers to show off their wares, the industry has changed – and so have the marketing strategies of its players.
Expect Microsoft to focus on more than games at E3
Granted, E3 is a video game trade show, but in between all
the talk about Kinect and “Gears of War 3” at its pre-show press conference this year, expect Microsoft to have plenty to say about the non-gaming world.
The Xbox 360 has been a leader in general entertainment among the major consoles – but other devices, particularly Sony’s PlayStation 3, have been playing a good game of catch up. A recent statement by the company’s VP of corporate communications, however, indicates the company is hoping to ready to jump back out in front.
E3 through the years
Even if you’re just a casual fan of video games, the E3 
video game extravaganza is a truly exciting time of the year. It’s Christmas in July! Or, more often, May! Or, recently, June! Ok, so the moving dates ruin the analogy, but it’s a festive time nonetheless that always brings a flood of gaming news. And every year, there’s one story that tops all the others.
Here’s a look back at the show stealing moments of the past 16 years.
Spike TV to air Microsoft’s E3 briefing
We’re about two-and-a-half weeks from the start 
of E3, but if you weren’t able to get a pass to the video game industry’s annual trade show, you’ll still be able to see some of the big moments.
Spike TV and Microsoft have struck a deal for the network to broadcast the Xbox 360 E3 media briefing on June 6.
Analysis: Behind The ESA’s New E3 Media Rules
[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris examines 
recent changes to E3 2011’s media registration policy, intended to “prevent some of the problems we’ve had with fake badges,” according to a rep with event co-organizer ESA.]
Getting into E3 in Los Angeles in June is going to be a different experience for journalists this year.
For the first time, the Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the convention, has decided not to pre-mail badges to media attendees.
Chris Morris: Journalist 