E3 2017 to be Open to the Public

It’s every gamer’s dream to go to E3, and now the Entertainment Software Association (or the ESA for short) are opening the event to the public.

The announcement comes from the official E3 Twitter, where they state that consumer tickets are available Feb. 13, 2017, at 12:00  ET (though the trailer does not specify a.m. or p.m.) along with a trailer. The video goes on to explain that the consumer passes are in limited supply.

This seems like a progression from last year when there was a public event called E3 Live, which brought players closer to the event, without actually bringing them inside. Still, there was a stage for performances, along with a giant Titan to show off Titanfall 2. Traditionally, E3 is an industry event for those involved in the industry and the press to report on upcoming titles and announcements. The conference’s leading up to the official E3 days is open to the public to an extent as well. For instance, EA’s show is open to the public and press alike.

Making the event public makes E3 more akin to PAX  as an event for publishers and developers to show off their concepts to the public. Still, this is pretty exciting news for fans. The Los Angeles-based show is the biggest industry event in North America, and possibly the world. It’s a place where most of the biggest announcements happen, the biggest names in the industry are present, and there’s even a splash of celebrity for razzle dazzle.

This seems like the next evolution of E3, as more and more companies opt to save announcements for their own liking, instead using E3 to show off their titles instead of announcing new projects. Nintendo is probably the biggest name to step back from the show. While they still have a delegated area to show off their titles, they normally opt to save big announcements for their popular YouTube Nintendo Directs.

This year’s E3 will take place between June 13, 2017 and June 15, 2017.