Let me tell you, I’m no veteran of this business. When walking around the Los Angeles Convention Center last week for the first time, it was a weird feeling. Sure, I’m a member of the media walking among figures like N’Gai Croal, Mark Bozon, and Geoff Keighley in the same business I work in, and gaming figures such Koji Igarashi, Charles Martinet, and Shigeru Miyamoto. But it’s a press and investor event, and rarely during the summit did I feel as if it was an atmosphere to show gamers what to be excited about.

While E3 has suffered massive criticism against both the old, “expo” format of pre-2007 and against the newer, smaller format for E3, word among connected sources is that the ESA is giving considerable thought to opening the doors to the public again next year. The official word is that the ESA is still taking feedback and will announce details regarding E3 2009 at a later time, but I don’t see the ESA as having anything to lose by opening up.

We were walking away from the LA Convention Center last Monday, and some guy and his kid pulled up, asking when the show would open to the public. You should have seen the kid’s face when we said is was for press only. I’ll bet he’d love to go next year.

Kotaku