Words Worth Knowing: E3
Words Worth Knowing was a vertical I wrote weekly explaining key pieces of gaming jargon to parents, guardians and teachers, as part of the larger overall GameHub outreach effort. The column ran for nearly two years and resulted in around 60 WWK articles. GameHubHQ.com closed in late 2017. This piece originally appeared on June 13, 2016.
What It Is: E3 = Electronic Entertainment Expo.
What It Means: E3 is arguably the most important event in the gaming calendar. It is a trade-show exposition, attended by major games creation studios such as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, as a chance to show their games.
Why You Care: E3 is where all major gaming companies announce their major releases for the coming year, including games and, if relevant, hardware such as consoles, computers and peripherals. The shows are invite-only to those with a connection to the industry, but are streamed live on the web to allow members of the general public to watch and engage. The event sets the agenda for the year, and companies work hard to present their work in the best light possible. As the event is held LA in California, the broadcast times for views in the UK can often be at anti-social hours. Fans may stay up all night to hear the news about their favourite franchises and companies. Parents may wish to indulge this once a year event at their discretion, or can insist on bedtime safe in the knowledge that the streams will be captured for YouTube and can be viewed the next day.
