LOS ANGELES - May 1, 2002 -
Leading interactive entertainment companies from around the world will unveil more than
1,000 never-before-seen computer and video games and related products at the 2002
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3Expo), according to data from the E3Expo 2002 Exhibitor
Survey, released today by the shows owner, the Interactive Digital Software
Association (IDSA). In addition, the vast majority (80 percent) of the shows
approximately 400 exhibitors report that three-quarters of their products debuting at this
years E3Expo will be on store shelves for the 2002 holiday season.
"The impressive number of new product introductions at E3Expo 2002 illustrate both
the vibrancy of the video game market today and the status of E3Expo as the world's most
important event for launching the new products and technologies that consumers will see
for the 2002 holiday season," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the IDSA, the
trade association representing U.S. entertainment software publishers. E3Expo 2002 takes
place May 22 - 24 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and will include more than 505,000
net square feet of exhibit space.
Reflecting the growing household penetration of next generation game devices, survey
respondents reported that one-half (49 percent) of all new interactive software products
being shown at E3Expo support video game consoles. In addition, the popularity of
interactive entertainment software spans across a number of platforms with exhibitors
reporting that approximately 39 percent of the new titles being shown are PC- based, 17.5
percent are for handheld game devices, 7.8 percent are online/Internet only games and 3.4
percent are for PDAs and wireless phones.
According to survey respondents, the new E3Expo titles they will display cover a wide
range of game genres, including Action games (28.4 percent), Sports and Driving games
(16.7 percent), Adventure games (12.1 percent), Child and Family games (10.9 percent),
Role Playing games (8.3 percent), Strategy games (7.3 percent), Educational/ Edutainment
games (6 percent) and Simulation games (3.2 percent).
Previously unreleased interactive products will be spotlighted at this years show
in the E3Expo 2002 "First Looks" program. Participating First Looks exhibitors
will be designated in the E3Expo exhibit guide, Show Daily, www.e3expo.com and on the
exhibit floor beginning May 22.
E3Expo, now in its eighth year, is owned by the Interactive Digital Software
Association (IDSA), the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public
affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles,
handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. IDSA members collectively account
for more than 85 percent of the $6.35 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S.
in 2001, and billions more in export sales of American-made entertainment software. The
IDSA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global
anti-piracy program, owning the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show, business and
consumer research, government relations and First Amendment and intellectual property
protection efforts.
E3Expo is a trade event, and is not open to the general public.