Although Sega, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), Capcom, and Microsoft are still a no-go, organizers IDG World Expo confirmed that dozens of game companies are confirmed to attend the E For All (EforAll) convention coming in October. The trade show that focuses more on the consumer is set for the Hollywood limelight starting October 18 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Carolyn Rauch, former ESA vice president now in IDG World Expo's camp, said:

We have over 50 exhibitors, including Nintendo, Namco, THQ, Konami, EA and other major companies to be announced shortly. This is a group of companies that sold about half of all the games purchased in the U.S. last year.

Packed with events and programs dedicated to the consumer, E For All is often mistaken as the replacement of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). But for IDG World Expo, it's simply an avenue for consumers to relive their part of the former E3.

Rauch maintained that official announcements of attending companies would be released in the near future. She added:

Gamers should be excited because this event is all about them -- from a terrific line up of the newest games from the industry's leading publishers, to the World Series of Video Games tournament and Video Games Live concert.

 

Despite speculation that the international publisher wasn't going to IDG World Expo's E For All (a.k.a EforAll), a follow up to the issue by GameDaily has confirmed that Electronic Arts will in fact attend the event. Electronic Arts was officially named as one of several major game companies to participate in the consumer exposition, although the press release mysteriously disappeared.

"They have booth space that they purchased in front of South Hall. They are in the show. We have the signed contract, they plan to be there and we're working with them on their designs and what will be displayed and the products shown," said IDG World Expo's Mary Dolaher, CEO. Later, a representative from the publisher affirmed EA's plans to attend E For All.

As for the disappearance of the press release and brand logo of EA, Dolaher explained that the press release was held under "review" until EA's trademark lawyer gave the a-okay to put them back up again. The legal review was to verify where the organizers could use the company's trademark, "all the way across." She explained:

Wherever we're going to use the EA name, we want their trademark lawyers to review all of that. So whether it's a marketing piece or a billboard or a bus wrap or whatever the case may be, that's being reviewed by them right now. So there's no big news out of that.

As for Sony and Microsoft backing out of the entertainment exposition, Dolaher iterates that IDG is still working with both companies to ensure their products would still be at the event. In contrast, Nintendo has confirmed their attendance at E For All. She does argue that the World Series of Video Games circuit coming to the Los Angeles Convention Center would have Microsoft's presence at E For All anyway.

As for Sony, she said, "We're working with [Sony] to have an area where there are kiosks and game stations where they can put PS3s and PSPs out. We're shipping over 200 kiosks to the event." Here's to hoping all goes well. More on these as they come in.

Tomorrow may be a big moment on the history of gaming as broadcast giant CBS formally becomes the first network of its class to show a video game tournament as a regular sporting event like other athletic spectacles such as the Masters and March Madness.

"There are an enormous amount of people of all ages who play video games these days, so we’re going to try to see if video games’ popularity can translate into a viable television audience," says CBS Sports Vice-President Rob Correa as he explores the possibility of people looking at this moment as a poignant event after a decade or so.

The tournament concerned is the World Series of Video Games which will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. Edited footage from the event will show highlights of face-offs between players in games such as Fight Night Round 3, Guitar Hero and other non-violent titles. First-person shootouts in Halo and Quake will sadly not make it on air because of the nature of the content.

The idea of the tournament and the coverage by CBS is pegged on the South Korean model which has an entire nation embracing gaming and making it a part of pop culture. A full-time coverage in the manner that ESPN covers sports isn't possible for video games just yet but for now, this is the biggest step game broadcasting can take in the US.

The CBS coverage is also a pilot test of sorts on how game programming in cable TV initiated by G4 and Gameplay HD can work in a bigger scale. The response of viewers will determine future plans on the coverage of electronic gaming as a sport on the network.

 

In an official announcement made by IDG World Expo recently, it appears that the E for All Expo will definitely have a second round at the Los Angeles Convention Center. While the 2007 event has yet to occur in October, IDG World Expo has already planned the next event for the consumer leg of the divided E3 for an August showing.

E for All 2008 is primed for August 28-30, 2008, at the aforementioned venue in California. Details on whether the site floor will be a lot roomier than this year's consumer E3 event are sketchy, although indications of game-centric sub events might prove that E for All is grabbing the glory that its predecessor once held.

IDG World Expo highlights the following features of the 2008 event this early in the year:

• World Series of Video Games tournament with cash prizes
• Video Games Live Concert
• Game Stages
• Gamer Lounge
• Into the Pixel – exhibition of the art of the videogame
• Business Zone [industry only]

Aside from the U.S. 2008 WSVG event and newly signed up Video Games Live Concert, gamers will also be able to confer walkthroughs... err... news with other fellow gamers over the Gamer Lounge, demo the hottest games from attending developers and publishers, and participate in discussions of art in videogames.