…the Exhibit Floor, and Each Other
Now that E3 2005 has become history, we can step back and take a look at what a remarkable event it really was as far as Alternate Reality Games are concerned. While most of the world was mobbing the Xbox 360 and PSP exhibits, some were reporting that E3 was just more of the same from years gone by: First-Person Shooters, games aimed at young males, nothing new or original. Despite new and shiny things with amazing graphics and fluid rendering, one BBC reporter lamented that there was nothing really innovative this year.
But amid all of the spectacle, noise, swag and Booth Babes (not that there’s anything wrong with Booth Babes), those who were observant might have noticed something a little different going on. They might have noticed a trio of gamers surrupticiously following a smarmy-looking game designer, snapping candid photos and talking quickly into their phones. They may have been approched by a friendly Brit in a grey t-shirt, offering them a card with a puzzle on it. They may have noticed a sticker on a Playboy bunny’s tail, announcing a Lost Cube with a $200,000 reward. They probably were startled by a crowd circled around a road-weary hacker fighting with a couple of bodyguards. And oh, didn’t I see that game designer guy on VH-1 earlier in the day?
Well, it’s that time of year! The 
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