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CLASSIC GAMING EXPO TAKES E3 BY STORM

Interactive Gaming Museum Rocks Kentia Hall, Wins Awards

VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK – June 14, 2004 –  The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is the ultimate showcase for all that is new in the world of interactive entertainment.  In 2004, as E3 celebrated its 10^th event, it also became a place where the now multi-billion-dollar interactive entertainment industry could take a long, hard look at its roots.  The organizers of Classic Gaming Expo, along with sponsor Intellivision Productions, brought the Interactive Gaming Museum to the Los Angeles Convention Center’s Kentia Hall with 18 playable, historically-significant  game consoles, 30 arcade games from the heyday of coin-ops set for free-play, and a museum display containing an impressive array of ultra-rare gaming items.  The exhibit quickly became the buzz of the show and was one of the must-see booths over the three-day event. 

While the CGExpo Interactive Gaming Museum was appreciated by the multitude of show-goers who wanted to catch a few plays of their favorite classic game, it also caught the eye of a few show critics.  The Interactive Museum won several awards including being named among PC World’s “Best Of Show”, 2^nd place in G4 TV’s “Top Ten Achievements in Booth Design”, and the tongue-in-cheek “Worst Graphics” award from GameSpy.

“We were thrilled to receive the ‘Worst Graphics’ award,” said Joe Santulli, co-organizer of Classic Gaming Expo.  “GameSpy recognized the fact that the games we were showing did have the worst graphics … and some of the best gameplay at E3 2004.  These games were all about the player experience.  The gaming technology of the time would not support stunning graphics, rich audio and an involved story.  Designers had to make a superior playing game if they had any hope of it being a hit.”

The CGExpo Interactive Gaming Museum at E3 2004 is part of Classic Gaming Expo’s continuing effort to preserve, archive and share the rich history of the interactive entertainment industry.  The Interactive Gaming Museum was conceived as a way to give the 65,000 E3 2004 attendees a glimpse into the annual Classic Gaming Expo show held in August, where a much larger exhibit of playable game systems and arcade games, game artifacts and game-industry alumni speaking on the early days of the industry will be on hand to celebrate the history of interactive entertainment.  The show also includes many vendors selling both classic and newer game merchandise.  Unlike E3’s all-industry format, Classic Gaming Expo welcomes all game fans.

“What we brought to E3 for the Interactive Gaming Museum was only a fraction of the gaming artifacts that will be at Classic Gaming Expo 2004, August 21 and 22 at the San Jose Convention Center,” said Santulli.  “There we’ll have all the room we need to allow our attendees to experience the depth and breadth of video gaming’s history.”

Information on attendance, ticketing, past Classic Gaming Expo events and links to awards won and stories written about CGExpo’s Interactive Gaming Museum at E3 2004 are available at www.cgexpo.com.

About CGE Services Corporation

Classic Gaming Expo is a production of CGE Services Corporation.  Currently in its seventh year, Classic Gaming Expo remains the industry's only annual event dedicated to celebrating and preserving the history of electronic entertainment, bringing together industry pioneers, gaming enthusiasts and the media for the ultimate experience in learning, game-playing and networking.  For additional information, visit CGE Services Corporation’s Web site at http://www.cgexpo.com.

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