The sharp decrease in workload finally gave him time to go to the vending machine downstairs to buy a can of iced cola.
Fax machines hummed one after another, turning the typeset manuscripts into electrical signals, crossing oceans and continents.
Modems on dial-up networks emitted harsh connection sounds. Editors stared at the progress bars slowly crawling across their screens, transmitting a few compressed key photos back to headquarters. Occasionally, a few complaints could be heard, mostly due to network disconnections or paper jams in the fax machines.
11:30 PM.
The editor of "GamePro" hit the final enter key, watching the email sent successfully notification on the screen.
"Done." He closed his laptop, rubbed his sore neck, and his bones let out a cracking sound.
The photographer had already finished showering and was wiping his wet hair with a towel. "I've set my alarm for six tomorrow morning. Thank God, I finally don't have to look at the 4 AM view of Los Angeles tonight."
The first day of the conference was for manufacturers to flex their muscles, the second day of closed-door meetings was for business games, and tomorrow, the third day—the E3 Public Day—would bring the real test.
The first day's press conferences were the manufacturers flexing their muscles, the second day's closed-door meetings were the commercial maneuvering, and tomorrow, the third day—the public day of E3—would bring the real test.
The exhibition hall doors will open to the general public. Tens of thousands of fans clutching tickets will pack the Los Angeles Convention Center to the brim.
"Tomorrow's work will be even more physically demanding." The editor walked over to the window, drew the curtains, and looked out at the city lights in the distance. "Word is, Bandai reserved sixty percent of their limited-edition merchandise. The distributors who didn't get stock today will likely spend all night hiring scalpers to stand in line. Sega's MGS2 demo area will be open all day. The Sony and Nintendo booths are guaranteed to be packed. We need to capture the reactions of ordinary players and interview them about their genuine feelings. That is the most fundamental foundation of the gaming industry."
"I've brought thirty rolls of new film." The photographer placed his camera bag on the bedside table and carefully checked his flash. "I just hope those crazy kids in line tomorrow don't smash my lens. I heard some high school students from Texas set up tents outside the convention center this afternoon just to get a spot at the front of the line."
"That's the magic of video games." The editor smiled and turned toward the bed.
The lights went out, one by one.
After enduring the information overload of the first day and the deep-dives of the second, the media professionals welcomed the most peaceful night of the exhibition.
They needed a good night's sleep to welcome the carnival that would belong to gamers across America tomorrow.
As long as they could make it through tomorrow, this unprecedented E3 exhibition would be considered a complete success, and they would return with a wealth of material to write a brand-new chapter for the industry.
They needed plenty of sleep to welcome the carnival that belonged to all American gamers tomorrow.
Once they made it through tomorrow, this unprecedented E3 Expo would come to a successful conclusion, and they would be armed with plenty of material to write a brand-new chapter for this industry.
On June 11th, Los Angeles welcomed the third day of the E3 exhibition, which was also the day it opened to the general public.
The vast majority of gamers who couldn't make it to the Los Angeles Convention Center in person could only satisfy their cravings with the newspapers and game magazines that had just come out that morning.
As soon as the newsstands in the city center opened, bundles of fresh-off-the-press GamePro and EGM special reports were snapped up.
Young people who didn't manage to grab a magazine could only stand on street corners, craning their necks to sneak a peek at what others were holding.
"Sega and id Software are working on a new engine? What does that mean?" a boy with glasses pointed to the bold-faced headline in the newspaper.
"It means there will be more and more 3D games on PCs and consoles in the future," his friend said, flipping the page, his eyes fixed on some blurry screenshots of Final Fantasy VII. "Forget about the engine, look at these graphics. Is this really something you can play on a TV?"
"Capcom's zombie game got an M rating. My mom definitely won't let me buy it."
"You could hide it under your bed and sneak in some play time in the middle of the night."
While players without tickets could only look on with envy from the streets, the lucky ones who had bought theirs early were currently enduring a different kind of torment.
Outside the Los Angeles Convention Center, the line snaked around three corners.
The morning sun beat down on the heads of the densely packed crowd.
A few high school students from Texas sat on folding stools, surrounded by sleeping bags and empty pizza boxes.
To snag the first round of admission, they had camped out there the night before.
"I swear, the first thing I'm doing when I get in is get in line for MGS2 at the Sega booth," a chubby guy said, popping a piece of gum into his mouth and chewing vigorously. "If I can't get in that line, I'll go check out Resident Evil at Capcom's booth. I heard a reporter couldn't sleep last night because they were so scared."
"With your guts? Forget it," his friend mocked. "Nintendo's Yoshi's Island is more your speed."
Aside from excited gamers, the crowd was also filled with scalpers, eyes darting around.
News from the Media Day two days ago had already sent the prices of certain things through the roof.
The time approached 8:30.
The glass doors of the convention center's main entrance were pushed open from the inside.
All dozen or so turnstiles at the ticket gates were activated.
Staff members in uniform, ticket punches in hand, stood at the ready.
"Have your tickets ready, pass through one by one, no pushing!" the security captain shouted through a megaphone.
The players at the very front handed over their tickets; the ticket taker punched a notch in each one, handed them back, and let them through.
Once inside, the players immediately started running.
The ticket takers' arms repeated the mechanical actions of receiving, punching, and returning tickets. In less than ten minutes, sweat was already beading on their foreheads.
The crowd was so dense that the ticket gates were under immense strain.
Once past the main gate, the orderly lines instantly broke apart.
The security staff's warnings were completely ineffective.
Players who had received their commemorative entry wristbands locked onto their destinations and bolted.
Most of them surged toward the South Hall.
That was where the core exhibition areas for major companies like Sega, Sony, and Nintendo were located.
Demo stations for over a dozen next-gen blockbuster titles were there.
The game's release was still months, or even half a year away; for them, getting their hands on a controller today was the greatest honor.
But there was a group of people taking a completely different route.
They didn't join the hustle and bustle of the main exhibition hall, but headed straight for the Kentia Hall in the basement of the South Hall.
This group included hardcore fans who had done their research, as well as professional scalpers hired by distributors.
Their goal was very clear: limited-edition merchandise.
The games at the demo stations weren't going anywhere; after they were released, you could buy them for a few dozen dollars and play to your heart's content.
But those limited-edition collectibles in the Kentia Hall? If you missed them today, you might not even be able to buy them for triple the price later.
The air in the basement exhibition hall quickly became stifling.
In front of the Bandai booth, as soon as the staff hung up the sign for "Public Day Specials," the crowd surged forward.
"I want five boxes of the Plated Special Edition Gundam!" a man in an oversized T-shirt slammed a few hundred-dollar bills onto the counter.
"Limit two per person, sir." The salesperson held down the boxes.
"Fine, two then, hurry up!" The man grabbed the boxes and turned, pushing his way out, where his boss was waiting to pay him a commission per item.
The Sanrio booth next door was just as chaotic.
The Pikachu plush toys wearing E3 baseball caps and t-shirts released by Sega had become hot commodities.
A few young girls were arguing over their places in line.
Those distributors, who had been furious about the sell-out quotas yesterday, had hired dozens of people today to mix in with the regular attendees, vowing to sweep up the remaining 60 percent of the inventory.
In the second-floor corridor of the Convention Center, several game media photographers aimed their long lenses, capturing the scene below.
The regular attendees, with their raw fanaticism and cash in hand, were providing the most authentic annotation for this feast of video games.
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