The E3 convention for 2011 will see a marked change in how attendees gain entrance to the trade show. In an attempt to cut down on tickets that have been sold on or forged; E3’s organisers will be introducing a barcode system which will result in media/exhibitor passes being issued at the door.
E3 is presently a trade and media-only convention and the organisers have reportedly had problems with members of the public passing themselves off as journalists. In previous years E3 passes, both real and forged, were being sold or distributed online. Those items that were being sold would fetch up to $ 700 per pass (roughly R 4 800). This new system will see authorised attendees scanning the barcode they receive at the door. It is hoped that this will curtail ticket counterfeiting as fake barcodes, while easy to create, will be detected at the door.
Any copied barcodes will also be traceable to the original receiver, giving the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) a starting point when conducting investigations. An ESA representative has commented that allowing the general public to attend the event for a day has been considered as a way to alleviate the counterfeiting. He also said that major industry representatives currently feel that the present trade and media-only format should remain in place. Sadly, there is no general access on the cards.
Brett Venter
