Flashing lights, loud noises, people talking in groups, drinks being constructed in assembly line fashion - and no Franz Ferdinand. Not that I was overly disappointed. I had made it to the party. All of a sudden I was one of the guys getting picked first to pick off the little guys with the red rubber playground balls.
As I made my way into the main section, I soon discovered there were multiple segments cordoned off: There was something for everyone, like an amusement park.
As I cut away from the main section - where a massive stage had been erected and some artist I didn't know performed a song I hadn't heard - I found a completely different area, a covered dining space with a buffet, tables and plenty of chairs spread out. Then, 50 feet later, I was in a section with benches and tables set up for casual conversation, the starry sky the only ceiling. I spotted the first un-crowded bar since my arrival and promptly got a vodka sour to nurse, as I continued to explore the venue's interior.
I managed to meet up with a few people, and we settled near the luchadores battling inside a wrestling ring. We watched as the night got cooler and cheered on Chilango, as we talked about E3. A few PR contacts I knew fairly well from past dealings ran into me during the match, and we talked about the expo. They asked what I thought was the best of the show, since they hadn't been able to leave their booths much. I asked them what secrets they hadn't shown me during my various appointments. It was an alcohol-aided game of trying to coerce information out of one another. They wanted info on their competitors, I wanted access to knowledge not yet offered for public consumption.
That's when it hit me (somewhere between the seventh and eighth beverage): That's what the Sony party was about in its truest sense. The party wasn't truly a way to unwind after almost a week of unending work, it was another networking session; but instead of doing a graceful dance of words with PR people, you were doing a drunken jig in an attempt to grease the wheels. The Sony party, despite all its glamour and allure, is no different than any other time of the year, except the drinks are on Sony.
But is that really a bad thing? They provide a nice atmosphere away from the crowded, hot floor of the LA Convention Center for the industry's movers and shakers (and bottom feeders like me) to meet and discuss business without it feeling like we're working. Hey, if anything, it's more enjoyable than getting beaned in the thigh by the school bully. Charlie horses suck.
Dan Dormer is a videogame freelancer who keeps a poorly updated blog at his personal site. You can also sing his name in time to "The Imperial March," a fact he learned at E3 this year while not attending the Sony party.
