E3 2014: Awards From The Show Floor

Best Booth Carpeting: Activision

This category was suggested to me by one of the PR reps at GREE, so I’m giving credit where it’s due. E3 booth carpeting needs to be plush enough to relieve some of the fatigue you get from three days of walking, yet durable enough to stand up to the hordes of journos, buyers and other random industry members who come to call. Activision’s was just right.

Best Booth Pyrotechnics: Activision

While I was killing a few minutes waiting for my Activision booth appointment, I wandered over to the railing at the corner theater where the company was showing trailers for its slate of games. One of the young ladies working there advised me to move a few feet to my left, and at the tail end of the Sylanders: Trap Team trailer, I found out why: right in front of the screen were flame cannons that shot flames up in response to something going on during the video’s climactic sequence. Yes, like the ones Kane comes out to in the WWE. I’m not sure how that’s even allowed inside the LACC, but it was equal parts impressive, scary and unexpected.

Best Air Conditioning: Nyko

When the show floor is packed full of thousands of people adding their body heat to the mix, good AC is a must. Both Activision and Ubisoft had good set-ups, but Nyko had a huge fan that was blowing cold air to promote its air-cooled accessories. An easy victory if there ever was one. Stay cool, indeed.

Best Photo Op: 2K

E3 always has a variety of giant props that relate to whatever games are being shown. Things like the full-sized Batmobile at the Warner Bros. booth drew constant crowds of photo takers all three days. But for sheer stop-you-in-your-tracks power, the monster from Evolve was impossible to beat. No wonder it takes four player co-operating to take it on.