In 1995, gamers everywhere rejoiced when the Interactive Digital Software Association decided to separate themselves from the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and make their own trade show exclusively for announcing important advances in the video game world. The Electronic Entertainment Expo - better known as E3 - brought all the big names of gaming together under one roof in Los Angeles, California and was a must-attend for anybody involved in the industry.

The convention involved ground-breaking press conferences, out-of-this-world demos and all-night parties that quickly became the talk of the world. With the convention hall getting more and more crowded each coming year and press passes too easy for any random to get their hands on, in 2006 it was announced that the show would be scaled down dramatically from multi-million dollar displays and booths to a more information-orientated show with a much reduced guest list.

Now although E3 has similar goals, still confirming and announcing release dates and debuting new advances in the gaming world, the crowd is made up of strictly press and investors. There are other events throughout the year geared more toward buyers for retail purposes.

In 1995 when the Electronic Entertainment Expo stood on its own two feet for the first time, the buzz was all about the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. As both were nearing release, the Saturn already hit stores and the company broke its own street date with select retailers getting the system in people's hands early. Sony retaliated by releasing a final retail price that was $100 less than the Saturn. Sony unveiled the PlayStation and spent over $4 million on their booth, displaying games like Tekken and Ridge Racer. It was yet another console war. Meanwhile, Nintendo and Atari looked outdated with Donkey Kong games and the Jaguar system.