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The Video Game History Foundation’s latest collection is a deep dive into E3 “like you’ve never seen it before”
The Video Game History Foundation has released a major new archive documenting the history of E3, the video games trade show that once dominated the industry's calendar before folding in recent years. The organisation says the collection, built from donations by former organisers and attendees, offers a view of the event "like you've never seen it before" and will be freely available to anyone researching E3's history.
The material spans E3's earliest days back to 1995 and includes industry reports, marketing programmes, press kits, exhibitor materials and photography. Highlights include documentation showing exhibitors could pay $25,000 for logo placement on attendee lanyards at E3 1999, an exhibitor prospectus video from the 2000s, nearly 12 hours of footage from the show's early years featuring development builds, and Nintendo's 1997 press conference.
In short
- Video Game History Foundation releases free E3 archive collection.
- Covers 1995 onwards, donated by former organisers and attendees.
- Includes photos, press kits, footage and Nintendo's 1997 press conference.
Explained simply
E3 was an annual trade show where video game companies presented new games and products to journalists, retailers and other industry visitors. It began in 1995 and became a major event in the games industry calendar, before closing in recent years.
The Video Game History Foundation is a non-profit organisation that preserves materials about video game history. Its E3 archive brings together items donated by people who organised or attended the show, including press kits, photographs and video footage.
These records can help researchers understand how companies promoted games and how the event changed over time. They also preserve material that might otherwise be difficult to find, including footage of early game development and records of E3’s business operations.