Gah - utter BS stuff from ESA

[Melbosa]

Source: http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/10098/No-More-Hot-Booth-Babes-at-E3/

The consequences of the ?Hot Coffee? GTA mod are far from over and it seems that the long arm of law is reaching not just game retailers, but the industry in general. The IGDA's Sex SIG got access to a copy of the 2006 E3 Expo Exhibitor's Handbook and found out that the new rules put a defacto censorship to any material, including games and booth babes, with partial nudity or sexually explicit/provocative content.



According to Page 13 of the Exhibitor's Handbook:



Material, including live models, conduct that is sexually explicit and/or sexually provocative, including but not limited to nudity, partial nudity and bathing suit bottoms, are prohibited on the Show floor, all common areas, and at any access points to the Show. ESA, in its sole discretion, will determine whether material is acceptable.



What does all this mean? That we won?t get to see those hot girls we used to take photos with or date (in our dreams). No more Hottest Booth Babe competition, no more cool games like Leisure Suit Larry or the Playboy Mansion?



While the handbook does state no ?bathing suit bottoms?, there is a bit of a gray area when it comes to the overall attire. It will be interesting to see how far game publishers are willing to go in order to test the waters. In any case, E3 booth babes just got a little uglier.



Without Booth Babes in tiny leather pants or bikinis, is there any reason at all to go to E3? Oh Diana, I'm going to miss you so much!

[Melbosa]

hmmm more on this: http://www.gamecloud.com/article.php?article_id=3162

Gamecloud has received a response from E3's media relations team concerning what the Sex and Games blog states was a change in policy concerning the apperance of booth models at E3. E3 show director Mary Dolaher issued this statement to Gamecloud:



   The E3Expo dress code policy is not new for 2006. In fact, it is the same as it has been for the past several years, and the vast majority of other major tradeshows have the same or similar policies. What's new in 2006 is an update of the enforcement policies, which simply allow show management to better enforce the long-standing dress code. E3Expo is first and foremost a business show, and policies such as this one help create an environment not only "where business gets fun", but where business gets done.





For people who are curious here are the new enforcement policies as reprinted on the Sex and Games blog post:



   For 2006, The Board has adopted an amendment to the current Character of Exhibit/Attire Policy enforcement. Exhibitors will receive ONE verbal warning when a violation of the policy is encountered. Should another violation occur, the ESA will impose a $5,000 penalty, payable immediately on-site and require that models comply with the dress code before returning to the floor.



   Exhibits or conduct by Exhibitor which ESA dtermines, in its sole discretion, are likely to constitute a violation of state or federal law or criminal activity shall be prohibited and ESA shall have the right, upon such determination, to require immediate removal of the exhibit, or portion thereof, of the offending exhibitor.



   Any exhibitor not utilizing the official service contractor for Models and/or Talent, will be required to follow the procedures for using an Exhibitor Appointed Contactor and furnish the appropriate forms and certificates of insurance to show management before these personnel will be allowed to access the show floor.





It remans to be seen how strictly the E3 show organizers will enforce these policies. For example the show is supposed to be attended only by people ages 18 years and older but many teenagers and even pre-teens have been seen at the show in previous years, particularly on the last day

[Melbosa]

hmmm and GS says BS on this whole thing: http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24247233

What we heard: Each year, the industry struggles to show that, like films in the early 20th century, games are a legitimate, cutting-edge art form struggling to overcome misunderstanding. And, each year, industry critics trot out the stable of "booth babes" at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), to prove games cater to humanity's lowest common denominator. Stories like last year's widely reported account of the so-called "E3 groper" didn't help the issue.



So when rumors spread today that the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the industry lobby that puts on E3, had banned scantily clad models at exhibits, gaming insiders reacted with a combination of shock ("Whaaa?!") and "Awwww!" ("No booth babes? Cancel my ticket!"). The mostly unattributed Internet reports stemmed from a post on the "sex & games" blog of the IGDA, the self-described "definitive news source for sexual content in games."



According to the IGDA page, the ESA had imposed "de facto censorship" on E3 exhibitors, saying that "material, including live models, conduct that is sexually explicit and/or sexually provocative, including but not limited to nudity, partial nudity and bathing suit bottoms, are prohibited on the Show floor, all common areas, and at any access points to the Show." Judging by previous E3s, that would all but mean an end to models on the show floor, as they are not known for their modesty.



GameSpot contacted the ESA regarding the nascent controversy. An E3 staffer said that the rules regarding attire have always been in place and that they have long not been enforced. "People largely ignored us," said the staffer, saying that booth babes would merely relocate to other parts of the show floor when asked to dress a little more modestly. The rep said the $5,000 fine was introduced this year to add some teeth to the regulation.



But does that mean there won't be models hawking publishers' latest wares at E3? In a word, no. Like at virtually every other trade expo, E3 exhibitors will use attractive women to help make inroads with mostly male E3 attendees. But are they on notice not to be as risqu? as in past years? Given the still-simmering fallout from last year's "Hot Coffee" Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sex-mini-game scandal, the answer appears to be "yes."



Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus that they are banned, not bogus that they won't be able to undress to excess.

[Thorin]

Hah, not bathing suit bottoms, but underwear isn't explicitly cast out.  Go Team Thong!



If you want full nudity and sex acts on stage, go to the adult video expo.  It's held in Vegas, and goes a lot further than E3 would.



Or go to Madrid for their sex show.  If you want, you can probably help some porn star break the record for largest gangbang.

[Tonnica]

I got a good chuckle out of this, especially as nobody under 18 is supposed to be allowed into E3 anyways. So anyone on the floor would be an adult and thus capable of making a judgement call. Yes, there can be "outfits" that go too far, but those have been dealt with in the past. Yes, the various gaming news agencies will post photos of the floor (and the booth babes!) in their publications/on their sites but at that point (beyond the floor itself) it's a media censorship issue.

[Darren Dirt]

I got a good chuckle out of this, especially as nobody under 18 is supposed to be allowed into E3 anyways. So anyone on the floor would be an adult...

An adult, who implicitly consents to whatever the E3 presenters voluntarily choose to present to those who voluntarily choose to enter the premises.





If an adult who attends is offended they are free to do* any of the following:



1) leave and never come back



2) speak directly to the presenter and complain



3) refuse to buy any more products from the offending presenter



4) complain to the E3 head honchos about the offending presenter



5) complain to the local or even national media about what offended them



6) any combination of the above, depending on how lazy/brave/mean they are



7) encourage their friends, family, and strangers (yay Interweb!) do to any of #1-6.





*at least, last time I checked, unless some of the above have now been considered "terrorist activities" of "suspected enemy combatants".

[Zapata Prime]

What's next no drop dead hotties at the car shows?? Imagine the uproar if they didn't have some chick plastered all over the hottest car at the Detroit auto show!!

[Mr. Analog]

On one hand; lame, on the other; new games!



At least it's not like the snore-fest CES shows of the early 80s (think old men in ties and rumpled suits).