We can all remember the time when E3 was a superbowl, a prom, and a gala on par with Comicon or Gencon. Video game magazines (remember those?), blogs and websites would light up like Las Vegas, and our summer dreams would be filled with promises of the latest and greatest technology in time for Christmas. Now, things are different. If you look at the headlines leading up to E3, the only significant news is what will not be at E3. The first glimpses of the future cornerstones of video game culture have been replaced with mini-games and social networking. And you know what? That’s okay.

While the investors and retailers of E3 have no stomach for the red ocean of hardcore gaming, Gaming culture itself has gotten a lot bigger and more powerful. There are two Penny Arcade Expos, one for each coast. They are being followed by a plethora of gaming expos across the continent. If you want to sell a hardcore game in today’s economy, why would you waste your time with investors who don’t get the culture and are looking for alternate revenue streams anyway? If you ask me, the conversations coming out of PAX and its ilk are much more value than the unfocused flailing going on at E3. E3 seems to act like it doesn’t need gamers, but the truth is gamers don’t need E3 either.