I recently returned from the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

I went primarily to cover Sony Online Entertainment's offsite presentation suite, for a mini-announcement about the upcoming EQ 10th Anniversary, a fantastic Free Realms update, a look at the latest build of DC Universe Online, and a chat with Vivox, the people who provide the terrific in-game voice program for EQ and EQII...

Here I am with a Free Realms Goblin at the SOE party afterwards - sadly, they are NOT a playable race, cause they are very neat:


But more about that later, for there is MUCH to tell about Free Realms.

Let's talk about CES. It is TOO FREAKING BIG. Now, the old E3 was big, and GenCon is big, but CES is GINORMOUSLY HUGE in sheer mileage. It is hosted in no less than 5 giant halls strung together at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and spilling over into the Hilton, Sands and Venetian hotels.

Let me repeat: TOO FREAKING BIG. I had only one day to walk it, and it took me all day, going at a fast clip. Moreover, there was very little difference between what I saw at CES over what you could see in online catalogs or at your local Fry's Electronics Store (ye gods, how I wish we had a Fry's here in Orlando), with a few notable exceptions.

I was left with the impression of a lot of same ol', same ol', not counting the "coming soon" type things, which you could not touch, try or lick, encased as they were behind thick plexiglass, where they do no good to anyone.

This ASUS notebook was cool to look at, but NO TOUCHIE. They may as well have posted a picture to the internet:


Interestingly enough, the biggest crowds were around the various and several booths which featured Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero to demonstrate their items, usually acoustic-related. The gatherings demonstrated that which CES sadly lacked: interactivity.

Look but don't touch and no, you can't try it, just read the promo material approach used by so many exhibitors did nothing to enhance their appeal. People want cool stuff to do.

Can't touch dis! Neat to look at, but with a hundred companies all selling the same stuff, I prefer to look them up on websites and read actual consumer reviews:


A lot has been said about attendance and exhibitors being down, with initial estimates ranging from 30-50%. I'd disagree with that, but my anecdotal Dorf-count of a 15% loss might be equally inaccurate. Official attendance figures have not settled fully yet, but sites are quoting 15-22% decline in attendance from 2008's event.

I listened in on some conversations between exhibitors who were cautiously optimistic and surprised that they were doing as much business as they were, given "The Economy"(TM) and all. The overall view expressed by two of them was, "The BUYERS came, so I am ok with that. It must be the public that stayed home."

To be sure, some prime space in the central hall was clearly left vacant by a cancellation (likely ONE huge company), and CES promptly filled it with small, temporary and clearly second rate exhibitors with signs that looked like they were done up at the last minute at Kinkos... but this at least gave those companies on CES' infamous waiting list a chance to be seen. If the big guys were too cool to show up, let the little guys grab the spotlight for a change.

Suspiciously out of place between corporate giants Samsung and Panasonic was this group of teeny independents. We could play "guess the name of the huge company that stayed home":


There was but ONE MMOG on the CES show floor, Entropia Online. Not my idea of a good time, but at least it was there. Even the Microsoft booth had toned down their "Games for Windows" section with lame, stactic looping displays of a few titles.

There were some cool but impractical gaming chairs of various builds and a handful of cheap gaming electronics.

And this thing. If ever you wanted to be sure that you'll not pass your genes on to the next generation, wear this. It won a CES Innovation award, I think for "most ridiculous looking headgear EVAH"

(...ok, ok, it is a headset for underwater camera work and stuff. That is marginally acceptable as an excuse for the appearance.)

As mentioned, SOE's display was in a suite offsite, for invited press. I enjoyed the hours I spent there a whole lot more than I did walking the floors, the endless floors of CES.

Only go to this show if you are a serious technophile who loves to look at, but not necessarily touch or use, the latest in electronics, particularly specialty products that you cannot order locally. Sadly, the latest in electronics looked just like last year's latest in electronics.

Let me know when someone is ready to demo that teleporter that I was looking for so desperately after the fourth hour of wandering around with glazed eyes.

;-)#
Brasse