It's common knowledge that the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has been closed off to industry members only. This was done not to prevent people from seeing the show but to provide a more intimate affair among key industry players.

In the official statement from Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the organizers of the event, it said that the E3 was simply "evolving into a more intimate event focused on targeted, personalized meetings and activities". Still, there are those who have strongly opposed this move, with some even starting up their own events such as the Game Pro Expo show.

There have been some rumors going around that the E3 will be closed to non-North American journalists and Game Developers.  The problem started when Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) was unable to acquire tickets for the event. This led to Mr. Chris Hanlon, the CEO of IEAA, to believe that the E3 is "purely for the North American market and that other territories won't have the opportunity to directly participate as they have in the past".

It should be made clear though that the E3 is not only for North Americans but an international event. Because the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is now a "by invitation only event", there will be some who will not be receiving invitations.  It has been known for months now that journalists will not be able to secure tickets to the event by calling the ESA. The invitations will be sent to those that the companies wish to have invited, regardless of where they are in the world.

In recent news, the ESA has just extended an invitation to Australia-based company Screen Play to attend this year's event. This completely debunks the IEAA's misconception that E3's being closed to the international gaming community.