Why I called my mom crying from E3

Why I called my mom crying from E3

Everyone shows up at E3 on the first day all bright eyed and bushy tailed, and is systematically worn down over the next three days due to numerous factors. From the grind of running around like a madman while putting your game face on and presenting yourself and whoever you happen to work for in a good light to the work in the evening (for some of us lucky few) to the parties for everyone else where alcohol is flowing like water and things happen that may very well shame Vegas, we all get exhausted by day three. By the time our big dinner meeting happened on day three, everyone here at Third and Five was spent, both physically and emotionally, and after all requisite business had been concluded, the proceedings devolved into laughter as we all climbed in the car for one last party. This happens to everyone involved with E3. Everyone, that is, except for Travis.  Travis had the good (or bad) fortune to be staying in the Glendale Embassy Suites with the Third and Five crew and worked up the courage to come say hello to this group of degenerates who I’m sure looked very intimidating to a nine year old boy.

He appeared with a twinkle in his eye asking if we were lucky enough to go to E3 this year, which of course we were all too happy to tell him about, only to tell us that his parents were not able to get him there this year because it was too late to sign up…as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Our collective heart went out to this enthusiastic little boy, so we pulled him up a chair and told him all about the family friendly parts of our last three days. It was much less action packed than the movie of the same name. Watching his face light up even more as we took turns talking about our experiences reminded each of us of something, we work in video games. On the roughest day of work, we still work in an industry which we have all loved for years upon years, many of us since we were Travis’s age. No two people follow the exact same road, even if they end up at the same place. I cannot say what road Mike or Devon or Seth or Matt or Tai or Murray or Nate or Kay took to arrive at that table with me that night. I am sure that we all loved every second of being at the biggest trade conference of the year. At that moment, the love had nothing to do with video games in the slightest. That love was in response to a single question, posed by a nine year old boy.

‘How can I get a job that will allow me to go to E3?’ This was such a simple question with so many different answers. Each of us had something different to say, but the messages all came back to never letting anyone deter you from doing exactly what makes you happy and following your dreams. I took a strictly academic road, some people created and maintained blogs that were noticed by the biggest companies, some people applied and applied until they got their name heard, and no one can say exactly how Travis will make his mark in this industry. He will though, I have no doubt in my mind of that.

We all gave him all the advice we could muster on what to do, where to be, how to conduct himself, and who can say what is the right way to do things. I sure as shit can’t. I only know what works for me, and as most of the staff will say, I do what I do very well. We all want to surround ourselves with people who are the best at what they do; and I feel very fortunate that Third and Five gave me the chance to excel on their behalf. We even went so far as to introduce ourselves to his parents and tell him what an incredible job they had done so far and we were all better off having met this passionate little man. As we parted ways, I made sure to give my business card to him as well as his father with the suggestion that he call or email me if he ever needs anything, no questions asked. Walking away from that meeting, we all decided to put our best piece of E3 swag together for Travis so he would have the best E3 had to offer.

This year I did an absurd amount of networking and exchanging of cards and a lot of that networking will yield delicious fruit. In all honesty, I feel the most fortunate to have had the chance to network with Travis.

Just knowing he is out there pursuing the same dream that I am really makes it all worth doing. If anything I’ve done helps to pave the road for Travis to make an impact on anything he chooses, then I will have succeeded. That’s the long and short of it.

Thank you Travis for the opportunity to have met you and inspire you at least a little bit. I know that you and your family were thankful for the chance, but we here at Third and Five were really the fortunate ones to have met you. You reminded us why we love video games.