The event will be held from July 15-17.
Although game demonstrations will once again be available, the event no longer features the large trade show floor seen in previous years, having seen a reported drop from more than 60,000 attendees to as little as 5,000 in recent years.
"The U.S. is the world's number one video game market and the E3 Media and Business Summit is its premier video game conference. The 2008 Summit will provide a professional and efficient environment for suite-based meetings with media, and other industry leaders," said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA. "We look forward to welcoming the media and top industry executives to a centralized, business focused and personalized experience. Our program of high-level meetings, networking and personal dialogue, and industry-shaping panel discussions will capture the explosive growth we have seen in 2007 and lay the foundation for the 2008 video game marketplace."
While E3 is open to all companies involved in console, PC, online, and mobile game publishing and development, along with manufacturers of video game hardware and peripherals, regardless of ESA membership status, attendance at all events, meetings, and demonstrations will be by invitation only.
It's unclear how large a role companies in the adult space will play in the summit or in the future of video game development.
According to the ESA, its members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7.4 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2006 and billions more in export sales of entertainment software.
