Don’t cry everyone! Just be happy to know that the ESA just contacted WhatIfGaming to say that E3 2009, to take place June 2-4, 2009 is not public as many were hoping after some ridiculous statements about E3 2008 not “displaying the games industry’s wealth.” As I’ve taken position before, allowing E3 2008 as a media only event was the right choice and so is the same case again. E3 2009 is just a little “expanded” to allow for retailers to participate in the convention this time around. There is always E For All everyone! According to ESA:

The 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E³) will take place from June 2-4, 2009, at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today. The expanded E³ will welcome all qualified computer and video game industry audiences, including international and U.S.-based media, analysts, retailers, developers and business partners to preview the latest in interactive entertainment and technology.

When directly asked if “public,” meaning Timmy and his 4 parkour friends to the game lines will be able to attend, ESA stated to us rather directly:

The changes only include: increased booth sizes, increased qualified audiences, and an intensified focus on reinforcing the improved plans for E^3.

Update: Talk about the level of hate mails I just received (around 500) from posting this. This is what ESA wrote to us. We specifically asked if “non-members” of ESA meant anyone in the public, and that’s a no. It just means that people NOT in the ESA group (few companies, exhibitors, and now developers) can gain access to this event in 2009. Public is still not allowed.

Update # 2: Confirmed again. Not Public. Press/Developers/Attending Companies/Business Partners still need to APPLY to attend. E3 2009 will be like the “old” E3′s in terms of scale in the booths, not public attendance. Public cannot attend.