Is it "Game Over" for E3?

The premier industry videogame conference, E3, took place recently at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  This was an odd year, as two key industry players -- sports game leader Electronic Arts (EA) and Activision -- diminished their presence at the show.  EA skipped their traditional press conference.  Activision passed on floor presence but did hold private meetings throughout the event.  Meanwhile, Sony's PlayStation division did not attend at all, although their position as the top console guaranteed that their product was ever visible on the show floor.