The games industry has such a poor image in the eyes of the general public, that they have to do even more to get people's acceptance. So I guess this is a logical step.

Getting rid of the babes makes games more mainstream? Hardly. Car shows. Full of them. And cars sure aren't mainstream. Nope.
Look at the TGS, just as babelicious if not moreso than E3. But of course games are hardly mainstream in Japan either.
/sarcasm

I actually think this is good news as itll make the game developers out there want to make their booths and games look even more impressive and attractive since the ladies are out.

Surely people should be more concerned about the dodgy content of particular games, rather than the dubious marketing and PR tactics?

Gee, now 3d Realms might not even bother to show up this year.

Put me in the "not sorry to see them go" camp. I always thought it was cheap. Perhaps everyone can focus on the games this time around.

guess its back to good ol internet porn :(

This country is RETARDED!

Blowing up people, shooting them in the head, decapitations, "wife-swapping" tv, ALL these things are acceptible entertainment.

But NAKED TITTIES? No way.

Get me OUT of here!!!!!

I like to look at babes as much as the next guy. But last year E3 did have some girls that were down right slutty. Like the girls from The SIMS (I believe it was the Sims). They had their little set looking like a bedroom and they were having a slumber party I guess.

And they would get guys up on bed and they'd be all over the guy. That kind of stuff is really not necessary.

This year is gonna be my first E3. Not only was i gonna be around the industries best, and see games before they are released, but around some extremely hgot women. This news dissapoints me. Are they trying to make it more family friendly? Aren't all the people who attend E3 over 18?

See, I'm with the others... I don't care if y'all keep the Booth Babes or not (like I said waaay down at the beginning, the most I can really think to say about it is "silly," I don't get up in arms either way).

But I'm *all* for giving us some Booth Bishounen to look at too. Hell, I'll be generous, even throw in some Booth Beefcake for the gals who don't like the bishie types, heretics though they may be.

you are perfectly correct ebwiz.

in most cases of "women as sex objects" people tend to forget that the women in pictures, models and actresses and all that. These people are paid and paid well for what they do, and are probably more peeved then the people who just want to stare at them that they will be missing out on another work oppurtunity.

it's becoming a crime to want to look good for people.

Control is okay, I can understand not wanting something too skimpy out on the floor. But at the same time it seems kinda weird to say that these people have to be superdressed up, and it's very sexist indeed.

oh well, as long as the world, and america in particular, loves to polarize issues instead of looking at them we will never find a correct solution to anything.

Erm... is it just me, or are people taking this far too seriously? And no, I'm not talking about the people who will miss them.

Seriously, all this talk about "the industry image" and "sex objects" makes me seriously question you're sense of buisness. These women are paid models. It's their job, and they understand it as such. Isn't it... you know... more sexist to tell them what they can and cannot do? Just a thought... and I'm not even saying that because I care so much as I don't get why everyone's starting to take a moral high ground on this... I'm willing to bet you didn't even give two thoughts on the issue until it was brought up. Seriously, booth babes or not, who cares? Sure, Sex sells and it works, but as a gamer, I was looking at it for the games anyway, so the inclusion/exclusion of booth babes has no effect on me, but I'm certainly not going to sing praises because of it either.

I can care less for this to be honest cause I'm gay, but I feel for the men out there who need something to stare at besides games.

Well, in my eyes BBs just for the sexual attraction is iffy, but if you're advertising a game like, say, Dead or Alive, it makes sense, right? And I doubt most of the gamers at E3 are there for the babes. They're just a pleasant distraction, and sometimes the source of amusement. But like several other people have said, you can still have gorgeous girls at booths and stuff, they'll just be clothed like...normal people.

Even if you're a person that's all about "personality is first, looks don't mean a thing", attractive people generally make things look more attractive. Of course, if the game itself was horrible then no amount of models could make up for it.

*cry*

Oh man, looks like all the guys at G4 are going to go back to making it look like they like games again.

Oh no, the booth babes are gone... whatever will I do?

I just can't see people being seriously perturbed by this, but I also know I'm underestimating the power of the heterosexual male libido. Meh, Meh, Meh. (Also, it'd be interesting to see what E3 would be like if the tables were indeed turned as dragon girl has posited below...)

about time. this industry wants to be taken seriously, how about acting like you're more mature than high schoolers?

damnit! The first year I get to go to E3 and now they are gone... so sad...

Good to hear.

Goddammit.

That's kinda silly if they're really banning "booth babes" (and this is from someone who, ah, has no interest in booth babes and thinks *they're* pretty silly too).

From what's posted here though, it looks like they might just be cracking down on the really explicit stuff? The models almost completely hanging out of their tops, etc...? Note that it doesn't say all live models are prohibited, just those that are sexually explicit or "sexually provocative" are.

I guess in the end it'll come down to just how they define sexually provocative.