The week of the 2008 Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone, with little fanfare and noticeably fewer tasty tidbits on upcoming games than used to be meted out this time of year. It's now the second year that the show has been greatly subdued and reduced in size.

Having had two years to try out the new format, a number of gaming industry leaders have commented that it's just not the same, though there are still some people who believe the event is alive and well. Some companies have put words to action and already abandoned the show, opting instead to host their own events.

I still fondly remember the days when E3 was a huge event, the summer issues of gaming magazines ballooned to double or triple their normal thickness, and there was still some hope for the average gamer to someday go and see the spectacle first-hand. Unfortunately, it seems that while there still may be some interesting info on upcoming games to be had there, the "fun" factor is gone, and unless you're an industry leader, marketing guy, or journalist, you won't be invited to attend.

What do you guys think, is it still worth even bothering? Is E3 dead, and companies should just hold their own events or perhaps come up with a new convention to rival E3's former glory? Or is it better this way?