What We Hope to See During E3 Next Week
Images courtesy of Getty except where noted Games Lists E3 2018
The entire videogame industry swarms to Los Angeles next week for the annual E3 convention, where the biggest upcoming games and hottest new trends in gaming will be revealed. Paste’s games editors will both be there in LA to cover it, so expect daily posts next week with their hands-on thoughts about all things videogame, from the fall lineups for the major consoles, to, I don’t know, some kind of special chair for game people, or something. (Probably headsets. Always a lot of headsets at this thing.) With the first big press conferences only two days away, our games editor Garrett Martin has put together this guide to what we hope to see during E3 in Los Angeles this year.
1. The Capitol Records Building
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Some of the most important records ever were recorded in this legendary building, including classics from Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. With its distinctive cylindrical design from architect Louis Naidorf, this one-of-a-kind tower is an iconic sight on the Los Angeles skyline, and a crucial part of the history of popular music. We’re obviously all music junkies here at Paste, so this is at the top of our list.
2. 10336 Dunleer Drive, Los Angeles, California
YouTube screencap
This might look like a normal house, but look closer. That’s right—this is one of the most famous houses on TV right now, thanks to its starring role on Modern Family. Who wouldn’t want to see the home of Phil and Claire Dunphy, that lovable goof and his neurotic wife-mother, where so many of their unforgettable antics happened? No trip to Los Angeles would be complete without a visit to this 2006 two-story in Cheviot Hills, which has four bedrooms, five baths, and a current Zestimate of $2,771,971.
3. Christ’s Entry Into Brussels in 1889
James Ensor’s most celebrated painting, and an important step in the development of Expressionism, wasn’t publicly exhibited until 1929—over 40 years after it was painted. Thankfully anybody who goes to Los Angeles can see it today, as it’s part of the permanent collection at the Getty Center. LA gets knocked as a slick, soulless place with no art or culture, but institutions like the Getty (and works like Christ’s Entry Into Brussels in 1889) reveal that for the east coast bias that it is.
4. The Sun Sinking Into the Ocean as the Wind Whips Our Hair on the Santa Monica Pier
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
The Santa Monica Pier has been delighting visitors since 1909, and remains a top tourist attraction in Los Angeles. It’s the home of Pacific Park, a modern take on the classic local amusement parks that used to dot the Pacific coastline, and the set for numerous iconic movie scenes, TV episodes and music videos. It’s also a great place to watch that brilliant ball of gas that gives us life disappear just past the horizon, as the breath of Aeolus tenderly wraps us in its embrace, the power of love lifting us up and yet inevitably weighing us down. There’s also some pretty good pinball there too.
5. Some Videogames
If we have the time.
6. All the Dead Things at the La Brea Tar Pits
Photo from the author’s personal collection
If you’re into death and mud, Los Angeles has you covered. More bones have been pulled out of the La Brea Tar Pits than out of the mind of Hart Hanson, creator of the infamously long-lived TV show Bones. A lot of those are just hanging out inside a building that anybody can go to. Look at that photo above: those are all wolf skulls. And not just any wolves, but direwolves, which apparently existed outside of that TV show. (Not Bones. Another TV show, one about direwolves.)
7. Shabu-Shabu House
Note: This is just a random photo of shabu-shabu. This is not from the Shabu-Shabu House.
This Little Tokyo institution serves up some of the best shabu-shabu you’ll ever taste. It’s also admirably free of bullshit—just take a seat at the bar (after a long wait, usually), pick a size (either regular or large), and then get ready for a delicious treat. If you leave your phone in your pocket, make sure you’ve got cash on you, and prepare yourself for a little bit of guff from the staff, you’ll have one of the best meals you can find in the city. This used to be a tradition on the last night of E3 for a certain group of game journalists, many of whom are no longer in the business; we’ll make sure to reflect on all the good voices we’ve lost as we dig into this lightly seared but heavily flavorful beef.
8. The Lucha Underground Temple
Violence is an integral part of the real Los Angeles experience (after all, this is the home of Tom and Jerry), and the LA of today doesn’t get more violent than the underground fighting arena known as The Temple. It’s where the best warriors of space and time converge to battle for money and to satiate businessman Dario Cueto’s endless thirst for violence. If nothing satisfies you more than the sound of bone on bone, or the sight of a man spiraling through the air and into the waiting arms of several other men, the Lucha Underground temple is a must-see. We have no idea if they’re actually doing any tapings next week, but here’s to hoping.
9. Angelyne
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Model / singer / actor / all-around celebrity Angelyne is basically Los Angeles in human form. She maybe didn’t invent the concept of “famous for being famous,” but she embodied it more in the pre-reality TV days than anybody else in America. Angelyne sightings aren’t rare (or at least they didn’t use to be) but until you’ve seen LA’s spirit goddess herself in her pink Corvette you can’t really say you’ve seen Los Angeles.
10. The Hollywood Sign
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Built by the Tongva, who have called the Los Angeles Basin home for over seven millennia, this ancient landmark has lent its name not just to the region it overlooks but to the entire entertainment industry. Science still debates the true purpose of “The Stonehenge of the Southland,” as Leonard Nimoy infamously called it in a third season episode of In Search of…, but all can agree that its ominous presence has loomed large over the history of Los Angeles for thousands of years.
11. Half-Life 3
We’ve heard some good things about the first two, and will happily jump on this train whenever the next game comes out.
Garrett Martin edits Paste’s comedy and games sections. He’s on Twitter @grmartin.