June 20, 2013April 10, 2018

PlayStation MVPs Invade E3 2013

A historic E3 has come to a close and it was our honor to be able to share the experience with some of our fans. A small subset of our PlayStation MVPs, a group of PlayStation enthusiasts recognized on our official community forums, were invited to attend the show, our press conference and a few special demos of some upcoming titles.

PlayStation MVPs are fans that live and breathe PlayStation, while also providing critical feedback on our products. Although we can’t divulge all the criteria, PlayStation MVPs tend to have high Trophy counts, are active members of the community and are knowledgeable about all things gaming related. Think you’d be a good fit in our MVP program? Feel free to apply.

While at the show, our MVPs were free to explore at will, but the community team also set up a few sessions with publishers and developers such as Konami, Activision, Sony Santa Monica and Naughty Dog. Often meeting up with producers, the MVPs played Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2, Hohokum, The Last of Us, Skylanders Swap Force and Diablo III on PlayStation 3. The MVPs were also treated with a demo of Bungie’s highly anticipated Destiny. To close the show, our MVPs played Johann Sebastian Joust with the creator of the title at the IndieCade booth.

One of our MVPs, Ray McClean, aka WrekGar, had this to say:

“This has been a greatest experience I’ve ever had at E3, meeting my other fellow MVP’s along with Guy Longworth. I got to sit in at the press conference, which blew my mind with games like inFamous: Second Son, Drive Club, Beyond Two Souls, The Last of Us and Gran Turismo 6. The convention center was jammed packed with people lines were everywhere at the PlayStation booth.”

The MVPs take the Konami booth by storm to try out Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.

Senior Vice President of Marketing Guy Longworth, Senior Director of PlayStation Digital Platforms Jack Buser and Director of Marketing for PlayStation Digital Platforms Brandon Stander attend a meet and greet session with PlayStation MVPs.

Greatness awaits our PlayStation MVPs

The PlayStation MVPs meet up with Community Manger Paul Sullivan before the PlayStation E3 press conference.

MVPs lined up to meet voice actors Troy Baker and Nolan North.

MVPs were treated with a demo of Destiny.

MVPs compete in a Johann Sebastian Joust tournament on the last day of the show.

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79 Comments

2 Author Replies

G-Force08
June 20, 2013 at 10:05 am PDT

The application link is broken. ;(

Glad these guys had fun.
- Justin Massongill
  June 20, 2013 at 10:09 am PDT
  
  Smart quotes and HTML don’t mix. Give it a shot now!
- Kristine Steimer
  June 20, 2013 at 10:12 am PDT
  
  Thanks for alerting us, Justin fixed it :)
Joanna_Dark_
June 20, 2013 at 10:09 am PDT

Awesome!
Mercenary09
June 20, 2013 at 10:10 am PDT

Wish I could’ve joined my fellow MVP’s at E3 this year. It looked like a lot of fun! Glad ya’ll had fun!
GOW71
June 20, 2013 at 10:13 am PDT

Glad you all had a blast! You are all so photgenic ;)
Joanna_Dark_
June 20, 2013 at 10:22 am PDT

What a special year to be able to attend with a new console release and with Sony knocking out the competition.
mtk93
June 20, 2013 at 10:29 am PDT

I hate to point this out, but it looks like a bit of a sausage fest.
- Paul Sullivan
  June 20, 2013 at 10:36 am PDT
  
  A bit, yeah. That’s certainly not by design, though! You or some of your female gamer friends can always apply. Gotta keep us honest!
lisatsunami
June 20, 2013 at 10:42 am PDT

@mtk93, lol, that was exactly what I thought, but it’s par for the course in Playstation gaming. Look at the blog cast. I gave up trying to suggest they include more women because either they’re not comfortable with women or they don’t know more than 3 in gaming, and yes I’m including Kristine in that number since she was on once.

In defense of Paul, I’ll say that I got that invitation to apply for MVP awhile back, but I didn’t pursue so maybe other gamer girlz just don’t like publicity.
SweetReLeaf
June 20, 2013 at 11:02 am PDT

Troy Baker & Nolan North picture=EPIC. Lucky guy, I’m jealous.
- Kristine Steimer
  June 20, 2013 at 11:46 am PDT
  
  I’m jealous too, I’ve always wanted to meet them!
Busca-Cabezas
June 20, 2013 at 11:24 am PDT

I recognize The Guns of the Helghast, IN THAAAA HOOOUUUUUUSE!!!! Woot! Woot!! :D
Daniel_the_Jew
June 20, 2013 at 11:25 am PDT

On June 18th, the Sony representative I spoke with on the phone told me to check the Playstation Blog for news about the 4.45 firmware bricking PS3s, and yet I haven’t even seen a warning or explanation of any kind here. Honestly, I don’t want to see posts about new games. I want to know what is being done about my bricked PS3! I have spent an insane amount of money on Sony products and Sony games to be ignored like a hobo. Please give us an update. At E3, Sony made a huge deal about how it’s all about the games. Well prove it. Tell us when we can GAME again. It’s extremely frustrating to want to play my $150 edition of The Last of Us and I can’t because Sony is telling me that “they’re looking into it.” That’s not the vague answer we need right now. I want to know when I can expect to play GAMES again. I hope someone at Sony is taking this seriously. Even if there isn’t an immediate fix, some updates on the situation would put a lot of people at ease.
TwinDad
June 20, 2013 at 11:31 am PDT

@lisatsunami,

I don’t think the women want the attention. Most polls put the split at nearly 60%M/40%F. There are more than we think. In the group photo with the VP’s the woman on the end has a very nervous look on her face. The woman gamers I know don’t want the attention, when they are in a room crowded with people.

Unfortunately look at the blog post on Kotaku about a woman journalist that was asked which booth she belonged to. I’d be creeped out if I was a woman and had to go to this event. There are a few that are more low key that are nowhere near this bad.
StephieRawks
June 20, 2013 at 11:31 am PDT

The other MVPs and I had a blast! It’s an honor to represent the community, not just on the E3 floor, but at the feedback sessions too. Thanks so very much to Sony for making this happen!

Everyone else, check out our official hashtag, #PSMVPE3, for more tweets, pics and videos!
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 11:55 am PDT
  
  So glad to have you there Stephie!
BrianMcGuinness
June 20, 2013 at 11:31 am PDT

@10 – quit crying, ya hobo.
BillyCuth
June 20, 2013 at 11:33 am PDT

I am such a grammar nerd. I can’t help it. Okay, I can but I won’t… It’s “An historic”! The first word? Really?
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 11:54 am PDT
  
  welllll, this is actually a tricky one; based on pronunciation of a potentially silent H. So for example, you would say, ‘an herb’ because the h is silent in that word. Now for ‘history’ this is weird because some people, I feel like usually British, say it with the h silent; like Michael Caine was saying it or something. so it’s not fundamentally wrong, but it also may confirm that Steimer is British? who knows. k off topic, sorry!
T3DV0L70L1N4
June 20, 2013 at 11:34 am PDT

Cool, I wasn’t aware of this program. I’ll give it a shot. What are the benefits of membership?
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 11:51 am PDT
  
  You get to work directly with PlayStation and help us continue to keep gamers at the heart of what we do. So you would be working directly with myself, Steimer, and Paul Sullivan. We, as a Community team interface with basically every branch of PlayStation. So we need dedicated PlayStation fans, who are down to collaborate with us, help us with that mission to ensure we keep what you guys are saying close.
  
  There’s a few other perks that come with the territory, but all in all, we’re continuing to build this program. As we roll up to the PlayStation 4, the potential of being a MVP will only just start to be unlocked. Exciting times!
Biggz124
June 20, 2013 at 11:46 am PDT

I signed up for this 2 weeks ago, back when MVPs were only on forums.

Nice to see it comes along for everyone.
a1_re4
June 20, 2013 at 11:47 am PDT

I’m definitely applying for this program! It looks like it can be a lot of fun and a great opportunity!
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 11:56 am PDT
  
  you should!
b00kthree
June 20, 2013 at 11:49 am PDT

Still kindly waiting for more details about my PS3 slim, bricked by firmware 4.45.
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 11:51 am PDT
  
  We’re definitely aware of this issue and are working on getting info to you guys on a solution for this. You can track updates in this thread here:
  
  http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-3-Support/System-Software-Update-PS3-v-4-45-SCEA-Update/m-p/40721809#U40721809
Sons-of-Helghan
June 20, 2013 at 11:50 am PDT

So much memorable awesome here! :D It was amazing having the opportunity of meeting so many of the passionate gamers of the MVPs and inspiring PlayStation people in person. I’ll be setting a priority goal to earn my spot at becoming an MVP. This experience has showed me so much about what Sony’s MVP program is about and how together they innovate the proper gaming experience as a whole.
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 11:52 am PDT
  
  It was great to meet you at E3 as a guest of one of our MVPs! Hope you apply soon, would be great to have you on the team.
Crazy_S
June 20, 2013 at 11:52 am PDT

The experience at E3 made this the best summer EVER! Glad to see the group photo posted on the PlayStation Blog. PlayStation has the best gaming community :)
Biggz124
June 20, 2013 at 11:52 am PDT

And one last thing, The PS Rewards/GAP/PS Thanks/PS Underground Returns!

I hope us Canadians are chosen as well.
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 1:13 pm PDT
  
  Open to all in North America, just have to have a SCEA account.
ChaseHammerJ
June 20, 2013 at 11:54 am PDT

I see the need for a new acronym in my future.

PSU (1996)
GAP (2001)
RLS (2005)
PS+ (2011)
MVP *

*to be determined
HighClassVN
June 20, 2013 at 11:56 am PDT

This is sick there lucky
Valde_zerocool
June 20, 2013 at 12:07 pm PDT

It’s awesome to see people from all walks of life be in the Playstation community, I aspire to be an MVP.
lisatsunami
June 20, 2013 at 12:11 pm PDT

Hi, TwinDad, I’m pretty sure that girl is only nervous about looking good for the camera, not about being in a sausage fest. Women always worry about their hair when we take pictures.

As for the controversy you cite, wasn’t it about a Kickstarter project originally? Pretty shocking though not the least bit surprising. Internet anonymity brings out the worst in gamers, obviously. It allows real life chickens to be a bully for a change which only makes them more pathetic. Literally zero of them would have the rudeness or guts to act like that in real life. Hopefully most will grow out of it and be ashamed later.
krae_man
June 20, 2013 at 12:19 pm PDT

Man I hate those “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always” Click the circle questionnaires. They are all nonsense yet a computer algorithm is going to use them to narrow down the pile. You could have awesome stuff in the comments fields that’s really what needs to be considered to determine if you’re a fit for this program or not and it could get completely overlooked.
WrekGar
June 20, 2013 at 12:29 pm PDT

I am on a major cloud right now. The people that work for Sony are the best. They gave us opportunities to meet people and do things a lot of us only dreamt of experiencing. Thanks again Paul, Kristine, Morgan, Sid and never forgetting Matt. See you all next year or if I can help it the next event… Gamescon, TGS, PAX, or VGA’s.

Ray McLean AKA
WrekGar AKA
PS Blog Stalker AKA
Playstation MVP #10
lisatsunami
June 20, 2013 at 12:35 pm PDT

Oh, and @13, Bryan, I know you we’re going for the joke here, but have a little empathy, dude. Think how horrible it would be to not be able to game for a few days. I bought 4 PS3s so I would never have to worry about that.
NO_FEAR
June 20, 2013 at 12:37 pm PDT

We did have a lot of fun but we also has some incredibly dynamic and serious discussions with the Playstation Representatives at all levels from working stiffs like Paul, Morgan and Kristine to corporate VP’s like Guy and a bunch in between. I felt like they really appreciated our comments, contributions and insight from a gamers and consumers perspective.

I feel the MVPs represented the community of gamers acceptionaly well. It was a group of very awesome people and you all should be proud of them. A bridge was built from both sides and everyone came together.

If there was one first E3 to go to for me this one was it! I had a blast.

It was so damn sexy!
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 1:15 pm PDT
  
  This! That’s definitely a big part of being a MVP is getting to interface directly with PlayStation. We need you guys to keep being in our ears about the stuff you all care about. This will be extremely important as we continue to into the next generation of games, for sure.
sefjwm
June 20, 2013 at 12:45 pm PDT

Signed up to be an MVP. Hopefully I can make the cut.
WaveLightning777
June 20, 2013 at 12:48 pm PDT

Hopefully the MVPs get this chance again next year. I was SO CLOSE to being able to go, but my LA family had to plan a trip out here right around then. @_@
Christian399
June 20, 2013 at 12:50 pm PDT

Does geographical location matter? (Canadian) I’ll spare myself the entry if this is for US folks only, and wish them all good luck!

Thanks!
RISE_UP44
June 20, 2013 at 1:02 pm PDT

I absolutely love Nolan North, he is so amazing and talented. That is a really great picture of them guys, it would be amazing to meet them someday.
Da_1_hated_tito
June 20, 2013 at 1:12 pm PDT

I can outright say that I’m jealous lol. I always wanted to meet Nolan North and Troy Baker.
MastrGT
June 20, 2013 at 1:32 pm PDT

I wish I could have gone, too. Maybe next year…
FunkyCupcake
June 20, 2013 at 1:44 pm PDT

This was an amazing opportunity to take part in and I’m glad I signed up for it. It was a pleasure meeting the Community Team and the rest of the MVPs!

Oh and im that ‘nervous’ girl in the photo. I assure you I wasn’t nervous at all XD I just wasn’t ready for the photo being taken :P ha
DJHaole
June 20, 2013 at 1:50 pm PDT

Though I am a veteran when it comes to E3, we did have a great time and there were a few more females in the bunch but did not take part in the photos….

By the way that is me in the third pic with NO_Fear making the face behind me, thanks for that lol.
SAIYAN98
June 20, 2013 at 2:05 pm PDT

Is there an age limit to sign up to be an MVP?
gamer_316
June 20, 2013 at 2:24 pm PDT

this was an amazing experience, I hope we’ll be able to do this again next yr, it was great bein abke to talk to ppl like Morgan, Matt, & Paul, u guys are awesome
goldenratio13
June 20, 2013 at 2:24 pm PDT

I’m a little disappointed that Sony can publish these stories about E3 and the PS store, but when it comes to status updates on bricked PS3s, they all turn into deaf mutes.

Terrible customer service, just like a couple of years ago when PSN was hacked. I’m not talking about the screw ups, but Sony’s half-hearted attempt to keep their customers in the loop. That Q&A is a joke, and insulting to anyone with a shred of common sense. I don’t mind waiting for a fix, as long as there’s constant status updates. Guys, don’t be surprised if you don’t hear a peep out of Sony for the next six weeks just like 2011.
TwinDad
June 20, 2013 at 2:38 pm PDT

@lisatsunami

Lol. I have forgotten about looking good for a camera. The kotaku article was about a physical presence while at E3. So the women were present at E3, and this happened while there, or at an event/dinner offsite, but still in the E3 area.

I was just using it as an example of why you stated that some women might just not want to go, as they can be unfortunately the center of attention in a room when they might not want to be.

@SANYAN98

Are you asking if it’s for people 18 or older? I don’t think they care if your an older gamer. IN fact now that I see the picture with the VP. That gentleman in the front on the left, tell me there is no upper limit.
IIIBlackoutIII
June 20, 2013 at 2:44 pm PDT

The photo with Nolan North and Troy Baker is EPIC! That’s a lucky mvp fan.
TwinDad
June 20, 2013 at 2:47 pm PDT

@goldenratio13,

Agreed. It could be longer. I’ve had the infamous Vita store download bug for well over 2 months now, as have plenty of people who post in the forum. I’ve asked for a simple confirmation that they know there is a problem for a few weeks now and have yet to get one.

Now for devils advocate, I wonder if I tweeted it at them if I would get a response from @Yosp or @Playstation. But as it stands now, I feel for those who bricked, as at least I can use my Vita.
Andy10003
June 20, 2013 at 2:51 pm PDT

Applied! However, I have a bit of a complaint on the application process. 250 characters is not nearly enough to answer the questions in the application. I felt like I was essentially making a tweet. My answers went from a rather detailed answer to “Hey guy, I like PlayStation! PICK ME!”
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 4:32 pm PDT
  
  good feedback, going to take that into account
lyfestory
June 20, 2013 at 2:57 pm PDT

Just my personal opinion, but E3 is a show that’s supposed to be for the press.. for journalists.. media… not for fans… i understand most of those who work in the gaming industry are gamers and fans at their core, but the event itself isn’t for fans… set aside a separate day if need be, or send them to a fan-friendly even designed around games… but not E3…
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 4:31 pm PDT
  
  While the MVPs are certainly fans, they were definitely busy and contributed to actual PlayStation work. From an industry perspective, their insight and participation was extremely valuable. Was it fun? hell yes. It’s, in general, a fun time for everyone who works the event; so we definitely made it a good time. But we also put in a lot of work and only through making sure that the industry and PlayStation at E3 is actually aware of who’s actually the real important people in the picture, the fans, can we continue to ensure that we’re for gamers first and foremost.
Thwip
June 20, 2013 at 2:57 pm PDT

I applied, why not! I may not be the most active gamer on sites and on forums, but my MVP status is easily evident when one looks at my commitment through actual spend dollars.
- Morgan Haro
  June 20, 2013 at 4:32 pm PDT
  
  keep in mind, it’s really not about spend levels. We’re looking for people who love to be involved in the community as well..perhaps most importantly. Even if that community is someone who is just super active on the PS Blog, then that’s definitely worth considering! But spend levels are definitely not the main criteria.
Welmosca
June 20, 2013 at 4:55 pm PDT

OMG fantastic Castlevania booth I would be for sure one of those storming the Castlevania booth to play the epic demo…and meet Nolan North oh come on who wouldn’t want that?…thats really cool…also would be good to meet Troy Baker since he’s proving himself worth of the gamers attention and a great voice actor.
gojeff99
June 20, 2013 at 5:01 pm PDT

I have to say it was a awesome time! For me the best part was being at the press conference in person, you could just feel the emotion in the room. E3 was really cool too. I got to see a live demo of KZ SHADOW FALL and is looking really nice. Can’t wait to get my hands on a PS4!
Welmosca
June 20, 2013 at 5:16 pm PDT

@ 13 BrianMcGuinness – Ha what a ignorant…I bet your PS3 isn’t bricked…only those like me with their PS3 bricked know the pain we’re going through.So STFU we only want our PS3s back.
Welmosca
June 20, 2013 at 5:20 pm PDT

Also another thing “PlayStation MVPs tend to have high Trophy counts, are active members of the community and are knowledgeable about all things gaming related”…I fit perfectly in all these aspects but its useless for me to join since I’m not on NA.