Sega E3 2012

Los Angeles Convention Center | 2012

What It Was

What do an alien, a hedgehog and a racecar driver have in common? They all captivated the crowds at SEGA’s 2012 E3 booth. The Alien Queen from the Alien movies, Sonic the Hedgehog and Danica Patrick help the company launch its new titles—“Aliens: Colonial Marines” and “Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.” Exhibit producer Criket Strong Inc. created a character-rich booth environment where attendees could ‘drive’ a replica of the Alien power loader vehicle, pose for photos with full-scale statues of Sonic and the Alien Queen, and watch Patrick autograph a customized racecar during an in-booth press event.

What We Did

Led by designer Jeff Johnson, the Lightswitch team used theatrical lighting techniques that brought the characters and props to life. Automated, moving-head fixtures fitted with custom gobos brought saturated color, pattern and texture to each vignette, creating pockets of visual interest and making visitors feel as if they had stepped inside of the games.

Why It Worked

We have designed the lighting for SEGA’s E3 booths since 1995 and have a long-standing understanding of the client and its needs. This year, we translated the SEGA’s desire to narrow its focus to a more limited range of titles into a compelling, yet cost-effective design that transformed the booth into a Sonic and Alien fantasyland. Attendees were so taken with the booth’s design that it earned praise from Examiner.com and even won TheRagingNerds.com’s Best of Show Award for having the best booth based on design, media and professional accommodations, decorations and service.