GDC and DICE Now Press-Invite Only

Kotaku offers word that from now on, GDC and DICE might be press-invite only, joining E3 that took this move earlier.
So far, that doesn't appear to be the case, but now both the Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain (DICE) summit and the Game Developers Conference are moving toward an invite only system and the same concern is rearing its head.

But the heads of all three organizations say they're going to great lengths to make sure that doesn't happen.

The Game Developers Conference is moving to a new invite-only system starting next year, the show's director, Jamil Moledina, told me.
(...)
That's primarily the impetus behind DICE's decision this year to cut down on press attendance.

"The academy's role, first and foremost, is to make sure the academy members are comfortable and that the role of the media is to be there to watch and not participate," said Joseph Olin, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, which puts on DICE every year.

This year, the academy decided to cut down on press attendance by assigning the invitee lists to two public relations companies. One handled mainstream press and the other handled enthusiast press and blogs.
You know, those of us who are not at all happy with the rather unbalanced coverage the mainstream media gives might have to worry about these kind of moves removing our ability to judge games for ourselves and just have to rely on the hype from the media instead. Worrying.