When I started to organize events with a stage, and especially in 2002 at the “Grande Halle of la Villette”, we were playing loud music on stage to prevent the noise coming from the venue. (sound of the game and casters). It was rudimentary. In 2003, during the 1st ESWC, we were the first to invest in helicopter headsets. We had to modify the wires to make it PC compatible. The results were satisfying! For quite a while, we stuck with that option to keep the games as humanized and vibrant while shutting down the returns and placing the speakers as far as possible from the stage. In 2004, we even tried to broadcast the casters through infrared headphones (worn below by the audience) Then, we’ve been working with Plantronics for the “Commander” version, which was cancelling the noise from the outside like a helicopter headset. Once the ESWC joined the “Paris Game Week” exhibition, we started to use the noise cancelling headset on top of the earbuds. Gaming conditions are very hard during an exhibition. It’s the same at the PGW or at the Gamescom… I don’t know if soundproofed booths would have done better. To my knowledge, it creates new problems (lights, A/C, space…) with no noise cancellation guaranteed. So yes, the issues have always been ambivalent: Having a good show, great footage, interactions between the public and the players and in the meantime, cancelling noise from the audience as much as possible and give the players the best in-game conditions. It would never be perfect in term of a “living show” neither in “room mode”. The best conditions can only be reached in studio.