hen Square Enix Group Ltd. decided to exhibit at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) after a two-year hiatus from the show, the Tokyo-based publisher of "Lara Croft," "Final Fantasy," "Dragon Quest," and other best-selling video-game series wanted a booth that would receive as much acclaim as its award-winning games. With its budget slashed 50 percent compared to its last appearance at E3, the company turned to design firm Volume Inc. of San Francisco to create a booth that would draw media attention to its return.

Instead of the ADD-inducing architecture common to E3, the companies decided on a design as striking as it was simple. They bordered about 30 percent of the booth with a 30-by-150-foot mesh-fabric-panel wall and a trio of V-shaped structures running from 40 to 80 feet long and up to 14 feet high made from the same translucent material. Manufactured from recycled plastic bottles, the fabric panels infused the 15,000-square-foot space with the spare, geometric look of ancient temples, and created a stark contrast to competitors' more frenzied structures. Once the austere design drew attendees in, they were entranced by a second wall element, a 30-by-16.5-foot LED wall facing the aisle. Running about a dozen three-minute-long trailers for its forthcoming games in high definition, the dazzling clips drove visitors to any of 30 gaming stations to test the games. Later, guests could use 10 meeting rooms to talk business with company staff.

Be employing just two major elements - the minimalist fabric structures and the massive LED screen - Square Enix sidestepped the usual visual clutter found at E3, and created a visually impactful exhibit that was in budget and on brand. Furthermore, the exhibit helped Square Enix realize its goal of attracting press attention as Famitsu, Japan's largest publisher of video-game magazines, deemed the booth the most gorgeous at E3. After a two-year absence from the show, Square Enix was back in the game.e