No it wasn't and never has been a consumer show. I've attended every E3 from 1995 when it started to 2006. You had to register to get in and as part of that you had to show evidence you worked in the press, games development and publishing or games retail. What you paid for back then was the various panels they had discussing gaming related topics. The registration only allowed you on the show floor which is what I went for anyway - to play the games and try out the new hardware as well as get all the swag. It has always been and still is trade only. The actual cost of the tickets for the panels ran in to several hundred dollars, I believe around $500 , hardly something the average consumer would pay to play some games and you still had to register first and prove you were eligible.
The companies never invited any fans let alone hundreds. In fact there was a lot of resentment at people like myself who in theory had no business being there and as a result led to more over crowding on the shop floor and made the show into more of a consumer event rather then people in the industry being able to conduct business and the press being able to report on what was there. The press use to complain that they had a hard time getting to appointments or actually seeing and playing the games due to all the lines and queues. Consequently more and more of what was on show was behind closed doors especially stuff that wasn't already out or announced. Eventually they changed the format and made it smaller as well as invitation only to reduce the number of people who shouldn't really be there.
I went to e3 in 1989 when it started.
