most expected Gaming event of the year has been cancelled, again. Last week, the organizers strangely dropped E3 2023, was previously slated to return this June for its first live event since 2019.
On March 30, IGN reports that the Entertainment Software Association (the organization behind the trade show) told members that while E3 “remains a beloved event and brand,” this year’s conference “simply failed to garner the long-term interest needed to do it in a way that demonstrates the size, power, and impact of our industry.
Once the annual focus of major gaming news, E3 once drew attendees from around the world to Los Angeles—the downtown area surrounding the LA Convention Center and Staples Center (now known as Crypto.com Arena)—in almost a week of flashy presentations and reveal. that is the where attendees can head to events, get early previews of upcoming games and exclusive interviews, and virtually beat industry legends like Shigeru Miyamoto in the face.
However, as top players embraced live-to-audience streams like Nintendo Direct and PlayStation Direct, E3 struggled. Today, it’s an event like Game Award creator Geoff Keighley Summer Game Festival—a combination of personal in-person events and content specifically designed to be enjoyed online—fills this role. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis pointed to the pandemic and “economic headwinds” as factors that led to the decision to cancel. Additionally, Pierre-Louis said, “companies are beginning to experiment with how to find the right balance between in-person events and digital marketing opportunities.”
As opposed to fan conventions like PAX, or even networking and knowledge-focused gatherings like Game Developer Conference, E3 is a major marketing event of mutual benefit to game makers and those who cover them. Its value lies in who it can bring to the event and how accessible attendees can be to those companies. Previously, Nintendo, Microsoft, PlayStation, Ubisoft, Bethesda and several other companies would hold consecutive press conferences to kick off the event before the official opening.
But thanks to streaming platforms like convulsion And YouTube, companies now have the ability to deliver live and online news to consumers simultaneously, without the need for public relations firms or journalists. Nintendo, for example, perfected this with Nintendo Direct, a series of pre-recorded and tightly controlled marketing events. Similarly, Keighley’s summer program, built in a time when no one can safely congregate, is envisioned as a digitally savvy event that can take place without physical presence. reality. Between game companies creating their own events and Keighley’s growing dominance in the streaming space, thanks to The Game Awards’ popularity, E3 is largely redundant.
Even before the E3 organizers started cancel event Due to concerns about Covid-19, attendance is decreasing. In previous years, celebrities like Keanu Reeves, Aisha Tyler and Pele would come to tout their participation in various games. Miyamoto appeared once to swing the Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Steven Spielberg and James Cameron delivered excellent cameos on stage. None of that even looks viable in 2023, like Sony, Xbox, Nintendo, Ubsifo, Sega and Tencent all dropped out of school in the weeks leading up to this year’s event, choosing to focus on presentations elsewhere.
