3 years ago
Kamran Shamsi
**The Gradual Decline of E3**
The past few years have been unkind to E3, the largest gaming conference in the world. With the cancellation of E3 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to an all-virtual event in 2021, the event's future was already on rocky ground. This was further compounded when E3 2022 was cancelled altogether, again due to the ongoing pandemic, where the ESA stated:
"Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalised physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favourite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring together the community, media, and industry in an all-new format and interactive experience."
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With this in mind, many fans from across the globe were ready for a triumphant return to form for E3, one that would see the popular trade show recapture what made the show so special in the first place: a non-stop barrage of game after game. However, a recent scoop from IGN revealed that the three primary players, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, are all skipping this year's conference, presumably favouring their independent events. The absence of these three giants from this year's event raises the question of whether E3 is losing its relevance and being overshadowed by other events, such as Summer Games Fest, led by Geoff Keighley.
The gaming industry has been one of the few industries that thrived during the pandemic. With the rise of online gaming and streaming services, events like E3 are no longer necessary for companies to reach their audience. The gaming community is highly engaged and active online. Companies can reach their audience directly through live streams, social media, and other online channels without needing a physical event. This shift in how companies reach their audience has led to speculation that E3 may no longer be necessary and may eventually be replaced by other events. Whether that be Summer Games Fest or independent events led by publishers dedicated to their games, the future is still being determined. This is likely a significant reason why Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are all skipping the event; to have their own dedicated time to provide coverage on all their upcoming titles without being constrained by the dates set by the ESA, as well as not having to pay the presumably high fee to rent space on the show floor.
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**Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony's stance**
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has already confirmed that the company intends to return to Los Angeles this Summer for its annual showcase, stating that they will place the event as "convenient for press and even consumers". From this, the show will likely line up closely with E3, even though Xbox won't be present itself. That being said, Spencer has emphasised his support for E3, saying:
"E3 is, to me, one of the seminal gaming moments. I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, seeing great new things, and seeing people in the industry and the fan events we've had. I want that to continue," Spencer said.
"Xbox is on the board of the ESA, and a successful and healthy ESA is critical to what we're trying to do. We place our showcase like we always have done, at a time where hopefully it's convenient for the press and even consumers going to the E3 event, and that's what we're trying to do now. We will continue to work with ESA in terms of their plans. As I said, we're on the board and want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful."
Unlike Microsoft, in recent years, Nintendo has abstracted its June event away from the E3 show floor by having an all-digital Direct format. However, the company has always maintained a physical booth on the show floor, typically for extended gameplay segments titled "Nintendo Treehouse" immediately after a Direct. This year will mark a deviation for Nintendo. It will be interesting to see if they have a physical presence anywhere this year.
Of the three, Sony is the most unpredictable of all. It is well known that Sony has been absent from E3 since as far back as 2018 over an apparent dispute with the ESA. It is still determined whether the company will hold a similar event around the same timeframe. PlayStation's last giant showcase was in September 2021. Since then, they have followed up with smaller, more criticised State of Play events (usually featuring third-party titles and indies). We may now see the company play their marketing cards closer to its chest, as seen with God of War: Ragnarok, which was radio silent until a couple of months before release.
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**E3's Future**
Whilst the three gaming giants, as well as the ESA, declined to comment, events company ReedPop provided a statement to IGN:
"E3 is such a significant event for the game industry. Being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we've worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs.
This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input. However, we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalising the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We've created a new format for the event that serves the industry's and its fans' needs, and we are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.
As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we sent a single contract to an exhibitor at the start of this month. We have received tremendous interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry. When we are ready to announce the exhibitors, we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike."
It's still being determined what the future of E3 will be. Now, with the absence of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, concerns have been raised about the future of the event and its relevance in the gaming industry. The pandemic has forced the industry to shift towards online-only events. Events like Summer Games Fest are gaining traction and attention from the gaming community. While E3 may still be in the gaming industry's future, it moves away from significant in-person events and towards online-only events.
**Disclaimers**
Kamran Shamsi is a gaming and technology journalist for Stock Checker. You may follow him on [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/kamrann64).
Images used in this article belong to Summer Games Fest, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and the ESA.