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E3 is dead. After many struggles to bring back the Electronic Entertainment Expo as an in-person, physical event, it seems that there is no hope for a revival. The Entertainment Software Association, the outfit that runs E3, made the announcement that show is gone for good via its official X account, which you can see right here:
— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023
As for the reasons why, speaking to The Washington Post, ESA CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said the following:
“We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share that passion. We know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it’s the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners.”
These “new opportunities,” according to Pierre-Louis, are the various company-hosted events, many of them online livestreams, where numerous games and projects are shown off directly to consumers. The ESA apparently saw itself and E3 as an unnecessary middleman in transmitting information that can be shared instantaneously via the Internet.
Over the years, even predating the COVID-19 pandemic, publishers had been either backing out of or reimagining their approach to E3. Nintendo arguably began the sea change to digital in 2013 when it broadcast a Nintendo Direct showcase in lieu of a traditional stage presentation in Los Angeles. Since then, many other companies have followed suit in different ways.
What do you think of E3 finally being abandoned for good? Let us know in the comments and on social media!
Source: E3 X Account & The Washington Post
