E3 2023 has been officially cancelled. Also this year, theat the Los Angeles International Video Game Fair it will not open its doors, physical or digital, to the public. The news had already been in the air for quite some time and the official confirmation from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) arrived yesterday.
After the severe blow suffered in 2020 with the pandemic, it seems that for E3 there is no longer any reason to exist or maybe yes?
Why was E3 2023 cancelled?
Despite the efforts, ESA has failed to attract the attention of the gaming market which has preferred to direct its efforts, economic and otherwise, elsewhere. In addition to a significant revolution from a communication point of view and an increase in video game development times, the recent trend of the global market has also made even the largest companies give up.
For months, in fact, it had been announced that in addition to Sony, which has not taken part in the event since 2019, neither Nintendo and Microsoft would participate.
The evolution of communication in the videogame world
In fact, the change in gaming trade shows has been going on since before any pandemic or lockdown. In addition to the aforementioned Sony case, the first evolutions of communication in the world of video games took place as early as 2011. In this year, Nintendo first used the Nintendo Directthe online presentation format of video games and consoles.
For those unfamiliar with it, these are short videos published on the official platforms which, over the course of the year, announce and show the upcoming news. Right from the start, these quick videos found a huge success and in a short time all the majors in the sector created their own “direct”. Xbox Showcase per Microsoft, State of Play per Sony, Ubisoft Forward per Ubisoft and so on.
New formats, fresher, easy to use and democratic that do not require excessive effort or risk (as well as being free to the public). Elements that have made it clear to companies but also to gamers that perhaps an event of such mammoth scope as E3 was not so necessary.
The “Next Gen” Case
Another element that has accelerated the disaffection of companies from E3 has been the launch of the next generation consoles. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S have in fact known their debut right in the midst of the pandemic. There were many difficulties among problems of availability, communication and lack of video games, but despite everything the sales of both consoles were excellent and constantly growing.
All of this without a live presentation, without a glass case to photograph or videos of excited influencers with the console behind them. Only by exploiting the video and digital format, companies have managed to communicate features, prices and everything necessary for the public to better understand the functions of the consoles and the possibilities they could offer. All at a reduced price and in the comfort of their own studios.
What’s left after E3?
The fact that E3 2023 has been canceled shouldn’t scare you though, videogame events, both digital and in presence, are still alive. Between the Game Developers Conferenceheld a few days ago, the Consumer Electronics Show of January, the Gamescom of Cologne, Il Game Fest, i The Game Awards and many more, viewers will still have a “place” to gather to admire what the market has to offer. To these are added the aforementioned personal “directs” of each company who we are sure will work even harder to ensure we don’t miss any E3.
What about E3 2024?
At this point one has to wonder if E3 is definitely dead or if there might still be some hope next year. It goes without saying that there are no certainties, but Stanley Pierre-Louis, CEO dell’ESA He said, “We’re committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convening, but we want to make sure we find the right balance that meets the needs of the industry. We will certainly be listening and making sure everything we want to offer meets those needs, then we will have more news to share.”
In short, no certain news. It might seem to some that this could effectively spell the end of any future E3, but given the situation we’ve been analyzing, is that necessarily a bad thing?
What do you think? Will we see an E3 2024?