E3, the annual games showcase organised by the Entertainment Software Association, will no longer be going ahead.
The first Electronic Entertainment Expo was held in 1995 and quickly became the biggest showcase of video games. “After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye,” said a post on social media, confirming the news.
Speaking to The Washington Post, president and CEO of the nonprofit trade association that represents the games industry’s interests in the United States, Stanley Pierre-Louis, blamed the decision on a mix of new competitors, partner’s hosting their own events, changing audience habits and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023
“We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share that passion,” he explained. “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.”
The last in-person E3 took place in 2019 while plans for a proper return earlier this year were scuppered after companies like Nintendo, Sega and Sony decided not to take part. In March, the event was officially cancelled.
“E3 was really about a marketing and business model for the industry and being able to provide the world with information about new products,” explained Pierre-Louis. “Companies now have access to consumers and to business relations through a variety of means, including their own individual showcases.”
In 2011, Nintendo started hosting its own Direct presentations with other companies following suit over the pandemic. In 2019, frequent E3 collaborator Geoff Keighley confirmed he would no longer be involved in the expo, and went on to set up other showcases such as The Summer Games Fest (which also takes place in June) and The Game Awards.
“Any one of these major companies can create an individual showcase [and] also partner with other industry events to showcase the breadth of games,” Pierre-Louis continued. “That’s exciting for our industry, and it means it’s an opportunity for them to explore how to engage new audiences in different ways.”
However, the 2023 Game Awards have been heavily criticised for the amount of time that was dedicated to adverts, instead of celebrating the achievements of the gaming industry.
In other news, The Legend Of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has said that open-world games are the future, following the success of Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom.