The Electronic Entertainment Expo, aka “E3,” was set to be held in person for the first time since 2019, having been digitally streamed in 2021 and getting canceled in 2022.
As confirmed by E3’s official tweet, the 2023 edition of the expo is set to be canceled yet again. Members got an email from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) stating that the event had been called off in view of many factors.
For a while, most big names have been pulling out of the E3. Sega and Tencent confirmed their absence from the expo after Ubisoft stated the same, despite their CEO being a staunch supporter of the E3.
Devolver followed suit, meaning the famous Devolver parking lot would only be present if the E3 went through. Earlier this year, Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony had confirmed that they would not be attending this year’s edition of the E3, to be held from June 13th to 16th.
ReedPop, the organizers and hosts of the event, had put in much work to materialize their current idea and vision of the E3. They had ensured it was professional enough for business and enjoyable enough for consumers.
The new revamped structure of the E3 saw the first two days being dedicated exclusively to business. The fourth day would be exclusively for consumers, while the third day was set to be for both business and consumers/visitors.
However, as per an email sent to the members by ESA, it was stated that the 2023 edition of the event “simply did not garner the sustained interest” that would be necessary to execute the event in a way that would “showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry”.
ESA reiterated that E3 continued to be a beloved event and brand and concluded the email by addressing their commitment to advocacy work.
Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global VP of Gaming for the Organizers ReedPop, said in a public statement that despite all the efforts put in by them and their partners, it was in the best interests of the industry to cancel the event.
He said they understood that many companies didn’t have demos ready and that resourcing challenges couldn’t be overcome quickly. The press release added that ReedPop and ESA would continue collaborating on “Future E3 events” despite no confirmed timeframe.
The sister event, Summer Game Fest organizer Geoff Keighley tweeted that he realized four years ago that E3 wasn’t evolving at the right pace as needed by the global community. He confirmed that Summer Game Fest would be held as planned from June 8th onwards.
While the community is divided over the decision, most are disheartened as most grew up watching presentations and showcases on the once-shiny E3. We hope that ESA and ReedPop will iron out the flaws and bring back the E3 we all love.
About E3
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry in the United States. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishers, hardware, and accessory manufacturers use to introduce and advertise upcoming games and game-related merchandise to retailers and to members of the press.
E3 includes an exhibition floor for developers, publishers, and manufacturers to showcase their titles and products for sale in the upcoming year. Before and during the event, publishers and hardware manufacturers usually hold press conferences to announce new games and products.
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