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It’s official. After the announcement that Ubisoft would not be attending this year’s E3’s event, organizers decided to cancel the 2023 event all toghether. When the Electronic Entertainment Expo first came to be on May 11th, 1995, the gaming community had a new premier trade show. It quicky became the defacto occasion for game companies to unveil first looks at upcoming games and showcase next generation hardware. The next 23 years E3 would create gaming magic and memories with reveals and showcases. E3 would evolve from a press and industry only trade show to one simulcasted on the internet for millions of viewers. Sadly, I think we’ve grown beyond the Electronic Entertainment Expo, and this years cancelation is the culmination of that shift.
The beginning of the end – E3 2020 canceled.
First, let’s start with how we got here: 2020. A global pandemic pressed pause on the planet. A good percentage of the population started working from home. Studios had to delay and adapt to what was life for the unknown future. All live gatherings from concerts to sporting events were canceled until further notice, and E3 was no exception. This led to a major marketing shift in how the video game industry shared big news. Studios and developers began producing their own web showcases and streamed them via YouTube and Twitch. The videos received positive reactions, comments, and it seemed everyone was pleased despite there being no E3 event.
Skip ahead to 2021. In an effort to maintain safety, E3 announced there would be no live event, but an online one instead. Only one notable company, Sony, didn’t participate and instead put their own digital showcase out later in the year. E3 would then announce that the live event would be coming back in 2022. Let’s go!
It didn’t happen.
We didn’t even get an online one. In January of 2022, E3 cancelled its upcoming event citing the spread of the Omnicron Covid 19 variant. There is evidence to suggest however that the event was never confirmed at all due to unpublicized dates. Studios and devs once again resorted to hosting their own showcases online. However, E3 announced with confidence that a live show will be happening in 2023.
So here we are, late March, 2023. E3 had been scheduled and well publicized. However, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony had all announced they would not be present this year. Microsoft will be holding digital events, but nothing on the showfloor. Popular studios Sega, Tencent, and now Ubisoft also backed out. Today, E3 – left with very to offer its attendees – has announced the 2023 event will not take place.
What happened?
E3 is to gaming what theaters are to films. Studios in the film industry realized the power and potential of the internet and streaming services while everything was shut down. Apparently, studios in the game industry have done the same. I think a lot of studios were skeptical if E3 2023 would be happening this year, having been canceled twice in recent years, so they didn’t bother preparing for it. Look at Ubisoft’s reasoning: “Why do I need you when I can do it myself?”. I believe this mentality will spread to more studios next year, leaving even fewer companies in attendance. I won’t pretend to know how much companies spend to secure a spot at E3, but if properly executed, the same effect can be achieved by hosting their own event on their own terms. The money saved over releasing trailers on YouTube versus sending a large group of employees to showcase products in Los Angeles is worth it alone. I’m afraid the future of E3 is bleak, an almost non-existent one unless they can somehow adapt and evolve.
Can next year’s event be saved?
My advice? Go for the indie game market and put more focus on games that don’t get enough attention. Sometimes those little games become contenders for ‘Game of the Year’. If Electronic Entertainment Expo became the place where the little games shine and get some hype, it would be a big help for small studios while bringing attention to other genres of games. It would honestly enhance the industry as a whole. Major players would still have their platforms, but E3 could be the event where a new major player is discovered. This is my hope for E3. Let’s hope they read this.
