With Microsoft, Nintendo, and Ubisoft all announcing their withdrawal from E3 2023, E3 2023 itself will now not be held. According to IGN, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which plans E3, has begun notifying members that while E3 remains a “beloved event and brand,” E3 2023 “will not be able to generate enough interest from the industry.” size, power and industry influence”.
In a conversation with GamesIndustry, ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis further explained that the aftermath of COVID is still rippling in the industry. Although there are no restrictions on large-scale activities, the development plans of many game developers have been delayed. , so this year there are not so many demos that can be tried on the spot. In addition, COVID has also allowed game manufacturers to try more diverse ways to reach players, using online digital activities instead of physical activities.
As for whether there will be another E3 show in the future, Pierre-Louis can’t say yet. He told GamesIndustry that ESA will still focus on providing a marketing and meeting platform for the industry, but it must ensure that the services provided by the platform meet the needs of the industry. E3 will be revisiting its content to make sure it meets the needs of companies looking to market on the platform, which will require reorienting how gamers interact with E3. ESA also hopes to meet players’ expectations for E3, and these expectations will slowly evolve over time.
E3 2023 was originally scheduled to be held in Los Angeles from June 13 to 16, and it was the first physical exhibition since 2019. Even if E3 itself is not held now, it is expected that the three giants PlayStation, Microsoft, and Nintendo will have large-scale online events around June, and Ubisoft has also announced that it will hold online events around that time. Therefore, except that there is no physical exhibition, the overall atmosphere should not be too bad.