E3 used to be one of the biggest, if not THE biggest event for gaming in the world. My father worked for a tech company that more so dealt with audio while I was growing up, and yet even though he was in a tech industry adjacent to gaming, he was still sent to check out what was going on at E3. More games trying to get ahead meant more opportunities to sell and develop audio products after all. Point is, everyone was trying to be there to see the latest news. Yet in this fine year of 2023 E3 officially decided to cancel itself after Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, SEGA, and even Tencent made statements informing the world that they would not be participating. The organizers are now re-evaluating the future of this once incredibly influential event turned into something the major companies ignore. But why did this decline happen?
The answer, I’m told, is rather simple. The rise of streaming and Internet access to a wider audience has left there no need for companies to revolve around E3’s schedule. Sony can drum up a State of Play anytime they want, with whatever games they want, and make it however long they want. Their company has complete control over it, and people are gonna tune in because it’s completely free to watch the stream. By coordinating with the developers, game publishers can make major announcements when they feel the time is right rather than whenever E3 is about to happen. In the old days if you missed E3, you had to rely on news articles and maybe low quality trailers uploaded later to get your news. Nowadays you can get a front row seat to the latest trailers in 1080p or higher from your phone. The usefulness of E3 has simply evaporated due to technological advancements and it’s neither convenient for game developers, publishers, or audiences to work their lives around its existence.
Mom: Don't worry, we have E3 at home.
Love it or hate it, these days most announcements are more effectively made online. The only games I can think of being announced at live events are fighting games, which are of course revealed at tournament finales. Even then, the trailer is uploaded mere MINUTES after the live showing so it’s not imperative at all for you to attend the event or even stream it. Do you think E3 will come back to its former glory, or is this the beginning of the end for the event? Are IRL announcements an outdated form of advertising? Did you ever attend E3 yourself? Sneak into the event, steal a press badge from some dude on coffee break, and watch the latest game trailers from your phone anyway in the comments below!
