- E3, once a major annual event in the gaming industry, is facing an uncertain future.
- The Los Angeles Convention Center will not host E3 in 2024, leaving many speculating if the event will occur at all.
- The partnership between the ESA and ReedPop, which many hoped would revive E3, ended in a mutual decision to part ways.
The Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3, was previously the highlight of the gaming industry’s yearly schedule, but it is currently facing a difficult decision. The event’s existence is in jeopardy due to its 2024 iteration, and the gaming community is forced to wonder: Is this the end of an era?
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has stated that E3, which has historically taken place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will not return to host the event in 2024. Many are now unsure about whether the event will happen at all in light of this information. Even while the ESA hasn’t formally canceled E3 2024, there are questions because there isn’t a fixed location. As stated by GamesIndustry.biz, the organization is still hopeful about a “complete reinvention” of E3 by 2025.
Even worse, the collaboration between the ESA and ReedPop—the company behind PAX and EGX—was viewed as a glimmer of hope for the resuscitation of E3. However, this partnership, which started off with great expectations, ended in a “mutual decision” to split ways, which has added to the skepticism surrounding the well-liked gaming event.
Stanley Pierre-Louis, the president and CEO of ESA, has made no secret of the organization’s dedication to developing E3. He underlined the necessity of adjusting to the ever-changing environment and hinted that the format and venue of the event are being reconsidered.
Live events such as E3, which used to draw large crowds, appear like relics of a bygone period because of the evolution of the game business. Digital showcases have taken their position as the favored medium among game publishers. For example, The Summer Game Fest has effectively evolved into a hybrid event that prioritizes livestreaming over in-person events.
Recently, Geoff Keighley, the executive producer, host, and creator of the Summer Game Fest, has been caught in the center of controversy. Some analysts contend that E3’s downfall was influenced by the Summer Game Fest’s popularity. On the other hand, Keighley disputes this story.”E3 sort of killed itself,” he said. He thinks that the obvious fissures in E3’s basis are what gave rise to the Summer Game Fest.
Keighley intended the Summer Game Fest to be an enhancement to E3, not a rival. Even a scenario where games revealed at Summer Game Fest may be played at E3 was entertained by him. Still, he presented the Summer Game Fest as an answer to E3’s flaws because he was worried about the show’s long-term viability.
It remains to be seen if E3 can change and resume its previous level of success. However, one thing is for sure: the gaming community will always yearn for a stage on which to express their enthusiasm. The query is: Who will supply it?