After over 25 years, the iconic Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has officially been put to rest. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) made the sombre announcement today that the annual video game trade show and conference will no longer be held going forward.
A shock to many, the report that first broke via The Washington Post broke the bad news. E3 has long served as the focal point of gaming announcements and reveals. Every June, journalists and industry professionals would flock to the Los Angeles Convention Center to get a first look at upcoming games, consoles, accessories, and more. The crowded show floor and excitement in the air were electric as people patiently waited in line for hours to try out the latest demos, with it taking over Down Town LA for the week and beyond with press conferences, events, and parties that would bring out the A-List of the games industry.
However, in recent years, E3 has begun to lose its lustre and relevance. The rise of individual publisher showcases like Nintendo Direct has allowed companies to connect directly with their audiences anytime. And with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing large in-person gatherings, E3 has struggled to capture the magic of its heyday, even in its recent digital iterations. Combine that with Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest taking a chunk of the excitement that used to be reserved for E3, and it was inevitable something would have to give.
“After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association has decided to bring E3 to a close,” ESA president and CEO Stanely Pierre-Louis detailed in a statement to The Washington Post “We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share the passion. We know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it’s the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners.”
With so many ways for publishers and studios to reach fans, it makes sense an event like E3 would not have a place, at least not as it used to be, and even with the help of ReedPop, it could not find a new way forward. But that provides little comfort to longtime attendees like myself who have fond memories of E3’s past.
I’ll never forget the feeling of the show and the excitement the industry felt at each new announcement and showcase that gave a taste of what was possible for the gaming industry. Granted, that was before Twitch and streaming were commonplace, with it now easier than ever to reach fans and the need for spectacles of pure luxury, something that no longer makes sense in the games industry as it is today.
While E3’s influence had waned, its absence still represents the end of an era. The June gaming news cycle will feel a bit emptier without its familiar hype and surprises. But much like events it replaced in the past, the spirit of E3 will live on through the fans and games it helped elevate over its celebrated run.
