This is an interesting video to watch in hindsight, now that Sony has announced it won’t be attending E3 2019 at all. Kyle Bosman from Easy Allies was the first to bring it up, but it’s since been shared around the web, and it does foreshadow more recent news. The clip is taken from last year’s PlayStation Experience, and you get the sense that Worldwide Studios chairman Shawn Layden is very frustrated with the convention and what it’s become.
In the video, Kinda Funny co-founder Greg Miller touches upon the changes to Sony’s E3 format, and how recent press conferences have effectively been trailer montages. Layden explains that there are better opportunities for the suits to speak, but he also hints that he’s not entirely sure what E3 is anymore; he suggests that by straddling the line between the public and trade the show is “in the middle of the highway and it’s going to get hit by cars on both sides”.
It’s fascinating watching this video with the benefit of hindsight as you can see there’s some pent-up frustration from Layden. The fact that he talks about the company wanting to build “experiences” around its demos probably goes some way towards explaining E3 2018’s presentation, where the manufacturer moved the press between “themed” rooms based on its blockbuster games like The Last of Us: Part II.
It also lends credence to the idea that Sony’s going to do something completely different instead of E3 next year. Our guess is that it’s probably going to run a series of fan events, and speak directly to its players rather than the press or trade. It could go one of two ways: vacating that all-important E3 period is risky, but it’s perfectly plausible that it may stumble upon something that’s even more engaging for all of us.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 31
like i said before E3 was useless to Sony, it's a show aimed at the western market yet they was always put on at a stupid time where most people wasn't able to even watch it and with XBOX always getting the prime slot (what a surprise American event and the American company always gets top billing) most 3rd party publishers would put their stuff there where most people would actually be able to see it so Sony are either left with just their exclusives or showing stuff off people have already seen
besides E3 has been on the decline for years and it was only a matter of time before one of the "Big Three" left
I wouldn't be surprised if they run multiple PSX events across the world to be honest. Wouldn't shock me at all if they did PSX Europe as well as PSX USA and PSX Asia.
I guess there goes the theory that Sony will be returning to E3 in 2020, or ever, if there's an E3 left to return to. It'll surely be The Microsoft Show next year, but thereafter, who knows?
@get2sammyb
That's one way to go. Or just ripoff Nintendo and do directs. People will give Sony crap for it but it's still something that has been effective for Nintendo and going that route is an easy way to talk to fans and media without having all the stuff that goes with a live event.
Sony should do their own thing
sony may not be the only company thinking like this.
it only takes 1 big studio to speak up and leave and all the rest will follow.
in a couple years time e3 could be nothing more then a "comic con" style event.
anyway looking forward to the sony only events they have planned,aslong as it reaches out to people at home aswell.
As I have said many times before, E3 is unnecessary in todays world. It WAS a trade show, a place for companies like Sony to show off their games and hardware to the Press, give them a chance to get hands on with some titles etc so that they could then write about these in their physical media to get the word out to gamers.
Nowadays, with Twitch and youtube, companies like Sony can bypass the Press and go straight to the gamers. Show off their new games and hardware, show actual game-play and discuss it - even interact directly with games too rather than leave it up to a 3rd party (Press) to try and describe the game, the game-play and graphics/animation with a screen shot (often literally with a photograph of the screen - instead of a screen capture) or two.
The old method relied purely on the press to spread the message accurately where as the internet has allowed companies to show off their games and hardware with the message they want to get across accurately. They can't blame the press either for miscommunication and/or missing out details. Also games are given as much coverage as they want - rather than the press picking the games they want to talk about. I know some games often got little more than a footnote around E3 but some games could get a whole page or more.
E3 in recent years has become more of a tradition than practical purpose. Its often the event that kicks off the build up to the busiest period in the gaming calendar but we have also seen more and more 'leaks' so that the games get talked about in the lead up to E3 instead of getting lost amongst the rest of the news.
It makes sense for companies to release their own news as and when they want. If they want to spend an hour or two talking about a new game, they can - not have to condense down to a minute or two - or even just part of a montage because they only have an hour to talk about everything. They can release news as and when they want, not be held to a time-table to fit in with E3 schedules. They can send out 'demo's - either physical or more likely digitally for nothing to press outlets if they want - or just have the devs play them on twitch with a Q&A with gamers - their target audience!
All according to plan. This is what a market leader does. Marvel skips SDCC, Apple trade consumer shows etc. etc.
RIP E3...it was the most fun I had in here with you guys!
Sony is dumb sometimes but oh well...hope this doesn't hurt later!
@AFCC i don't think this is a dumb move.
it would be dumb if they keep doing it just for the sake of it ,while they don't realy want to anymore.
that would hurt them,because the show would be rather dull or compromised in another way due to them not realy wanting to focus on it.
That was an interesting clip. You definitely can sense the frustration.
Also in retrospect this quote from Kenichiro Yoshida back in October, following the cancellation of PSX also seems to hint that Sony were going for a quiet 2019:
We will use the next three years to prepare the next step, to crouch down so that we can jump higher in the future.
To crouch down...be silent for a year & then come swinging out with the PS5 reveal?
https://sonyreconsidered.com/sony-confirms-development-of-next-playstation-efdb098d3682
@Shepherd_Tallon I genuinely think that's what they were going for but didn't properly think it through. You're absolutely right, though — maybe this is what they want to continue doing, but they realise it's not really what the press/trade want.
it's kinda sad that they won't be attending, E3 is a big event for me each year but i understand why they made this decision, E3 2018 was proof that they no longer want to be there, it wasn't their best E3 event that is for sure.
@get2sammyb PSX London would be awesome
I'm predicting for the PS5 reveal they will open with an elaborate tribal dance by Cirque du soleil to reveal Horizon 2
@AFCC Sony will be back in 2020.they never said they were done with e3.word up son
People called doom after Nintendo dropped press shows back in 2011. Now here we are. Turns out they were on the money with "better ways to communicate".
As for Sony at E3...Im just glad I dont need to be up at 4am anymore.
Now is the time for sony to separate their show from e3 when they're the market leader so gaming website have to cover their show.
@Shepherd_Tallon Thats actually a great idea, like a theme park but for games
Honestly, I don’t like where it’s going. I hope to see them back at E3 in 2020. I don’t want a bunch of smaller events. I want the glory of the E3 stage.
It really looks like that Shawn Layden doesn’t like the format of E3 at all. I was hoping that Sony would come back to E3 eventually, now I can see they doing their own thing from now on after this statement.
E3 still is an exciting time for me, it’s kinda like our World Cup, but the event could become irrelevant soon without Sony.
Companies like Rockstar also don’t announce their games on E3, they prefer to do it by themselves.
If this means more PSX, I’m fine with that as well.
Glad sony decided to avoid E3. I feel proud of them for trying to do what they want to do rather than do something they obligated to do.
Great clip. I think Sony is making the right choice here, even though it is a difficult one, I believe it will pay out. Completely agree with Layden's take on it.
I know a lot of people don't really like this move, but... just look at Nintendo, for a moment. The best moments this year, hype wise, weren't even related to E3. Directs were the first steps to leaving E3, Sony is taking it to the next level.
E3 is pretty old hat the way it currently is. I think it's asking an awful lot for everyone involved now. Companies are expected to reveal new stuff every year, conferences get condensed over a two day period and the media are expected to cover it all while also fighting through public now to get the necessary interviews. It's just too much now. Whereas if you do what Sony seem to be doing then you host your own event when it's convenient without the added pressure of apparently needing to 1 up other companies.
@FullbringIchigo To me a Monday evening/night is a way better time than Sunday afternoon, so I feel Sony actually had the prime slot.
If their idea of how to do things differently is similar to what they did in E3 this year, then I'll keep my expectations low. E3 is fun, I'm hoping Sony will be back there in 2020 once they have more to show.
Whatever they do I hope they do something around the time of E3
@get2sammyb I would take that over any E3.
Last year’s E3 was the first I’d ever watched and I was thoroughly unimpressed. I guess the show was so lacking because Sony didn’t have its heart in it.
Im sorry but this is ridiculous.
'old video resurfaces' is BS. Everyone could watch and I watched this video a few times at the time.. Theres nothing new and taking a quote out if context.
It wasted my time is all
@Dodoo
Ps5 reveal just before E3 , possibly force Ms hand too
@get2sammyb Very interesting video, it seems Sony doesn’t need or care for E3, I see a PlayStation Meeting Event next year to announce PS5 and then a full blowout for PS5 at a PSX event later in the year and your usual November launch, but I’ll admit I still have a March 2020 launch in the back of my head.
@jdv95 Come on man, they have been killing it for the last few years! And unless they do a show around the same time they will lose a bit with this decision
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