Documentation filed by the Board of Los Angeles Convention and Tourism that’s been dug up by gaming forum ResetEra appears to confirm that E3 2021 live event has been axed. While that’s not overly surprising given global circumstances, the annual convention is listed as “cancelled”, although apparently talks are ongoing regarding 2022 and 2023 events.
The Electronic Software Association, which organises E3, recently indicated that it had plans for a “digital-focused show”, and that’s alluded to in the aforementioned report; there’s a note which suggests that it’s working with the “production team on broadcast options” at the Los Angeles Convention Center and its adjacent LA Live space.
Of course, while coronavirus is to blame for E3’s second cancellation in as many years, question marks loom over the event itself. Sony pulled out of E3 2019, and has since hosted its own set of showcases and livestreams – including a State of Play earlier this week. It’ll be interesting to see how publishers take to the show once the world has restored some semblance of normality.
[source ens.lacity.org, via resetera.com]
Comments 13
I'm okay with this.
It’s a shame from a historical point of view but E3 has been going downhill for years. I still would like to see a week or two in June with individual companies breaking news though.
Yeah, E3 is done I think. I'm sure it'll return in some form, but it'll never be what it once was ever again I'm afraid.
Too bad, but not surprised. E3 ain’t what it used to be.
Even when this pandemic situations is under control, most developers will choose to stream their own event I think, the likes of sony or nintendo didn't need E3, they already big enough for their own event. Same with big developers like ea or activision.
@wiiware Yes, and it's cheaper for them, too! It's a shame, but this was inevitable... Pandemic just sped up the process.
Just kill it stop kicking it while its down.
Does anybody actually care, last few e3s before Sony dropped out and corona came were terrible anyway a shell of its former self.
I use to be excited for it and stay up til 3am to watch it, but as years rolled on it just became checking " everything announced" video the next day
I'm pretty sure it won't be missed
Covid just accelerated the inevitable. I always loved E3 week but it's totally understandable why it's going the way of the dinos.
There's really no substitute for the week-long industry convention, inside, and the week-long gaming festival outside. Whether or not EA hosts it, all parties really do benefit from a concentrated event at a set period of days. It bolsters the competition, facilitates enthusiasm in the industry, gets a lot of eyes on the news all at once, there's literally nobody that doesn't benefit from it. Sony pulling out was painful, but that's the Ryan/Kodera team for you. Nintendo focusing on just one game was painful..... But the event at large was still essential, and better organization (with less freaking greed from the top - six figure entry fees?!) How many great games came about due to collaborations that happened spontaneously due to E3? It didn't need to go away. It needed to be managed better. ESA is an industry group run by the executives at the top of the industry. Ryan himself no doubt sits on the ESA organizing committee....how can this not have been built to serve everyone's interests?!
But for the fans, we sorely need a real coordinated industry effort. Anyone that tried to follow last year's "news" events should really feel that need by now.
Still hoping E3 manages to put together a good digital show. Anything but Keighly.
Anyone here that's too young to truly remember what e3 really was in its heyday missed out in what was the gaming event of the year, it's just kinda sad now...😥
E3 was already dying. The cold “pandemic” just finished it off
E3 is dead and I'm okay with it. Hopefully their replacements this year will be as entertaining as last year.
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