E3 2023

E3 will return in 2023. That's according to the ESA — the organisation behind the Lost Angeles-based expo. Quoted in The Washington Post, ESA CEO Stan Pierre-Louis stated: "We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event". The ESA's intentions are clear, then.

Of course, we've been here before. E3 was supposed to happen this year, but was quite quickly transformed into an online-only event because of the ongoing pandemic — similar to what was delivered in 2021 (a series of shows that was heavily criticised for...well, largely being a waste of time). A few months ago In March, E3 2022 was officially cancelled in its entirety. It's coming back in 2023, though, honest!

Okay, snark aside, E3 could actually reappear if it gets enough support from the big publishers — but at this point, that feels like a big 'if'. The industry as we know it has changed quite dramatically since the last in-person E3, with most publishers now more than happy to host their own online events for what is presumably a fraction of the cost. Reverting to a traditional E3 model may be seen as going backwards as far as some companies are concerned (Sony in particular).

Things like Summer Game Fest are still trying to replace E3 as well — at least to an extent. If Geoff Keighley's efforts prove fruitful over the coming weeks, then the ESA has an even bigger fight for relevancy on its hands.

Having said all this, some of us really miss E3 — we miss the buzz that used to surround an absolutely manic week in video games. Will we ever get that again? It's hard to say, but the ESA is apparently going to try and make it happen, for better or worse.

[source washingtonpost.com]