E3 is coming back this year after the ESA and ReedPop ran event was cancelled last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The event also won’t reportedly feature the likes of Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox this year (so no Starfield sadly) despite the big three having previously been a large part of the yearly showcase of all the biggest upcoming PC games and announcements. To that end, the ESA has issued a statement in response to the reports that these three won’t be at the show, and it says a whole lot of nothing.
With the likes of Summer Game Fest and individual showcases for Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo becoming the norm it isn’t a surprise really that they may no longer attend E3, instead being able to completely control their own live showcases without shelling out to the ESA and ReedPop to do almost exactly the same thing.
Now, in response to the IGN report that the big three won’t be at E3, the ESA issued the following statement:
“As you have likely seen, IGN published an article last night about E3. While we are not able to comment on the specific claims in the article, we wanted to share our commitment to moving forward with E3.
“E3 has a rich history within our industry, and we are always heartened to feel the passion for the show and hear what it means to different people. Reviving a tradeshow after a three-year hiatus and a global pandemic was always going to have its challenges, which is why we conducted an extensive search (in consultation with the ESA member companies) to identify the best partner to produce E3. In selecting ReedPOP as our partner, we have been able to tap into their rich history of hosting popular industry events, like PAX, and broader consumer shows, like Comic Con.”
As mentioned by the ESA, this would be the first in-person E3 in three years, and it’ll be interesting to see how the ESA and ReedPop adapt to the changing landscape of videogame trade shows and presentations after stepping away due to the pandemic. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, the new Xbox Developer Directs, Sony PlayStation’s showcases, and Nintendo Directs all show that the big hitters may not need E3 as much as they used to.
“They have made strong progress in reshaping the event and have received tremendous support from industry companies of all sizes who are not only thinking about E3 2023, but how E3 fits into marketing plans for 2024 and beyond,” the ESA adds.
“It’s important to note that even as the show evolves and adapts, it will not impact the core of ESA’s work for its member companies. Our priority remains advocating for your policy interests on the state and federal level.
“We will share news and developments regarding E3 as they are available. If you have questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me. Thank you for your ongoing support.”
You may have noticed that this statement doesn’t confirm or deny IGN’s initial report, and while I won’t wax lyrical about whether or not I think the big three will go to E3, I wouldn’t be surprised if each does its own thing.
If you’re unsure of what to play ahead of the big wave of announcements this summer, we’ve got you covered with lists of both the best free PC games and the best RPG games as well.
