Geoff Keighley is one of the premiere figures in videogame media – he produces The Game Awards every year, and hosts a wide array of events across the industry. He’s put together the E3 Coliseum series of developer interviews for years, and participated in the annual trade show since its inception. Now, for the first time in 25 years, Keighley says he will not participate in E3.
“I’ve debated what to say about E3 2020,” Keighley says in a tweet. “While I want to support the developers who will showcase their work, I also need to be open and honest with you, the fans about precisely what to expect from me. I have made the difficult decision to decline to produce E3 Coliseum.”
In a statement to The Washington Post, Keighley adds that “Based on what’s been communicated to me about the show, I just don’t feel comfortable participating.” He also says that “E3 needs to evolve and I have lots of ideas around that” – but for now he’s taking a “wait-and-see” approach.
It’s another blow for the ESA’s big event, which was once seen at the game industry’s biggest annual showcase. Sony has declined to participate in the show for two straight years now – especially notable in 2020 as the company gears up for the launch of the PlayStation 5 – and the media’s faith in the event was extra shaken when personal contact info for thousands of journalists and influencers was leaked last year.
I wanted to share some important news about my plans around E3 2020. pic.twitter.com/EhrreKV9oR
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 12, 2020
Keighley confirms on Twitter that he will still produce the Opening Night Live event for Gamescom in August.
Yep we will be doing Opening Night Live in August!
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 12, 2020
There will still be a load of E3 2020 games to check out, but news like this makes it easy to feel that the event is on its last legs – but of course, fans and pundits have been saying that for years. With a lot of skepticism heading into this year’s event, here’s hoping that the ESA can build something worthwhile for both fans and developers.