Is this the end of E3? | Opinion
Christopher Dring
Head of Games B2B
Monday 4th April 2022
To most people, the question over whether E3 is dead or alive is an irrelvant one.
In real terms, E3 is a physical event. It is two big halls (and some smaller ones) located in Downtown Los Angeles. There are some booths and a press room and some private meeting spaces. That is E3.
To everyone at home, E3 is more a concept. A series of press conferences and digital videos that reveal the next big wave of video games. The ESA, E3's owners, never had any ownership over this bit. The PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo conferences existed outside of the show. So when the pandemic came along and ended live events, which meant there was no need for press registration, or catering, or screens, or security or furniture, the role that the ESA provided was no longer required.
E3 is a global brand, and it made sense to at least try a digital event. And last year's show was an ambitious and valiant effort. But when all was said and done, it found itself in fifth position. If you're a developer that wants to get your game in front of a big audience, you would naturally prefer a slot during Nintendo, Xbox or PlayStation's events, or Geoff Keighley's multiplatform Summer Games Fest. As a result, it's no surprise that E3 decided against doing it again this year.
"E3 still offers something that no other event really delivers: It's a glamerous show that brings in the world's media"
The question is that when physical events do return fully, where does E3 find itself? Because it was a challenged brand even before the pandemic. E3's role was to be the place where the industry could play the games that had just been announced. It was for retailers who might stock them, media who might write about
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