It’s a sad day as news spreads of E3’s permanent cancellation. For more than two decades, the Electronic Entertainment Expo was the face of the gaming industry in terms of events, offering journalists and, later on, consumers a first-hand look at new and upcoming games. It was the platform at which games giants such as Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Square Enix, EA, and more debuted their games.
Of course, Nintendo started a trend in 2011 that would contribute to the eventual demise of E3, as it began to host its own Nintendo Direct showcase. In doing this, Nintendo no longer had a need to attend E3, as it hosted its own streams to show off its games and make exciting announcements. In recent years, other developers and publishers have followed suit, one of which is PlayStation with its State of Plays, another huge loss for E3.
Speaking to The Washington Post, ESA CEO and president Stanley Pierre-Louis declares that “after more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry. “We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share that passion.”
He goes on to say “we know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it’s the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners.”
Regrettably, E3 simply couldn’t compete with the likes of Summer Game Fest and the solo showcases, with the event even facing losses in 2021, as reported by Gamespot, leading to the cancellation of the event in 2022 and 2023, the latter of which was canceled shortly before E3 was due to take place.
We can’t help but feel saddened at knowing there will be another E3, a place where we used to hear about the best adventure games and horror games.