The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has officially announced the cancellation of the E3 2023 exhibition, both physical and digital. The decision comes as a blow to the gaming industry, which was hoping for a resurgence after a few years of struggle due to the Covid-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc worldwide.
ReedPop was the event organizer for this year’s E3 and described the decision as a difficult one for them to make. However, they remain committed to working with ESA again in the future.
Kyle Marsden-Kish, VP Global Gaming at ReedPop, stated that it was a challenging decision given all their efforts and those of their partners to make this event a reality. E3 2023 was supposed to take place in Los Angeles on June 13, 2023. E3 2020 and 2022 were previously canceled due to the pandemic.
The pandemic has demonstrated that games can survive without E3. In 2021, the organizers held E3 entirely online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the pandemic has also revealed that companies can launch an entire generation of consoles without significant direct exposure prior to their debut. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were released in November 2020, and despite limitations that were partly due to the pandemic, they proved to be successful. So, why bother showcasing new hardware at E3 in the future?
In recent years, major console makers have been avoiding E3. PlayStation skipped E3 2019 in favor of holding its video presentation at a different time throughout the year. Nintendo has also stated that they will not be participating in E3 this year. E3 no longer appears to meet the needs of the constantly evolving gaming industry.
In conclusion, the cancellation of E3 2023 is undoubtedly a blow for the gaming industry during this time of need. However, the pandemic has shown that games can survive without it, and the industry continues to evolve in new and innovative ways. The future of the gaming industry remains bright despite this setback at E3.
