Organizers reveal that the E3 has been cancelled permanently

Summary

• The Organizers of the Electronic Entertainment Expo have announced permanent cancellation of the event.
• The reason for the cancellation was the steady decline in viewership because of independent showcase events.
• It was mentioned that E3’s cancellation is the way forward into the new generation of showcase events.

Goodbyes are never easy. The time has come to draw the curtain and say goodbye to one of the most essential and prominent gaming expos for all games.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, popularly known as E3, was confirmed to be officially over for good. This came as a statement from the President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association – the organizers of E3 – Stanley Pierre-Louis to the Washington Post.

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This does not come as a surprise after the multiple vendors and distributed who opted out of E3 in 2023, consequently resulting in a cancellation of the event.

Optimistic fans hoped that the expo would bounce back and make a comeback. However, Pierre-Louis has landed the final nail on E3’s coffin, confirming it to be officially canceled for good.

Pierre-Louis also mentioned that the main reason for E3’s demise was that distributors and big companies like PlayStation, Nintendo, and Ubisoft moved away from E3 to their expos that were hosted virtually.

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Such company showcases targeted the audience and players directly, instead of going through a middleman like the ESA at an Expo like the E3.

Attending an Expo means costs of traveling, hosting the events, booth fees, and strict deadlines for presentations. It must also be kept in mind that the E3 typically catered to industry insiders and technical reviewers and not the end user.

The beginning of the end came in 2018 when PlayStation opted out of E3 in favor of its showcase event. In 2019, before the final in-person E3, reputed Game Journalist Geoff Keighley announced that he parted ways with E3.

The Covid worsened things for E3, ultimately leading to its cancellation in 2023. Pierre-Louis mentioned E3’s success was because they identified games’ potential as an industry.

In a closing statement, Pierre-Louis said E3’s closure means the video game business has blossomed differently. While it’s sad that E3 stands canceled, it did not stand the test of time, and it’s time for more innovative ways to connect with fans.

About E3

E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry in the United States. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishers, hardware, and accessory manufacturers use to introduce and advertise upcoming games and game-related merchandise to retailers and to members of the press. 

E3 includes an exhibition floor for developers, publishers, and manufacturers to showcase their titles and products for sale in the upcoming year. Before and during the event, publishers and hardware manufacturers usually hold press conferences to announce new games and products.