After 20 years of the largest, most well-known gaming convention, E3 sadly sets down their controller.
What was E3?
E3 was gaming’s largest convention around the world, being the hub for huge announcements from the largest companies. Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Sony, Xbox, Ubisoft, Bethesda, and many other well known Triple-A developers would send their biggest trailers to premiere in June at this one of a kind event. Starting in 1995 with companies like Atari being the big ticket item, the evolution of this electronic expo would create new gaming fans across generations.
Some of the most well known and highly rated games of today were teased, dropped, or playable at these conventions. Games like Horizon: Zero Dawn (2017), God of War (2018), Persona 5 (2017), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), Spider-Man (2018), and even the genre-defining game The Last of Us (2013) were given main stage at E3, breaking the boundaries of technology in gaming every year. Without a doubt, it was every early 2000’s gamer’s dream to attend this exclusive convention.
The Downfall of E3
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it gave E3 a rough decision. Of course, with all the hype it’s garnered by being in-person, they needed to find a way to accommodate social distancing. This caused them to go online, giving more Nintendo Direct-style presentations to announce the same games, with a little less confirmation and a bit more teasers.
It was this transition that accidentally led companies away from E3. Seeing that they could garner the same hype from dropping trailers in their own shows. This led to the era of Nintendo Directs, Playstation Showcases, and Xbox Presentations that gained the spotlight very fast, and took some of the love away from in-person drops.
And so came the fall. E3, especially after the pandemic, was only a shadow of its former glory. They did their best with the developers they had, but with the exclusivity of announcements coming almost directly from the companies themselves, there was much more of a war to fight with much less ammo than they had on deck. Especially with how much money was lost over those few years, it was obvious that it was reaching the end of its life.
— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023
All that led to today’s announcement that E3 is officially shutting down. Fittingly, they gave one final goodbye before rolling the credits:
“After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories.” – GGWP
The Legacy of the Event
Although it’s sad to say goodbye, E3’s effect on the gaming industry still lives on. It was this event that solidified the summer announcement season, and is why people are still excited to see game announcements drop in June. The schedule brings about a time of excitement in the gaming community that wouldn’t have been possible without the love and support E3 brought every year.
Many industries still drop their directs, presents, and showcases around June, since the month has become the perfect time to add a sprinkle of what they’re cooking onto the players’ plates. This efficient, exciting, and generally enammering time in the industry would not have evolved into an entire season of excitement without the few days E3 brought to the table each year.
It may not be on a specific date, but the excitement founded by E3 still lives on. Goodbye, E3.
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