Is E3 Finally Dead?

Well, I can’t say I am surprised by the recent news.

E3 has been cancelled, possibly for good.

Back in the day, E3 was the biggest event for the gaming community every year. It used to be a day we counted down to, waiting with bated breath to see the new reveals. Now though, most publishers have their way of addressing the news. Nintendo has Nintendo Direct, PlayStation has the State of Play, you get the idea. Not to mention COVID-19 putting a stop to any in-person events. A major draw of E3 was the developers allowing attendees to try out new games, and receive free merch and other interactive experiences such as Bethesda Land. With that being stripped away, the convention suffered greatly.

For a while now, E3 has been limping along. A shell of its former self, it was no longer a show-stopping special, just a trending topic for a time on Twitter.

When E3 was announced this year, most of the big companies flat out said “thanks, but no thanks” and confirmed that they won’t be attending. On Friday, the 31st, it was announced that E3 is not going to go ahead this year, not even in a digital format. Ouch. At the time of writing, there hasn’t been any word about if and when E3 will return. I have to ask, is there any place for E3 anymore?

In terms of showing off new upcoming games? I don’t think so. E3 was vital back in the 2000s when social media wasn’t dominating our lives like it does today, developers would wait until this time of year to broadcast their latest games and projects in the works. It was a spectacle with some wholesome, funny and sometimes cringy moments. The stuff that memes are made of, some iconic moments are still referenced in the community to this day.

Even though I, like many others, saw this coming, it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s like when you are watching a movie and see a plot twist coming, but it is still a gut punch when it unfolds.

Will E3 ever regain its former glory? Honestly, I don’t see how it can. Sure, maybe they can bring back some of the old entertainment value, yet without the big-name developers drawing in the crowds and the lack of a big enough budget to subsidise the cost of putting on such a big show, it is doomed.

Rest in peace, E3.