Other The E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) show is officially CLOSED

[Dimo4ka]

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, which was once the gaming industry’s biggest convention and media platform, is officially dead.

On December 12, 2023, organisers from ReedPop officially closed the iconic Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the world's premier video game expo for over 20 years.

 

"After more than two decades of E3, each one cooler than the last, it's time to say goodbye. Thank you for the memories," ReedPop reported.

©The Washington Post

 

In March, organisers from ReedPop cancelled the 2023 E3 video game expo, including the online version of the event. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) explained to the partners that the event "simply did not generate the sustained interest necessary to hold it in a way that demonstrates the size, strength and influence of the gaming industry." The E3 show was scheduled to take place offline from 13 to 16 June.

 

 

It was the main celebration of gamers for almost 20 years. Last years the exhibition felt the crisis - big companies started to hold more and more often their own presentations, not saving loud announcements for E3, which decreased the popularity of E3 itself, and renting such a colossal space is very expensive. Covid literally killed E3. 

 

All my childhood and adolescence I was excited to see the E3 exhibition and dreamed of going there as a visitor. It was the main event, games, trailers, so far and so on. The best of the best trade shows, where they showed a lot of incredible things. I watched a lot of streams from the show, watched the speakers and every time after watching the show I was eager to see the titles. 

E3 started dying first when Sony left in 2018, then Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Ubisoft and others left in 2021-2023. Everyone got the funds and the opportunity to have their own independent expo for ardent fans.

 

I feel like a whole era is over now. Thanks to the organisers and creators for the vivid emotions and presentations!

[Lt Steiner]

Very unfortunate, albeit that the E³s of past years were very underwhelming with the absence of both Sony and Nintendo among other publisher and developers. 

 

A lot of great moments over the years. Sony's PS1 price revealing (299 dollars), the MGS 2 trailer from 2000, the unveiling of Zelda: Twilight Princess ("one more thing"), the mega E³s of 2005 and 2006 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii), Sony's Meme Conference of 2006 ("Riiiiidge Raaaacer", "Giant Enemy Crab"), Konami's legendary and bizarre conference, the 2015 Sony press conference with The Last Guardian, Shenmue 3 and the Final Fantasy VII remake. Over the years the conferences became ever more professional but also bland, leaks before press conferences were far more often right than they used to be in years prior and the big surprises became rarer.

 

While I don't think that the idea of having multiple digital press conferences and presentations spread across the year are bad per se (like Nintendo does with their Directs or Sony with their PlayStation Showcases), they don't have the same energy that those press conferences in front of a cheering live audience had, lagging 144p stream notwithstanding.