The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly referred to as E3, has ceased to exist. The official website states concisely: “After over twenty years of E3, with each subsequent year surpassing the previous in scale, it is now time to bid farewell.” Thank you for the recollections.
The Entertainment Software Association, the organizer of E3, has officially stated that the exhibition will not be returning, according to a report by the Washington Post. Stanley Pierre-Louis, the President and CEO of the ESA, announced that the show will be ending after over twenty years of organizing an event that has been a prominent platform for the U.S. and global video game industry.
The E3 conference was established in 1995 and has since become a prominent fixture in the gaming industry’s annual schedule. Initially, the event primarily served as a platform for publishers and developers to promote their games to retail buyers and the press. However, it later expanded its scope to include the general public, inviting fans to the showfloor as well. As press conferences held by Sony, Microsoft, and Ubisoft grew in size and cost, they gradually became too huge to effectively satisfy industry experts and fans.
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, E3 has been unsuccessful in making a significant recovery. Recently, there has been a rise in new rivals and prominent publishers now manage their own presentations independently. The signs of the show’s impending end were evident for some time, but now it has reached its final conclusion.
“We are aware that the entire industry, including both participants and content creators, has a significant amount of enthusiasm for E3.” “We have the same enthusiasm,” Pierre-Louis stated. “Although bidding farewell to this cherished event may be challenging, it is the appropriate course of action considering the fresh prospects our industry has for engaging with fans and partners.”
It is undeniably painful to witness the entire closure of E3. Despite its decline in later years, it remains a renowned component of the gaming industry and has witnessed numerous remarkable occurrences, both positive and negative. Although it was a dinosaur, we will undoubtedly continue to feel its absence.
