E3, once the biggest video game event, is officially dead, its organizers announce. Covid certainly played a role in this decision, but the video game industry has also evolved a lot.
“I was never allowed to attend E3. » This is undoubtedly what some players around the world say (not necessarily the youngest ones). After struggling to get back on its feet in the post-Covid years by offering a fully digital edition in 2021 and canceling the 2022 and 2023 editions, organizers of the once major video game convention are announcing the end of the game. The last E3 organized in person is therefore the 2019 edition.
Pierre-Louis, president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), announced the news in the Washington Post. “We know the entire industry, gamers and developers alike, are excited about E3. We share this passion. We know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a popular event, but given the new opportunities for our industry to reach fans and partners, it’s the best thing we can do. »
Autumn had already begun before Covid
It is impossible not to think of the Game Awards 2023, which only ended at the beginning of December and whose edition was heavily criticized for its somewhat excessive use of advertising, or even the Summer Game Fest, two events organized by the former journalist Geoff Keighley was launched. The Summer Game Fest originally positioned itself as a direct competitor to E3, even if it never dared to take the step into a public event and preferred to broadcast the conference online. It has now replaced its model.
E3 was once the biggest event on the video game planet and a must for all studios and publishers. Around the 2010s, the show began to lose some of its luster as the biggest publishers began broadcasting online events on streaming platforms, thereby cutting costs and controlling scheduling.
The video game industry has changed
“Today, companies have access to consumers and business relationships in various ways, including through their own storefronts,” Pierre-Louis confirms to The Washington Post. An ending that he sees as positive and explains that the end of E3 also means that the video game industry has blossomed in various ways. “Each of these large companies can create an individual showcase (…) [et] Collaborate with other industry events to showcase the breadth of gaming. »
An example of this phenomenon can be found in the GTA VI trailer, as journalist Oscar Lemaire pointed out in early December: the first GTA V trailer in 2013 had 8.7 million views a month after its release, with GTA VI reaching 11 hours after its release peaked with 57 million views. Who needs a physical video game event in a world where players now know where to find the trailers?
Source: Washington Post