Will E3 try to return in 2024? ESA’s answer is very vague
We now know that theE3 2023 And shipwreckto the ultimate epitome of the fact that what was once the premier video game trade show is now struggling to break away from an entirely different, faster communication model that goes in the opposite direction of ad-on-ad overlay.
The cancellation came despite ESA’s decision to participate for this year’s edition ReedPop, known for its editorial projects and also for the fairs it organizes. But even that wasn’t enough, because apparently the event didn’t meet with the hoped-for interest from publishers and insiders. But what does that mean for the future?
was to talk about Stanley Pierre LouisEntertainment Software Association CEO being interviewed by the microphones gaming industry (also tested under ReedPop, edit) answered the doubts about the future of the fair. In fact, not to disperse them at all.
Are companies no longer interested in E3?
There seems to be a bit of an open secret about it we talked some time ago: Many companies no longer see value in a centralized appointment that overlays my announcements with those of others and puts me under the scrutiny of the press – who might, with a try, say this is my game Very ugly – without even having the benefit of being viral because nobody will be talking about me if they might announce one the next day The witcher 4.
Questioned about the possible lack of interest from companies in a trade fair like the E3the CEO explained:
“We’ve done our best to redesign it, but in the end, companies make individual business and marketing decisions, and that’s how it works.
It’s an evolving scenario and we want to make sure we do meet these needs».
What about E3 2024 instead?
Already in the note from a few days ago, the ESA had announced that they wanted to continue working with ReedPop to understand how to bring new lifeblood into the veins of E3 in the future. A decision that would thus allude to a possible return rather than a definitive tombstone.
In reality, the statements made by Pierre-Louis are a bit halfway and almost suggest this E3 will come back if they have an idea to bring it back. And of course there is no certainty about that at the moment – also because we are talking about a business-oriented fair here and cannot reinvent itself as consumer-oriented as a Gamescom (also because it would make even less sense edit).
In the words of the CEO, if a possible return in 2024:
“We are fully committed to providing a platform for the industry to market and come together, but We want to make sure we find the right balance that meets the needs of the industry.
We will definitely listen and make sure what we want to offer meets those requirements at that precise moment. We’ll have more to share in the future.”
In short, a half-hearted answer that highlights how the industry needs – and the industry has made it clear, with the many departures Already registered – are different than years ago and how there is a need for an E3 that caters to them in other ways.
Whether that will come to fruition, however, is too early to tell why the Summer Game Fest now seems to have calmly taken over the summers of video gaming.
The tones are certainly different from those the E3 2023 announcement, when ESA talked big about a comeback before colliding with reality. With this lesson in a nutshell, let’s see where E3’s future is headed.
Assuming the future exists.
