ESA has teamed up with ReedPop to bring E3 live for the first time since 2019
© 2023 E3
GamesIndustry.biz reported on Friday that PAX organizers ReedPop and ESA (Entertainment Software Association) have parted ways by “mutual decision” and as a result ReedPop will not work at future E3 events. hybrid. ESA is still planning to host the E3 event in 2024, but it will not return to the Los Angeles Convention Center next year. (GamesIndustry.biz is owned by Gamer Network Limited, a ReedPop company.)
ESA announced that they would partner with ReedPop to re-host the live E3 event on June 13-16 this year, but ReedPop later announced the cancellation of both the physical and digital versions of E3 2023.
IGN reported in January that “multiple knowledgeable sources” had told the outlet that Microsoft Xbox, Sony and Nintendo would not be attending E3 2023. Nintendo later confirmed in February to multiple gaming press outlets game that they will not be attending E3 2023. Microsoft Xbox confirmed to IGN on March 10 that it will not be exhibiting on the E3 show floor this year but will host its Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 and will co-stream that event as part of E3 Digital (before the event’s cancellation was announced). Game developer and publisher SEGA and Tencent subsidiary Level Infinite also confirmed to IGN on March 28 that they will not be attending the E3 2023 video game expo.
ESA canceled the E3 2022 live event in January 2022 due to “health risks surrounding” the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). It then also discards the digital component. At the time, ESA announced that it would return in 2023 with a “revived showcase” “live from Los Angeles.”
E3 2021 took place as a “reimagined” virtual event in June 2021, after the cancellation of the in-person event in February earlier that year. Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment, XSEED Games/Marvelous USA, Inc., Gearbox Entertainment, Freedom Games, Devious Eye Entertainment, Turtle Beach, Verizon and Binge.com participated in the online event.
ESA canceled the actual E3 2020 event due to COVID-19 concerns. It explored a possible online version, but ultimately decided not to hold an online event that year.
E3 last held a physical event in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Sony declined to appear at E3 in 2019 and has not appeared since.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz (Christopher Dring) via Siliconera
