After three years of uncertainty surrounding E3 that caused cancelations and an attempt at a virtual event in 2021 as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Entertainment Software Association announced recently that the event would return in its full form in 2023. While virtual events offered a nice alternative to fans and publishers as a way to directly communicate during the pandemic, the excitement and hype surrounding a well-run E3 could be exactly what the gaming industry needs.
E3 began in 1995 as a way for video game industry professionals to have a direct line to games media in an effort to deliver consumers a lot of information and hype around upcoming games and consoles. The event has drawn up to 70,000 attendees in its history with fans becoming a larger part of the proceedings over time, but E3 was shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic and messaging was splintered into many different direct-to-consumer streams that highlighted new products.
A Virtual E3 in 2021 Just Didn't Work
Virtual events like the Nintendo Directs and PlayStation streams are a nice way to deliver news to fans and focus on one game, but a completely digital convention like the one E3 attempted in 2021 just isn't a good way for the entire industry to tell its story. While it was very well-intentioned, the combination of the hype events everyone loves to watch for the new announcements and surprises and the normal industry- and media-specific elements like roundtable discussions about voices in gaming just didn't deliver the product the majority of the audience was looking for.
Industry conversations about voices in gaming and the representation all groups have are important and need to take place, but doing so in an event where fans are accustomed to seeing mostly world premieres and trailers drew some backlash from players. The attempt at a virtual event highlighted the need for two separate parts of a gaming convention like E3: the briefings and showcases that fans love for the announcements, world premieres, and surprises, and the media centered elements of E3 that allow developers and publishers the opportunity to explore more detailed aspects of the industry that don't have the glamour and hype of new game reveals.
It was recently announced that Reedpop would be running E3 starting with the 2023 version, and the changes already announced could have a significant and positive impact on the overall execution of the convention. A previous plan to focus a revamped E3 around Twitch and YouTube influencers has been scrapped in favor of a more traditional format that is striving to do a better job of appealing to the different things that the gaming media and the general gaming public want and need from E3.
In 2019, E3's show floor was a mixture of fans and gaming media, as several thousand fan badges were sold for the event at varying prices and some fans gained access to the Xbox, Bethesda, or Ubisoft showcases through promotions. Since it was a mixture of fans and media on the show floor at the convention center, there was a bit of frustration from both groups because the ESA was trying to make everyone happy all at once. With the new developments for E3 2023, Reedpop and the ESA have made the wise decision to split the groups of gaming media and the general public, having separate days for each group.
June 13-15 are being called E3 Business Days and are designed to connect industry professionals with games media, while June 15 and 16 are called E3 Gamer Days and are focused on getting fans the opportunity to get hands on with the games of the future. Gamer Days will be in a separate hall from the Business Days, and this development allows publishers and developers to tailor their message to the specific audience of the day, giving both fans and media a more worthwhile and informative experience that should make 2023's E3 more memorable for everyone. The best part of E3 is the hype and togetherness the event promotes, as every fan of gaming gets excited during the week of E3, and that feeling will be welcomed back by many in 2023.
Of course, the traditional briefings from Xbox, Ubisoft, and others will likely still take place on the weekend prior and be available for fans around the world to watch on Twitch, YouTube, or other streaming platforms. Sony skipped E3 in 2019 while Electronic Arts opted out of the digital event in 2021, and it is still unclear whether either one will be in attendance when E3 begins in June 2023.