Organizers of the once-annual Electronic Entertainment Expo last week canceled E3 2023 amid a lack of interest by major video game publishers. The last physical E3 conference was held in 2019.
It’s safe to say that E3 is dead now. The video game conference has outlived its usefulness to the industry. Put it in the same category of defunct tech conferences as Comdex and Internet World.
The major video game publishers and console makers are able to get more bang for the buck by holding online events. Some even will hold their own physical events for their hardcore fans.
E3 was a big deal when retail sales of video games on physical media dominated. But the shift to online downloads and streaming took away much of E3’s reason for being as a trade show.
Also, video game fans and media have split into camps based on their favorite consoles and types of games. They aren’t united by video gaming overall or a conference to celebrate the entire ecosystem.
CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, is picking up much of the hardware side of E3.
I have good memories of attending E3 over the years. But its time has come and gone.
Related articles:
E3 2023 is cancelled. ESA tells us why (GamesIndustry.biz; March 30, 2023)
E3 2023 has been canceled (The Verge; March 30, 2023)
E3 Gaming Expo Cancels 2023 Event (Variety; March 30, 2023)
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