Where have all the first-party game publishers gone? Not to E3, apparently. In a surprising turn of events, reputed news outlets are reporting that the big three gaming platforms have each decided not to come to E3 2023 after all. This includes PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. None of the companies made a public statement about whether or not they are attending E3 at this time. However, the odds of any of them making a traditional return with a booth at E3 seem to be dwindling with each passing month.
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, who is also a Board Member of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), confirmed that Xbox plans to time its showcase in parallel to the E3 2023 event to make it “convenient for press and even consumers.” He stressed the company’s support of E3 and the ESA despite not having a booth at the event. Nintendo and Sony have made no public comments about streaming similar showcases at at the time of this writing.
“E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming,” said Spencer. “I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things…getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we’ve had. I definitely want that to continue.”
But is that history a thing of the past? As more companies are leaning toward streamed direct game announcements, the future of E3 remains uncertain. In 2022, E3 decided to postpone the event. In 2023, ReedPop announced it is producing E3 moving forward. ReedPop, the producer behind PAX and the New York Comic Con, is reputed with its own laurels. But if these major gaming platforms are indeed opting out, ReedPop has a tough act to follow. We’ll keep you posted as changes continue to shake up and evolve the gaming industry.
