Update: VGC has seen the Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Commission Board categorize E3 2021 as a “canceled live event.”
Original story [Mon 8th Feb, 2021 20:45 GMT]: The Entertainment Software Association announced last year that it would move to the digitization of E3 2021, which will take place from 15 to 17 June. Now, amid questions about what the future of gaming conferences will be, they have debated their plans for this year.
Since 1995, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as “E3”, has been held in the United States every summer. It is one of the largest gaming conventions in the world, where the gaming press is widely involved, and is often one of the main moments and places where announcements, revelations and trailers can be seen for the first time.
For many of these years, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft shared scenarios as presenters, but over time several publishers have retired. In 2013, Nintendo switched to pre-recorded, live-style video ads, instead of holding press conferences on stage; EA, Sony, Ubisoft, Activision and Bethesda followed suit in the following years, with some studios holding their own conferences instead of having them at E3.
Last year was the first time that E3 did not materialize, due to the pandemic that reached too critical during the planning stages. Despite initial plans to maintain a digital version, there was not enough time to make it work, which led to the cancellation of the whole.
Thanks to a VGC report, we know that the three-day event will involve live coverage from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, including two-hour presentations from “gaming partners,” which probably means major development studies, and streams. smaller than publishers, indies and influencers. “Regional reruns” in Europe, China and the Middle East will ensure that no one misses the news.
Game demonstrations will be made available to the public in the weeks leading up to the event and the media will be able to preview the games remotely. A “Preview Night” will take place on June 14, the day before E3 starts, although there are currently no details on what that means.
Geoff Keighley, a former E3 contributor and host of The Game Awards, plans to continue his Summer Game Fest, which he launched last year, with a cryptic tweet today indicating more news entries:
VGC says it’s still unclear which publishers have signed up for this digital version of E3, but that “at least one major gaming company” is moving forward with its own showcase, instead of paying “six-figure sums.” to appear at E3.
Do you think the way forward is a fully digital show? Would you rather see it in the next few years, even after kicking the butt of the pandemic? Let us know in the comments.