Gaming Christmas Is Cancelled: No E3 In 2022
They’ve been declaring E3 dead for years. Even before today’s announcement, even before the pandemic, industry vets were questioning the wisdom of packing every member of the press into a sardine can with booming speakers and flashing lights when the information being delivered this way could have easily been done via E-mail. But today they made it official: the Entertainment Software Association publicly stated that there will be no Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2022.
Prevously, the ESA had said their plans were to stage a “half-E3″ like the last two years have had, where all the events were exclusively digital, but they seem to have scrapped those plans now. “We previously announced that E3 would not be held in person in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19,” says the statement. “Today, we announce that there will also be no digital E3 showcase in 2022. Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer.”
The way things have been trending, it really wouldn’t surprise us if there’s no E3 NEXT summer either. Major studios and publishers have been dropping out, while others just no longer exist in independent form (like Bethesda). There seems to be a reluctance from developers to even go through with this anymore; it’s simply more convenient to announce projects and release trailers on their own schedule — and without being surrounded by their competition.
It’s not like big game press events are completely dead. Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards have been filling the vacuum (for better or worse). But for gamers, that special week of June was usually like Christmas, and the rush of news from all sides was exhilarating. As much as I didn’t like having to write fifty articles in one day, I’ll miss the electric energy of E3.
LightSlayer
March 31, 2022 @ 6:42 pm
As long as people refuse to vaccinate, this pandemic will never end. Imagine all the events I want to attend that I cant because of it. In a span of 3 years I missed EVO and E3,
Delta_Exceed
March 31, 2022 @ 6:50 pm
I love E3 because of the game announcement, chances to try out games not yet released and making selfies with the cosplayers. I Also miss attending panels and game tournaments at e3. I haven’t watched movies in the cinemas too because I am too afraid to get infected.
Titanium321
April 2, 2022 @ 4:53 am
Before the epidemic, events like E3 were on the decline. Companies which organize their own events receive a lot more bang for their cash. Every year, however, I will miss E3. It was always exciting and enjoyable. Each major studio will almost certainly do a large June presentation, and by skipping the official e3 event, they will avoid having to pay any money. This only affects you if you were planning on attending e3 in person.