ESA director explains why E3 2023 was cancelled

The news that E3 2023 has been canceled is only a few hours old, and we’re honestly still reeling. Sure, we knew there was an uphill battle ahead of the venerable industry event, with publishers pulling out left and right, but it still seems kind of surreal, you know?

in one Interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Executive Director Stanley Pierre-Louis explains what happened and what we can expect next. For the first in-person event in many years, ESA partnered with event coordinator Reidpop, and Pierre-Louis explains that “we were off to a strong start. Exhibitors, industry players, media and of course fans was interested in. Ultimately, however, there were challenges that proved too great to overcome.”

One of these incredible challenges was the current development timeline studios have been facing since the start of the Covid pandemic, and another was the resulting economic turmoil businesses faced worldwide. With less money to go around, some companies are beginning to rethink investing in expensive booth space and massive marketing events.

On the subject of E3’s return in 2024, Pierre-Louis stuck to the script saying “We are committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convention, but we want to make sure we get the right balance that meets the needs of industry. We’re definitely going to listen and make sure whatever we offer meets those needs, and at that point, we’ll have more news to share. will be

His answer is completely non-committal, as you might expect. For our two cents, we’d suggest that it looks like the era of E3 is over. With so many cheaper and more effective ways to talk about upcoming games and projects, not to mention public reluctance in the wake of the devastating pandemic, the writing has long been on the wall. We just hope Sony is saving up for the showcase we’ve all been waiting for.

Do you think we’ll see a return to E3 someday, or are the convention’s glory days behind us? Fire off your red-hot takes in the comments section below.