The news that E3 2023 has been canceled has sent shockwaves through the gaming community and left many people awestruck. E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is one of the most highly-anticipated gaming events of the year and it has been an integral part of video game culture for the past three decades.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) made the announcement on March 24th, citing an inability to put on a show due to the continued public health concerns resulting from the ongoing pandemic. This announcement comes after the ESA also canceled E3 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic as well.
When E3 was canceled in 2020 and 2021, it had presented a unique challenge to the ESA, as they had to come up with ways to provide gamers with access to their content without the usual show presentation. To that end, the ESA went on to launch Summer Game Fest, which collaborated with leading developers and publishers to create an online event to showcase new game announcements and other game-related content.
While Summer Game Fest 2020 was a success, the ESA opted for an even bolder plan for 2021 by launching a fully-fledged E3-style expo with digital events and livestreams from leading game companies like SEGA, Ubisoft and Nintendo.
The cancellation of E3 2023 is a major blow to the gaming community, as it raises questions about the future of the event, and what fans can expect to come out of E3 in the years to come. Many gamers who have been attending E3 since its inception in 1995 are rightly disappointed, as the event had become a highlight of their year.
At this point it remains unclear whether or not E3 will return in 2024 or beyond. The ESA has yet to give an indication either way, although they did issue a statement promising to continue to evaluate the situation and look for alternatives that may be available to provide gamers with the same level of access to the event that E3 has delivered in the past.
While the ESA continues to explore their options, the reality is that E3 as we have known it for the past three decades is no more. Only time will tell if and when E3 will make its return, but for now we’ll have to settle for the virtual events and streams that we’ve had to rely on in the past year.
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