AE3previously considered the main trade fair in the gaming universe and also known as the Video game Christmashad its fate sealed by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in the definitive closure of the event.
This Tuesday (12), the convention website practically disappeared, displaying only a farewell statement.
After more than two decades of E3, each edition surpassing the previous one, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for all the memoriesit’s at message ended with GGWP (Good Game Well Played), an expression used in the universe gamer as a friendly greeting after a good game.
Opened in 1995 in Los Angeles, E3 was the highlight of the video game calendar. However, the Covid-19 pandemic dealt an irreversible blow to the event, resulting in a complete cancellation in 2020, an exclusively online edition in 2021 and another total cancellation in 2022. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), responsible for organizing the event , planned an in-person return to E3 in 2023, but ended up canceling it without offering an online alternative.
E3, where big companies in the sector used to reveal their titles and teasers most anticipated, had been losing its luster over the years, as more companies chose to hold their own events for high-profile announcements, such as State of Play, fromSonyand theXbox Games Showcase, daMicrosoft.
ANintendo took this initiative in 2011, by broadcasting its own presentation, skipping E3, while Sony decided to take the news about its console Playstation to another location in 2018. Previously, E3 was the stage on which Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo launched new consoles in a single year. This change reflects the transition from a focus on in-person game purchases to downloads online.
We recognize that it is difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it is the right decision, considering the new opportunities that our industry has to reach fans and partners. Each of these large companies can hold their own presentation… This is exciting for our industry and offers the chance to explore new ways of engaging different audiences, ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis told the Washington Post.
In an attempt to revive interest, the convention opened its doors to the public in 2017. The last in-person edition of E3, in 2019, attracted approximately 66,000 attendees. Previously, participation in the convention was restricted to people with proven ties to the video game industry, maintaining an air of exclusivity.
* With information from The Guardian
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