E3 the video game event is an iconic convention. In the past years, it has brought together different players in the video game industry and has enabled video game fans worldwide to get sneak peeks of the most exclusive games.
The convention acts as a platform where the latest video game technology, games, and games-related merchandise can be discussed, shared, and handed out between teams, fans, and developers alike.
However, the E3 convention does not lack its fair share of controversies. Its organizer, the Entertainment Software Association, has suffered setbacks since its inauguration 27 years ago on May 11, 1995. The most recent setback was the cancellation of the 2022 event.
The 2023 event
The ESA Entertainment Software Association announced in 2022 that the industry’s biggest convention would be back in the second week of June 2023. The ESA plans to bring back the event physically as well as digitally. ESA stated that it would focus on bringing and delivering a revitalized physical and digital experience to the E3 convention.
The return of the event in California is set to boost gaming numbers. In particular, online gaming will receive a much-needed boost. If you are looking to safely bet on this event, you can find helpful information on gambling laws in California at online-gambling.com.
New games will be expected to be unveiled at this event and the video game world is without a doubt anticipating the convention
The President of ESA and its CEO Stan Pierre-Louis reiterated that not only would E3 be back but that it was still very much alive. He acknowledged to the Washington Post that large gaming companies like Nintendo direct, Geoff Keighley’s summer game fest and Sony’s state of play had seen great success with regard to digital showcases.
He however opined that in as much as digital avenues get that global reach that ESA desired, people still want to convene and be able to talk and connect especially about what makes games great
Who is Filling the Gaps
With the 2022 digital E3 conference canceled, the big players in the gaming industry decided to take matters into their own hands. Sony’s PlayStation and Santa Monica Studio took headlines by storm by releasing the trailer of the upcoming game God of War: Ragnarok and its release date.
In June, the Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley held the Annual Summer Game Fest. This event is slated to return in 2023
Past Events
The last E3 event was held on June 12-15 2021. It was a virtual event as the world was still grappling with the covid-19 pandemic. The 2022 event was supposed to be an in-person event but it was scraped off due to possible fears of spreading Covid 19. The digital event that was to accompany it was also done away with.
The most successful era in the convention’s history was the 2017-2020 era. This coincidentally coincided with the Entertainment Software Association allowing the general public to access the events.
This simple rule change allowed the masses and gamers interested to physically attend the convention which in turn prompted game developers to put more effort into the game reveals and merchandise to attract more players.
Past Challenges
Before E3 took center stage, Game developers had to contend with slots in other consumer Electronic Shows and the European Computer trade show. The industry used to get unconventional stands and be placed in weird positions, behind questionable industries, and often without a care about their equipment.
The 1990s witnessed the meteoritic rise of the gaming industry and its demands surpassed what the CES was offering. The majority of the gaming companies, displeased by the standards given, withdrew from the CES and established their own Interactive Digital software association. This later morphed in 2003 into the Current ESA Entertainment Software Association.
The industry players recognized the need for a trade show personally tailored for retailers and Industry players. At the same time, CES recognized the need to treat video games better. However, upon discussions from both parties, an agreement wasn’t arrived at leading to the gaming industry starting its own Expo.
Data Leaks
Data protection is a key element in the current digital age and the E3 conference is no stranger to such controversies. In 2019 a list of personal attendees’ data was accessed from ESA’s site.
This data which contained private data regarding the attendees was publicly accessible. Some of the people on that list included notable social media influencers and members of the press. Individuals from the list were harassed and received death threats arising from access to their private data.
ESA’s reaction was an immediate withdrawal of this data from the site and a subsequent statement from the CEO Mr. Stanley Pierre-louis stating that the association would limit the amount of attendee data collected in the future and that measures to secure this Data would be established. This was seen in the 2020 ESA’s E3 event where stringent methods were applied
E3 Event Location
The E3 event has been held every year at the LACC except for two years in which the expo was held in Georgia. With Covid-19, ESA renegotiated with LACC to retain rights to use the venue until 2023 however they retain the rights to break the original agreement.
Breakaways
The Year 2020 was notable for E3 as the expo lost two of its biggest clients, Sony and Geoff Keighley. In 2020, Sony stated that E3 did not align with its overall goal and that it would showcase its games at other gaming expos. This was a huge blow given how large Sony’s gaming catalog and consumer audience is.Â
Geoff Keighley’s withdrawal and subsequent set-up of Summer – Fest citing that they had discomfort with the direction that the Expo was going was also an unprecedented one. This was in particular due to the fact that they had never missed an expo in 25 years
Conclusion
The new highly anticipated E3 expo slated for 2023 has us all in a chokehold. We are waiting for the release of new games along with its merchandise. The absence of industry veterans like Sony and Geoff will surely be a blow, but no doubt someone will rise to fill in their roles. See you at the Expo.
