The Entertainment Software Association, organizers of the E3, has scheduled the E3 2021 for June 15 to 17, 2021. Amid this year’s cancellation and massive dropouts, the ESA is planning to re-imagine the expo for the next year. The ESA are “exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020.”
The ESA had a really rough 2020, the expo is struggling to find significance in today’s era of digital events, companies like Sony prefers a dedicated show in which they get all the attention. While Nintendo is doing fine with their Direct livestreams. Geoff Keighley declined to host E3 2020 due to “ton of of factors” shortly after Creative directors im8bit resigned the task to be the Creative Directors. For the second year in a row, the ESA leaked information about participants, this unfortunate event follows, last year’s disgrace where, the ESA leaked a list of personal details belonging to over 2,000 members of the media who attended E3 2019, including their home addresses and phone numbers.
The cancellation of E3 2020 might change the way publishers reveal their biggest announcements, this was suggested by Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, he predicts that COVID-19 might be the last nail in the coffin for the E3 suggesting that, publishers might realize that they don’t need E3 and that, hosting their own digital events might prove to be a better option after all.
If E3 2020 is cancelled and the video game publishers wind up doing digital events instead, I expect most of them to look at how little they lose by not being there (and how much money they save) and follow Sony's lead in ditching E3 permanently. Big existential moment here https://t.co/qSBgobOhGJ
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) March 4, 2020
ESA’s vision for the E3 has been questioned, Sony Interactive Entertainment, indicates that ESA’s approach do not coincide with their marketing plan of 2020. Geoff Keighley also blames the organizers for his resignation, “I just don’t really feel comfortable participating given what I know about the show as of today.” The ESA planned E3 2020 to be more consumer friendly, and it would’ve been more like a fan festival, full of celebrities and influencers. That approach has changed what the event represents for most companies and fans. E3 2020 faced a bigger problem than the threat of COVID-19, the obstacle that couldn’t be overcame , the event was doomed before the chaotic disease reached USA, and the common cause of all of it’s problems is the ESA’s management.
Source: GamesIndustry
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