The Electronic Software Association announced yesterday that the near-annual video games expo, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will definitely return in 2023. This news comes after 2022's events were all canceled earlier this year.
The announcement was made yesterday via an interview with The Washington Post, with ESA President and CEO confirming that both a physical and some sort of digital event will be taking place next year.
Via The Washington Post:
"We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event,” ESA president and CEO Stan Pierre-Louis told The Washington Post in an interview. “As much as we love these digital events, and as much as they reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to convene — to be able to connect in person and see each other and talk about what makes games great.”
The "digital events" that Pierre-Louis is referring to are the disparate press conferences and showcases being held by both game publishers and outlets alike. Events such as the now annual Summer Game Fest by journalist Geoff Keighley, both showcases by Microsoft and Sony, as well as IGN and Future's events have taken up the space that E3 left this year.
While many feel E3 has diminished in its value and role in the industry, with so many companies able to directly reach consumers now thanks to streams, pre-recorded videos and more, E3 has struggled to find its footing in recent years. Then Covid canceled the show in 2020 with the all-digital E3 2021 bringing the show back in some way.
It'll be interesting to see how E3 fits back into the video game schedule next summer, and whether or not the inclusion of the long-standing physical event, usually held in downtown Los Angeles, will help bring the show back to relevance. As of now we don't know when the event will occur, specifically if it will run right up against Summer Game Fest or if the two events will dance around each other.
