Topic: Entertainment Software Association Officially Ends Efforts To Revive E3

[Shaymin]

We hate to say we told you so, but baby WE TOLD YOU SO.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/65767/entertainment-software-association-officially-ends-efforts-to-revive-e3

After more than four years on life support, E3 is officially dead.

A statement in the Washington Post (possible paywall) confirmed the official death of the show, which was last held in 2019. Entertainment Software Association (ESA) president Stanley Pierre-Louis issued a statement to the Post which said partially "We know it’s difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it’s the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners."

Following the 2019 show and the revelation of a massive systemic leak of press information, the show attempted to reboot in 2020 with a focus on "influencers" before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the live event down for two years - with only a failed online hosting in 2021. Partner disinterest the last two years prevented the show from returning, with an attempt in 2023 in cooperation with ReedPop (who run the PAX expos and also have put Eurogamer, RockPaperShotgun, VGC, and other outlets up for sale) falling apart. It was reported in June that the 2024 and 2025 shows were already cancelled.

[broodwars]

After the slow, agonizing death it's had the last 3-4 years, I don't miss E3 anymore.

I just lament that we haven't replaced it with anything better. On the one hand, we have Keighley's marketing specials masquerading as noble pursuits. On the other hand, we have glorified trailer reels, only Nintendo's being remotely tolerable.

*sigh*

[Mythtendo]

It's Entertainment Software Association, not Electronic Software Association

Sad to see this happen, it was a better shows that Gamecom

[M.K.Ultra]

RIP E3 
Maybe PAX will grow to fill the void.

[stevey]

Maybe one day the E3 generation will move up the ranks in various game companies' leaderships and bring E3 back like in olden days

[yrrab436]

...oh my god.  My account that I made over 20 years ago for Planet GameCube still exists to comment here!

This is the end of an era.  I still have my Planet GameCube VHS tapes and DVDs.  Back when getting such videos online took file sharing programs and hours of downloading overnight.

I understand things change with time, but man the memories.  I remember when pictures of The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker leaked a few days early and people thought "toon Link" was a hoax.  Then things exploded when the reveal happened.

So many memories, but I suppose all good things must come to an end.  But not this site or my account yet, it would seem!

[broodwars]

I understand things change with time, but man the memories.  I remember when pictures of The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker leaked a few days early and people thought "toon Link" was a hoax.  Then things exploded when the reveal happened.

So many memories, but I suppose all good things must come to an end.  But not this site or my account yet, it would seem!

Well, I believe that particular memory was of Space World, not E3. 

[Ian Sane]

It's odd to see something die that used to be such a big deal but has become so irrelevant that I don't care that it died.  Really it died years ago but in a gradual way.  It wasn't like a quick pull of the plug.  20 years ago if E3 died that would have seriously bummed me out.  But E3 isn't really what was exciting, at least for someone like myself that didn't attend it, it was new game announcements and hands-on reports of the demos for upcoming releases.  These days Nintendo Directs handle the announcements and I'm usually looking for demos I can download pre-release.  If I have to resort to reading someone else's impressions, I'm disappointed.  It's very easy for the general public to experience from the comfort of their home what E3 used to be like for the attendees.  It's really up to the publishers if they're willing to offer a demo and at what point they want to reveal their upcoming game.

Though I do occasionally look at my old Gamepro issue from 1996 that covered that year's E3.  Of course that's the big N64 rollout.  That was the best way to get that info in those days and it's nice to look back, but it just isn't a model that makes sense anymore.

[UncleBob]

It doesn't make sense anymore.  And as we move further away from physical media (sadface), it'll make even less sense.  E3 was basically for retailers and such - and they're not going to be selling the games anymore.

Even things like PAX don't make much sense (from the Developer/Publisher side of things).  Why invest all the time and money to travel/rent space/staff/and set up demos that only a limited amount of people can play when you can upload Youtube videos yourself and free demos that everyone can play?

In a time where if you wanted folks to play a demo of Ocarina of Time, you needed special hardware and had limited ways to distribute the software, it makes sense.  Today?  meh.

I see one of two options going forward.  One, we go back to CES (is CES still a thing?  I dunno) where it's general consumer electronics.  Put the Nintendo next to the refrigerator with WiFi cameras installed.  Not really a good format, but more likley to survive.  Or, a total gaming expo.  Like PAXxGenCon - Table Top, RPG, Card Games, and Video Games.  Tournaments, vendors, devs and publishers...

But something only for Devs and Pubs direct to Industry Resellers?  Naw, it's dead dog.

[yrrab436]

I understand things change with time, but man the memories.  I remember when pictures of The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker leaked a few days early and people thought "toon Link" was a hoax.  Then things exploded when the reveal happened.

So many memories, but I suppose all good things must come to an end.  But not this site or my account yet, it would seem!

Well, I believe that particular memory was of Space World, not E3. 

Am I merging two events?  I specifically remember photos of the GameCube logo that people thought were fake.  I must be merging the two, because the initial GCN reveal had the more "realistic" graphics for Zelda.

Memory sure is a funny thing.

I just thought of another reason developers probably wanted to ditch E3: the costs of making the demos.  I recall reading they had to distract from game production to get E3 demos ready.

[broodwars]

I understand things change with time, but man the memories.  I remember when pictures of The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker leaked a few days early and people thought "toon Link" was a hoax.  Then things exploded when the reveal happened.

So many memories, but I suppose all good things must come to an end.  But not this site or my account yet, it would seem!

Well, I believe that particular memory was of Space World, not E3. 

Am I merging two events?  I specifically remember photos of the GameCube logo that people thought were fake.  I must be merging the two, because the initial GCN reveal had the more "realistic" graphics for Zelda.

Memory sure is a funny thing.

I just thought of another reason developers probably wanted to ditch E3: the costs of making the demos.  I recall reading they had to distract from game production to get E3 demos ready.

Both trailers were at Space world.

This was the original Wind Waker trailer from 2001: http://youtu.be/aQ7riCXrDxY?si=RzdilChfxgX-_kGH