It’s not the news we may have wanted to hear, but Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will all be skipping E3 2023. Originally reported by IGN yesterday, the first physical E3 event in four years will feel a little empty for some, with major releases from all three platforms likely reserved for streams, events and showcases held exclusively by each platform.
ReedPop, the new E3 2023 event organisers, had provided this statement to IGN:
“E3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we’ve worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs.
“This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.
“As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.”
We can only hope that this paves the way for new and exciting developers to showcase a number of upcoming releases with the spotlight now firmly upon them.
