IGN has confirmed that all three major video game hardware manufacturers, namely Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, will not be running any booths or have a physical presence for E3 2023.
The E3 physical event has been managed for the past few years by Reedpop, but insiders claim that Reedpop has been facing criticism over the way they have been managing this event since they started.
All three hardware companies remain members of the ESA, who they also cite as their representative when it comes to several issues and concerns within the industry. However, their relationships with the ESA and involvement in E3 have varied.
Sony has stopped arriving to the E3 event for several years now. They reportedly have had several disagreements with the ESA, beyond the management of the E3 event itself. Sony does have such a strong relationship with 3rd party developers that the developers themselves have kept PlayStation’s informal presence through their multiplatform games.
Nintendo has taken a different tack, partly informed by their Nintendo Directs. Nintendo had a long presence in E3 for years. However, they found that their online Nintendo Direct digital presentations, which primarily come on streaming and VOD, have been a more effective way for them to advertise and announce their games and products. Nintendo started holding digital events, similar to Nintendo Directs, in time for E3. However, they continued to maintain a physical presence on the E3 showroom floor. In fact, they would hold live streams, interviews, and other events scheduled after the Digital Event on E3 itself.
Microsoft continued to maintain a traditional presence in E3 until recently. They took up space in the showroom floor and would hold live events there. Recently, Xbox boss Phil Spencer explained that they would have a digital event at the same time as the E3 event, but would not have a physical presence there anymore.
Here is how Phil explained their decision to IGN:
“E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming. I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things…getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we’ve had. I definitely want that to continue.
Xbox is on the board of the ESA, and I think a successful and healthy ESA is critical to what we’re trying to go do. So we place our showcase, like we always have done, at a time where hopefully it’s convenient for press and even consumers that are going to the E3 event, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. We will continue to work with ESA in terms of their plans. As I said, we’re on the board, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful.”
For now, it isn’t clear if E3 will continue this year as an event at all. Reedpop can still appeal to third party developers to do promotions at the event. This could be an opportunity for other hardware manufacturers to promote their own products, such as the Steam Deck or Meta Quest 2.
They could also just keep the event going for the video game studios themselves. Aside from heavyweights like EA, Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard, this could be an opportunity for smaller game companies, mobile game companies, or emerging studios outside EMEA, to promote themselves.
The big Three certainly will not be lacking in opportunities, or their own ability, to market their own games, if E3 does not push through at all. Perhaps an E3 that is focused solely on third party video games won’t be all that bad.
