UPDATE
Who are you most excited to see at the Summer Game Fest? Let us know in the comments below!
ORIGINAL STORY
It’s a very curious time in the gaming industry right now. Usually, around this time of year, we would be preparing for the Electronic Entertainment Expo and trying to predict what the “Big 3” has in store for fans and journalists. Unfortunately, however, E3 2023 isn’t happening, and thus there is a “hole in the universe,” if you will. But there is still hope, and it comes in the form of the Summer Game Fest. It arrives on June 8th, and many hope it can “fill the gap” that E3 leaves behind. But, as E3 2023 proved, you can’t hold an event without the right people.
Thankfully, the Summer Game Fest posted on Twitter noting the developers and publishers that’ll be there. As you’ll see below, there are over 40 companies on that list, which means this will be quite the experience:
With names like Microsoft, Sony, SEGA, Square Enix, CD Projekt Red, and more, this event has plenty of potential to be worth your time. Plus, there will be an in-person event that you can go to at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. So it’ll be more than just a streaming event like The Game Awards.
The real question here is what kind of an impact this event will have. After all, it’s hardly the “only game in town” in the wake of E3’s fall. For example, Sony is doing a PlayStation Showcase soon, and many expect big games, including a certain sequel starring Spider-Man. But, then, there’s the ID@Xbox show that is also said to be happening around the time E3 was going to air, and an EA Play, among others.
So while this game fest may not be the only fish in the sea, it does show that certain publishers and developers are willing to go to shows like these to help promote their titles. That is the endgame for most people in those positions because promotion can equal more sales if done correctly.
But this brings up an interesting question. Will there ever be a kind of E3 again? Well, yes and no. We do have The Game Awards, which people both love and hate at the same time. That show does have game reveals and brings the industry together, but it’s more of an award show than anything.
The other problem is that digital showcases like Nintendo Directs or State of Plays are easier to make and handle. So we’ll have to see if the Game Fest or others like it to try and “take the reins” or merely exist.
