Industry Veterans Mourn The Loss Of E3

UPDATE

What are you going to miss the most about E3? Let us know below!

ORIGINAL STORY

As we reported yesterday, the gaming industry has witnessed the official death of one of its most important events ever. The Electronic Entertainment Expo, aka E3, had been going on for decades. While it had seriously struggled in the years leading up to and following the pandemic, many hoped it would continue due to how important it was to many gamers. However, the ESA stated that this wasn’t to be and that it would be forever canceled. As you might have guessed, this saddened many industry leaders and legends who wanted to take time to remember the good times at the show.

For example, Hideo Kojima posted about why E3 was so important to him. We have his tweet below, and here’s what it says translated:

“The end of E3 is sad news. “MGS” was exhibited for the first time in Atlanta in 1987. I have participated every year since then. I especially cherish the presentation of “MGS2″ in 2000. Already 23 years ago. I’ll never forget the standing ovation I received at that time. Without E3, Japanese creators and titles would not have made it to the global stage to this extent. E3 brought together creators and industry figures from all over the world, transcending borders and races. Attending parties and conferences made it easy to connect with people from all over the world. I have nothing but gratitude. Thank you, E3.”

That might not have been something you thought about, right? You might have felt the show was just a way to show off future video games, but it was so much more than that. This was an “industry get-together” that many loved to participate in for various reasons. Especially in the show’s earlier days when technology like cell phones, email, and video chats were minimal or non-existent! But Kojima wasn’t the only one to spread the love. Santa Monica Studio dev Cory Balrog had this to add on Twitter:

That one might throw you for a loop because of the “I love and hated the show” line. But that was a feeling many had about the expo near the end. While they loved it at times, it was also one that failed to adapt to modern gaming times. Nintendo went from doing live shows to only being on the show floor with some of their games. Eventually, almost every big developer pulled out because there were cheaper options to show off their games.