you might have heard that this year's version of the electronic entertainment
expo better known as e3 was cancelled
due to the covet pandemic and that's no surprise given that major events around
the globe have been scrapped for the same reason but after the world pulls
out of this crisis the future of e3 may very much be in doubt for reasons that
have nothing to do with the pandemic but why i mean e3 has been a big deal
for a long time the show dates back all
the way to 1995 when the gaming industry decided that it was tired of being an
afterthought at tech trade shows and finally said screw you we'll make our
own event with blackjack and hookers just kidding about that last part but
after game developers set out on their own e3 quickly developed into an
important fixture for the industry it became traditional for big-ticket
consoles and chart-busting aaa games to be unveiled at the event and gamers
everywhere were envious for years at the industry members who were able to attend
though it finally opened up to the general public in 2017. so with gaming
arguably a bigger force in our culture today than it's ever been in history
with the rise of esports and a smartphone that doubles as a mobile
gaming platform in everyone's pocket why would a trade show centered around
video games be struggling one reason has
a lot to do with digital distribution and social media remember when you're a
kid and playing games meant getting a shiny new console or shrink-wrapped copy
of a hotly-anticipated game on christmas morning
obviously dedicated consoles and physical media are still around but
companies can now get new games and updates out to gamers quickly think
about how apex legends which has become hugely popular was revealed with a
surprise announcement instead of a trade show event and the rise of social media
has meant that developers can now get information about upcoming titles and
hardware directly to consumers on their
own schedules rather than waiting for an industry show nintendo sony microsoft
they all now have their own virtual events focused on their products only in
fact sony didn't even bother showing up to the 2019 edition of e3 simply because
it didn't feel a need to and it wouldn't be surprising if other heavy hitters in
the gaming industry followed suit in the future what's the point in announcing a
big name console at an event with limited floor space when you're trying
to compete with lots of other vendors for attention and eyeballs microsoft has
already reflected this trend by announcing the xbox series x online
instead of at a brick and mortar event then throw in the fact that e3 is facing
increasingly stiff competition from other shows like gamescom or pax
or ltx which are more focused on gamers and
consumers than they are in industry insiders potentially making them more
appealing to developers who immediately want to create buzz with fans even one
of e3's own has contributed to the show's decline
jeff keely who was a broadcaster for e3's live streams and a fixture of the
event announced he would not be at the show prior to its cancellation instead
keeley announced that he'd be running his own summer game fest which could be
seen as yet another competitor to e3 now
e3 has responded by attempting to bring more interactivity to the show and make
it a little less focused solely on the business side of the industry but it's
unclear if this will make an impact once the show returns in 2021 though i wonder
how much interactivity there will really be if we all have to stand six feet
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