E3, the premier showcase of gaming’s latest and greatest innovations, has been abruptly canceled.
Game-lovers who have been eagerly awaiting the return of E3 need to brace themselves, as it will once again not be happening this June. After four years away from Los Angeles, one’s hopes for a big budget gaming convention are now put on hold yet another year.
After over a year of lockdowns, the gaming industry was set to reunite at an in-person convention. Sadly, though, many leading figures have had to withdraw due to various reasons – leaving gamers across the globe disappointed.
Despite its years of success and innovation, Ubisoft recently pulled out while rumors have it that industry giants like Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are supposed to follow suit. This suggests a struggle for the event – once influential in the gaming sphere-to remain pertinent amid an ever changing atmosphere.
For 25 years, E3 has been the pinnacle of gaming entertainment and marketing. Every year at this event — similar to Comic Con in its celebration of all things digital – gamers eagerly anticipate watching trailers for upcoming video games while playing experts take over YouTube and Twitch to express their expert opinions live. Had it not been postponed due to the pandemic, 2020 would have marked yet another exciting edition full of virtual wonders!
The opinion of the convention had been in decline long before lockdown took effect, as major companies such as Microsoft, Sony Nintendo and Ubisoft withdrew their presence. This drastic movement away from the expo ultimately diminished its relevance within the industry.