One of the biggest events in the video game industry took place last month – the TGA (The Game Awards). The awards are held annually, and almost every year is a real show for game lovers, and an arena for controversy regarding both the nominations and the winners. However, ten years ago there was another show under the spotlight, much more important in the historical context – E3. For several years now, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, aka E3, has been in a state of hibernation, trying to regain its former greatness, or at least return to the mass media market. How Atlas fell, and what caused his fall – we will consider further.

Story

Video game exhibitions date back to the 1980s, when games were just gaining popularity and they urgently needed platforms for distribution. The most significant platform at that time was the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) exhibition. The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the world’s largest electronics exhibitions, which since its founding in 1967 has become a center for the presentation of new technologies, and games are no exception. Game companies first appeared at CES in the early 1970s with the debut of first-generation consoles such as the Magnavox Odyssey and Atari Pong.

Later, the then newcomers, now legionnaires, Nintendo and Sega appeared at the exhibition. In 1985, Nintendo introduced its NES, and already in the 1990s, Sega and Nintendo were closely engaged in the Greco-Roman struggle for public attention, promoting their consoles and advertising innovations in the video game industry.

However, the video game industry grew so quickly that it soon demanded its own place in the sun. It was then that the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) decided to create a separate event dedicated exclusively to video games. So in 1995, the first E3 was held in Los Angeles.

The debut was a real discovery. Sony unveiled the original PlayStation, Sega announced the Saturn, and Nintendo hinted at its plans to release the Nintendo 64. More than 40 thousand visitors came to the debut event, and the press was delighted.

Of course, after such a bright start, by the 2000s E3 had become the main annual event for the entire gaming industry. And it wasn’t just an idle place for various announcements; at E3 there were journalists, cosplayers, shows, including musical ones, and much more, which made E3 stand out from other events. For context, at E3 they showed for the first time: PlayStation 2/¾, Xbox 360/One and other consoles that have become a symbol of the whole time.

In addition to brilliant https://nonukonlinecasinos.uk/review/winstler-casino/ consoles, real video legends were also presented at E3: Halo 2, The Last of Us, GTA: San Andreas, God of War and many others. Thanks to all of the above, E3 has become not only a platform for business, but also a real cultural phenomenon that is still remembered by gamers around the world.

Digital revolution

With the advent of the new decade, new players entered the market for large-scale video game events, each of whom began to occupy their own niche. Views of the Tokyo Game Show, which appeared parallel to E3 in 1996, increased significantly. This exhibition is conceptually similar to E3, the difference is in the focus on the eastern audience.

And in 2009, a healthy competitor appeared in the form of Cologne Gamescom, which has now taken the place of E3 both in scale and importance in the industry.

But even such competition did not pose any special problems for E3. Problems were caused by the rapid development of digital marketing, which became fatal for the exhibition. The fact is that despite the enormous popularity of E3 as a platform for demonstrating one’s own projects and attracting the attention of players and the media, it cost a lot. The costs of game stands, show preparation, transportation costs and much more, although they hit the wallet, paid off.

They stopped paying off in the Covid year 2020, when many exhibitions and public events around the world were canceled. Electronic Entertainment Expo was no exception and was canceled. But she returned to phone screens the following year, in an online format, which, however, did not help the situation.

Major studios that were trying to survive the new crisis cut marketing costs and became more modest in terms of advertising. In addition, some have taken advantage of the opportunities offered by digital marketing by hosting their own events online. It’s cheaper, although not so pompous. Vivid examples of this trend: Nintendo Direct, Playstation Experience, State of Play and Summer Game Fest.

E3 could no longer recover from such a blow. After the last exhibition held in 2021, messages began pouring in from CEOs and representatives about the cancellation of first E3 2022, and then even talk about the complete and untimely closure of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Rumors about a return are still circulating, but there is neither an exact date nor hopes for a quick return.

In an interview with GamesIndustry, Stanley Pierre-Louis, CEO of the ESA, addressed several reasons that led the ESA to cancel the 2023 event. He stated the following:

We’re off to a good start. There was interest from possible exhibitors, industry representatives, media and, of course, fans. However, eventually problems arose that were too big to overcome. First, several companies have reported that their game development timelines have been changed since the COVID pandemic began. Secondly, changes in the market have forced several companies to reconsider their approach to investing in large marketing events. And third, companies are starting to experiment with how to find the right balance between live events and digital marketing opportunities

Stanley Pierre-Louis

But even despite such statements made back in 2023, the ESA leadership remained hopeful. There were even stories about a “hybrid” format of the exhibition in 2024, but, as you may have noticed, neither the old nor the new ESA format was presented, and the fans were left with nothing. However, believe it or not, someone is talking about the return of E3 in 2025, with, believe it or not, a “new” format, but for now this remains a rumor.

Conclusion

Even in suspended animation, E3 remains an important part of video game history. It was a place where legends were created and millions of gamers united. But times are changing, and the format of large exhibitions is gradually giving way to digital events.

Will E3 be able to find its niche in the new reality?? Or is her era already behind us?? Write in the comments what you think about it. And we thank E3 for all the bright memories and hope that it will surprise us more in the future. Well or not.