Due to Covid, the E3 gaming convention has cancelled its in-person event
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For the third year in a row, the major video gaming convention E3 will not be held in person in Los Angeles in June 2022.
The decision was made owing to health concerns about COVID-19, as well as the “safety of exhibitors and spectators,” according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which organised the event.
Since 1995, E3 has brought together the entire video game industry to help build anticipation for new releases. It allows the world’s most well-known game creators to present their work.
Last year’s event was fully online, with Nintendo, Xbox, Konami, and Ubisoft among the participants, and fans having access to online displays, trailers, and sample material.
Journalists from the gaming industry, YouTubers, and fans have rushed to the conference to get a sneak peek at what’s to come.
That coverage, as well as following the online debate, has played a significant role in determining whether new titles and technologies become critical and commercial successes. It’s where the Nintendo Wii debuted, the PlayStation 4 was revealed, and iconic titles like Halo 2 were shown off.
The postponement of this year’s in-person event comes significantly sooner than the cancellations planned for 2020 and 2021, and some are now raising concerns about the convention’s survival.
Its importance has waned in recent years, as big game companies such as Electronic Arts and PlayStation have decided not to attend and instead hold their separate events. The absence of an in-person convention is a missed chance for E3 to stay relevant.
Some believe that a convention like E3 is no longer necessary because game creators and publishers are in virtually daily contact with players all over the world via social media, streaming sites, and YouTube.
However, organisers are hoping that the convention’s long-standing reputation, as well as the fact that it is considered an aspirational event for many in the industry, will be enough to convince it to return in the future. Because of E3, the month of June has been linked with a slew of announcements in the gaming world. However, it’s unclear if this will continue in 2022 and beyond.