E3 2023: video game industry’s biggest expo cancelled
The show had been due to make a return after years of Covid-19 disruption this June in Los Angeles, but in a joint statement, the US’s Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and events company Reedpop announced it would no longer be going ahead.
Known as “video game Christmas” by fans, E3 has been a fixture in the games industry calendar since 1995, and has traditionally been where game publishers and console manufacturers announce what’s next for players.
The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U are among the consoles that have been announced at the event. Its cancellation leaves the games industry without a dominant focal point for marketing new titles; instead, since Covid, the trend has been towards live-streamed shows where publishers announce and show new titles virtually.
“This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3,” Reedpop’s Kyle Marsden-Kish said in a joint statement with the ESA.
