E3 Is Officially Dead After 28 Years of Good Times
After 28 years, The Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as E3, is officially gone. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the main organizer of E3, announced that they would no longer organize the event, effectively ending its more than two-decade-long run as a central showcase for the US and global video game industry.
E3 had been an annual gathering sponsored by the ESA since 1995, primarily taking place in Los Angeles. However, in recent years it has faced challenges, including the cancellation of the physical event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shift to a virtual format in 2021. Then many of the big video game publishers started up their own big events. At its peak, E3 was a major launchpad for new releases from key players in the video gaming industry.
I’ve attended E3 for years, and it was always a ton of fun to attend meet people and make connections and new friends. Of course, playing all of the upcoming games was a ton of fun as well! I’ll actually miss the good ol’ days of E3 when it was at the top of its game.
There was some hope that E3 would happen in 2023 when ESA announced it would be working with PAX organizer ReedPop for future E3 events. Unfortunately, E3 2023 ended up being canceled as it reportedly "did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry."
It seems like that was the final nail in the coffin, and E3 is officially no more. It’s sad to see an event like this disappear. I’ve made some good memories at E3.