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[Astorian]

So we know E3 haven’t been doing too hot the past few years, Sony haven’t done an E3 the past two years and from what they’ve said it seems like they are not going back for the foreseeable future, Nintendo is kinda there but also not really and MS is the only remaining E3 showcase that’s worth watching I’d argue.

Now as we’ve seen from last year, companies don’t really need E3 for announcements and live shows, digital events are easier and cheaper to produce and feel as exciting (for someone that doesn’t go to shows anyways), so do you think E3 is returning this year? If yes how big/small will it be?

 

[GaviotaGrande]

No. But a poll would be nice.

 

[SupremeHoodie]

I would hope so, E3 is in June. Most people should be vaccinated by then no?

 

[.Pennywise]

You say companies don't need E3 to announce stuff. But last year was a total and complete mess of dozens of shows wanting to take the place of E3 and none of them was good, with companies doing their own thing and others placing the same trailer over and over throught different shows.

For instance, take a look here.

 

[Con-Z-epT]

I would hope so, E3 is in June. Most people should be vaccinated by then no?

Most people by june? That is a dream.

Covid will be, atleast one cause, for E3 not to happen.



I would like to see it back however.

 

[Abriael_GN]

Certainly hope so. Last year with everyone wanting to do their own personal livestream and content stretched ultra-thin as a result was a complete trainwreck.

 

[VN1X]

Same as last year.

 

[NahaNago]

E3 is definitely happening but in what form though. I'm just hoping that they don't spread out all of the shows and announcements, it kills the hype.

 

[Astorian]

You say companies don't need E3 to announce stuff. But last year was a total and complete mess of dozens of shows wanting to take the place of E3 and none of them was good, with companies doing their own thing and others placing the same trailer over and over throught different shows.

For instance, take a look here.

Is multiple shows a problem though? Sony will have their own show, the others will be watched based on who’s participating.

 

[rubhen925]

Did you see what Sony accomplished last year with their E3 livestream? They never will set foot for a physical event again when their livestream made so many views. And of course another reason is CoVid. Just not gonna be practical to get everyone vaccinated by June. There will be shortages.

 

[Kev Kev]

after so many things have gone completely "digital/paperless" over the last year, and been pretty succesful if not even more succesful than before, i dont think so. and if there is it wont be the same. covid was a game changer for the whole word (no pun intended)

 

[Boaty McBoatface]

We're never going back to normal unfortunately.

 

[.Pennywise]

Is multiple shows a problem though? Sony will have their own show, the others will be watched based on who’s participating.

Oh, so when you speak about E3 you're just talking about Sony's E3. Should clarify that in the OP. There's an entire industry outside Sony's garden buddy.

 

[RNG]

Probably not, it'll most likely be drip fed throughout the summer of George like last year.

 

[sublimit]

I hope so but chances are against it.

 

[Orta]

Hopefully it'll be back. Couldn't care less if Sony isn't there.

 

[Elios83]

Nah, covid is still a thing so all the events will continue to be digital for the time being forcefully.
But I also think that the formula is obsolete and adds significant extra costs and pressure on dev teams for something that is simply not needed anymore to make annoucements and promote stuff.
If Sony and Microsoft could launch new consoles without E3 they can pretty much be done with it every year. Sony already did it before covid btw, there were basically 1 year ahead of everyone else.
The future is about digital events to make announcements, promotion will be done through social networks while exhibitions will become a way to let everyone try the new products when it will be possible to do that again.

 

[Yoda]

Doubt big conferences are coming back this year. Even if it did, I suspect most companies are OK skipping it now.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Nah, highly doubt it, things will take the better part of this year before we get back to normal I imagine

 

[regawdless]

No. E3 was in an identity crisis before and covid gave it the death blow.

 

[Freeman76]

I would 100% bet against it

 

[aries_71]

I don’t think so. By June we won’t be out of this COVID nightmare yet.

 

[Astorian]

Oh, so when you speak about E3 you're just talking about Sony's E3. Should clarify that in the OP. There's an entire industry outside Sony's garden buddy.

That’s clearly not what I said.

 

[Zero7]

We have been moving towards digital events for year's. COVID accelerated the idea even faster.

 

[Diddy X]

It's not even about covid, it' about E3 turning useless with the introduction of video streaming and social media where everything gets leaked.

 

[Moogle11]

If it is it will be much smaller. I think the console platform holders have realized they can reach a more captive audience, for less cost, by just having their own virtual events.

I prefer that personally as I'd rather get reveals spread out overtime rather than all crammed into a few days around E3 as that's near impossible to keep up with as an adult who can't just blow off those days to watch everything and read a ton of articles.

 

[Abriael_GN]

Is multiple shows a problem though?

It absolutely is.

The more shows there are with everyone wanting their primadonna moment, the more actual content is spread thin and sunk into a sea of fluff.

It's wasted time for everyone.

 

[Astorian]

It absolutely is.

The more shows there are with everyone wanting their primadonna moment, the more actual content is spread thin and sunk into a sea of fluff.

It's wasted time for everyone.

It’s wasted only if you decide to watch every show there is for some reason, Sony, MS, EA, Ubisoft will all have their own shows as they would have at E3 and the biggest games announcements will happen there, you don’t really have to watch IGN or whoever else that hosted a show last year.

 

[Zephir]

I wish... Three days perfectly focused and full of announcements and cringe memes will always be better than whatever Geoff (and others) tried to put up last summer

 

[Airbus Jr]

Too many doom n gloom people here

E3 will be back dont worry

Just more adjustment for online viewing now

 

[Hudo]

Whatever happens, I just hope that they'll do their shit within one week. This drip-feed style of streams and announcements of announcements throughout the whole year got tiring really fast. Actually it ended up annoying me.
E3 isn't perfect but at least all major news were delivered within a week.

 

[Bungie]

I believe we will. They have actual time to plan a event appropriately, same with the showcases.

 

[Marcus Aurelius]

Whatever happens, I just hope that they'll do their shit within one week. This drip-feed style of streams and announcements of announcements throughout the whole year got tiring really fast. Actually it ended up annoying me.
E3 isn't perfect but at least all major news were delivered within a week.

This.

Was horrible last year, waiting one week for a shitty trailer or announcement...man fck that

 

[michaelius]

Insert it's dead Jim meme here.

There likely won't be E3 anymore - it was already having problems with bigger companies leaving it out to make their own conferences around it's time and this year have shows it's perfectly possible to do without it.

 

[Kimahri]

I doubt it very much. I hope we get something better than last year's ridiculous summer of games nonsense. Reveals and announcements and streams stretched out over many months is just not the way to go. It was boring, nothing was big and impressive, and it was hard to keep up. At the very least make some big streamed press conferences. Give us reveals and info packed in one show. It needs to be fun, and it needs to be concentrated into a short amount of time, not stretched out till no one gives a crap anymore.

 

[LarknThe4th]

No, covid will still be around and the industry as a whole is moving away from it anyway

 

[YukiOnna]

Hope so. The Summer Games Event showed exactly why I prefer the 3-4 day venue format. Consolidated, easy to keep up with and more exciting.

 

[cormack12]

Don't think to with COVID, although last years summer games fest was turd. It's much better to blast everything in the event window imo

 

[Coolwhhip]

E3 doesn't serve any purpose anymore. Maybe it will come back as a fun public gaming event, but as an actual industry event it's pointless now.

 

[MasterDerico]

No, the world will be safe only in late 2022.

 

[bitbydeath]

I would hope so, E3 is in June. Most people should be vaccinated by then no?

The vaccination only covers one of the strands so even if everyone were to be vaccinated by then we’d still have to maintain the social distancing standards we have today as everyone would still be at risk of spreading one of the many other strands. Just like how the flu shot doesn’t protect you from all strands of the flu.

 

[Freeman76]

We're never going back to normal unfortunately.

Based on what?

Utter nonsense, things will pick up very quickly once mass vaccination becomes a thing globally. Sure there will be financial implications for months beyond that, but to think we are never going back to normal is conspiracy theory crap.

 

[Gudji]

I would hope so, E3 is in June. Most people should be vaccinated by then no?

Not sure if serious...

 

[Woman7]

Of course. Just push a swab into everyones nose before they can enter.

 

[Kittehkraken]

I hope its online so we can have more gems like this:

 

[Kokoloko85]

Last year was shit with companies/studios spreading announcements between 3 months.
I prefer it all in a week please, get it over and done with. No time wasting and BS

 

[Gudji]

Of course. Just push a swab into everyones nose before they can enter.

Yikes now I don't wanna do that thing ever.

 

[JordanN]

What is the status of air travel?

Keep in mind, it's people from all over the world who have to hop on a plane and fly to California. If the airports are closed, there's going to be problems.

 

[Kokoloko85]

I would hope so, E3 is in June. Most people should be vaccinated by then no?

Lol, Vaccines arent gonna do anything. They announced mutations the week the vaccines hit the UK.. What a “coincidence”.
Theres gonna be more and more mutations like other viruses. And at first they said mutations would make it weaker but have actually now said they are worse.

Covid and all the bs that comes with it is here to stay for awhile

 

[NullZ3r0]

All they need to do is call it "Black Lives Matter E3 Protest" and it will be business as usual.