This is sorta true. There will be some differences though: 1) this is E3. Not just "another " E3. But an E3 to speak about a brand new generation of hardware and experiences. Its a major tradition among the gaming community and one most people expect to hear and see what those experiences are. Where Presentation is paramount in order to set the tone for the rest of the generation. This is how Sony won the current gen as stated in the article. Because they had a competitor who shared their own story, but, as fait would have it, Sony had a better one and the gaming community endorsed their message loud and clear. How do they do that now?
2) Microsoft will be coming with guns blazing. The gaming public knows this without quarrel. Sony games will look spectacular (even if their console is underpowered..) but since Microsoft went and built their own armada of dev houses and will have the more powerful console next gen, Sony's first party will not go unchallenged this time around. If people are expecting Microsoft not to have titles that show the power of the Series X, you're dreaming. There will be heavy hitters from the games department for Team Green. There will be major GP announcements. And I'd wager an acquisition or two from Japan and probably UK.
E3 is about setting the tone for your brand and telling a story about how they're offering you something better than the other guy. With Sony not there, they miss out on that opportunity. Missing two E3's in a row with 2020 E3 all about a brand new gen doesn't have a good ring to it. I don't care what you say...