While Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Festival is still interesting this year as it brings together multiple events under its tent, ESA intends to restore its place in the debate next summer. “We’re excited to be back in 2023 with digital and in-person events.As much as we love these digital events and how they impact people around the world, we also know that people are desperate to get together to connect, meet and talk about what makes games so great”, commented Stanley Pierre-Louis, President and Director General of ESA, who has organized the exhibition since 1995.
Formerly an unmissable meeting place for all major publishers and manufacturers, who pride themselves on opening their most beautiful cards within the framework of prestigious conferences, giving way to separate programs (Nintendo Direct, State of Play, Microsoft Showcase, EA Play, Ubisoft Forward…) and game announcements are made more and more frequently at a very early stage to allow teams to recruit efficiently. Even before the emergence of COVID-19, which further crippled the show, Sony set off its first small earthquake by announcing its absence at E3 2019.
While a new deal now brings pride to the surge in digital events, Stanley Pierre-Louis believes E3 will be best at a time when publishers of all sizes are combining “live” and “online” dimensions. According to him, in a trial period, and “try to figure out the best way to promote their products“. Kind of like E3, then.
Ironically, keep in mind that many games and partnerships are born out of meetings and discussions between professionals during trade shows like E3. As a simple example, if Ron Gilbert met the right person from Devolver Digital at PAX 2019, not sure if a game like Return to Monkey Island would come, as explained here. If not strictly necessary in an age of industry-wide adoption of telecommuting, old-fashioned parties undoubtedly still have real legitimacy to defend due to the business and creative opportunities that only they can create.