Perhaps for a gaming journalist, or those who frequently attended these events in person, no E3 feels like a loss of some kind. For me, even as a keen game news reader, it changes little. Sure, we'll miss neat little moments where crowds go wild over an announcement, maybe lessens the chance for cringe, things like that. But I'm simple. I've always been more interested in talking about reveals and stuff with friends, I don't need much bombast.
This also allows a lot of smaller devs/pubs to be able to host their own announcements more easily, and without the huge cost of getting there, getting a booth, spiffing it up, and jockeying for attention they may simply not get. I think the individual shows do the job pretty well, and at the end of the day it also allows them to be tighter with less dead air while shifting topics or locations.
I think I might have also felt more strongly about this if I was younger, when I used to get ultra pumped at game reveals and announcements. Being in my 30s, I still love games, I still love announcements and reveals, but certainly not in the same way. Ultimately, I'm fine either way. If it goes back to the way it was, cool. If it stays like it is now, cool. Just give me the games, however they come.
I feel we're better off without it. The ones most upset about the loss of E3 are the journalists that want it to justify their presence. Media has moved on from that. Outside of the US E3 also had bad presentation times meaning here in Europe we had to wait up until stupid o clock in the morning to watch them.
But probably best of all! Because we're getting the news rounded out over the year now instead of an expected date, more developers aren't announcing games as early anymore. Just so they can try provide the shock moments.
Good luck E3. I loved you once but have outgrown you.
There's no need for these huge conventions anymore. It made sense when print videogame game journalism wasn't all but extinct, but we have 24/7 access to anything games related, and thousands of people covering everything videogames games, daily online. It's also so damn easy for even the smallest studios to reach out to the masses about what is being worked on.
E3 does provide a target time of the year for large and exciting announcements, but that’s been missing the past few years and can technically still happen without the E3 event itself. Frankly, the industry has shown it doesn’t need it. The main event has always been Microsoft and Sony during it out for best of show which usually involves Microsoft BSing the public and Sony getting a little over confident. Nintendo almost always takes the back seat (which is how we got Nintendo Direct), and then you have the individual publisher shows which are rarely “great”. Not sure what people are actually looking for here, but it has been slim pickings for years now..
Personally, I prefer the Nintendo Direct like approach where news is trickled over the course of a year. It seems healthier for the game publishers and audiences.
Everyone here have said all that can be said, the gaming world is better off without E3, the industry is witness a healthier cycle of announcements without it, but I have to admit if there was a positive about E3, it was knowing that the entire gaming world is watching the same trailer as you and losing their minds together, it is fun but it's not worth it!!
I think the part about there being a few streams for big companies that you know everyone will watch at the same time is what made the hype going, there was like 10 streams this season, and it is not clear what show will offer what so confusion is easy, it's not a good idea for global interest
We don't need E3 anymore and haven't for years now. We are literally connected directly to sites that report on gaming news 24/7. With leaks and developers announcing things themselves on their own time, the value of E3 has dropped dramatically.
More so a sign of the times though. If E3 had of happened it would have been mostly the same games with a few more "megaton" announcements consisting of games that have barely just entered development and we aren't going to see for years. We are still going to see those games now just further along when there's something more substantial to show.
Are we worse off without the E3 as of old? Maybe. Are we worse off without E3 as it was in its current state with letting the public in and releasing information about journalists? Ehhh, no.
Yes and no. I don't think it needs to be "E3" per-se but we certainly need a unified showing again. Spreading things thin over the course of a week, and trying to fluff it with filler for mobile games and ads we see everyday on youtube is not even close. But apparently E3 will be back next year, lets see how that turns out, hopefully they address their security woes, which was the main reason publishers started leaving E3 and having their seperate shows.
What fabricated bs is this? PCgamer? Oh wait, this was probably one of the only events that part of their staff got to actually travel to…. and for what? journalists are not industry, they blab about it for their own industry for profit. E3 is not the keynote/launch and workshop site it once was. If game studios don’t need it, game journalists (cringe) certainly don’t need E3 anymore. and the folks that do matter most, production; E3 has become a waste of money and a major hassle. In the end E3 really only benefitted major media publications a lame wanna be gaming journalist that got free attendee badges, as it gave them very, very easy gaming target rich environment to lazily report on while they did pretty much nothing but give you dumb impression reports laced with stupid opinions like this.
No we don’t NEED it anymore. You’d figure that this now depleted resource would usher in a new era of worthwhile investigatory reporting on PCGamers part, but nah, let’s dwell and write up yet another article over E3.
PCGamer, E3 go bye bye. Get over it. Find new content.
I'll admit the spectacle was fun, but the cost was pretty insane for the publishers. It only makes sense that it's gone. E3 was never supposed to be a public event, it was a trade show for investors and distributors (more so they could see what titles to stock up on).
Now, publishers can get the same info out to as many people for barely any cost.
I think the reason some miss E3 is because it was the biggest gaming convention for the year so the top games and reveals were reserved for it. But now Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox create multiple events through the year but since none of them are like E3 they don't feel the need to show their best at most of them so many of these events are disappointing. Some of them do have big reveals but since they aren't common people are starting to ignore them since all the trailers and replays from it will be available right after so no reason to of out of your way to watch it live. So before it was only 1-3 big events a year that have a high chance of being worth watching but now they have less value.
Just game's media seems to be upset they're not getting pampered and spoiled at these events.
All the L.A partying and what not. I did not forget it was them saying E3 needed to die before the pandemic. And these are the same ones who loathed when E3 went semi-public. Which is the real reason they didn't like E3 anymore. Not an insider club anymore
I don't think we need another E3, did people forgot about plans for E3 2020? Big focus on influencers, celebrities and data collection (whatever that means). Who needs that, seriously? Influencers, celebrities, investors and advertisers is my guess.
Not to mention, with each passing year, i noticed bigger and bigger focus on presentations and interviews (with management and CEOs, not development teams), rather that showing trailers and discussing them. Remember that Andrew Wilson 15 minute spiel (at 2018, i believe), whole cringeworthy "speech" at EA play by some youtuber, who forgot his lines? Ubisoft show, where they spend a ton of time on "live performances", rather than more in-depth gameplay? I mean, it's ok if you enjoy the cringe, but i dunno, not a fan of that personally at my gaming shows.
Not to mention, high ticket prices, terribly long lines, problems with internet and so on. I know it sounds like a first-world problems, but ticket costs $150+ for 3 days; i dunno how about you, but for $50 a day, i expect top level service.
Perhaps for a gaming journalist, or those who frequently attended these events in person, no E3 feels like a loss of some kind. For me, even as a keen game news reader, it changes little. Sure, we'll miss neat little moments where crowds go wild over an announcement, maybe lessens the chance for cringe, things like that. But I'm simple. I've always been more interested in talking about reveals and stuff with friends, I don't need much bombast.
This also allows a lot of smaller devs/pubs to be able to host their own announcements more easily, and without the huge cost of getting there, getting a booth, spiffing it up, and jockeying for attention they may simply not get. I think the individual shows do the job pretty well, and at the end of the day it also allows them to be tighter with less dead air while shifting topics or locations.
I think I might have also felt more strongly about this if I was younger, when I used to get ultra pumped at game reveals and announcements. Being in my 30s, I still love games, I still love announcements and reveals, but certainly not in the same way. Ultimately, I'm fine either way. If it goes back to the way it was, cool. If it stays like it is now, cool. Just give me the games, however they come.
Agreed, it was one time of the year almost every dev came together to show off all new games coming and there always guaranteed to be big hitters.
I sure do miss it, it was always guaranteed excitement for me.
There's no need for these huge conventions anymore. It made sense when print videogame game journalism wasn't all but extinct, but we have 24/7 access to anything games related, and thousands of people covering everything videogames games, daily online.
It's also so damn easy for even the smallest studios to reach out to the masses about what is being worked on.
E3 is needless anymore.
I admit now that i miss it.. i want it to be back
Yes it’s pretty boring without E3. Definitely needs to come back.