E3 2023 is canceled, finally

After many months of doubt and pessimism, the lack of interest from viewers and publishers has finally caused E3 2023 to be canceled.

First reported by IGN, the Entertainment Software Association or the ESA has finally announced that its traditionally annual video gaming convention Electronic Entertainment Expo will no longer be returning this 2023. This follows reports that big names in the industry like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, along with relatively smaller players like Tencent and Sega, have announced their plans to skip the event this year. Many more developers and publishers followed suit, and now, the ESA had to admit defeat, saying that E3 2023 “simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry.”

While E3 used to be important in the games industry for its ability to showcase what's new from publishers, developers, and console manufacturers, their relevancy has shrunk in the advent of the live streaming culture. With almost anyone now capable of having their content broadcasted to thousands if not millions around the world, there's very little incentive now to spend a lot of marketing money just for a week-long physical event. Simply doing “Directs,” “State of Plays,” and “Showcases” do the same job but for much less spending.

Not that we're happy that E3 2023 is canceled – but the writing has been on the wall for a long time. Many publishers, developers, and big names in the industry have announced in the past weeks that they will be skipping what was once the biggest event in the gaming industry, so it's not surprising to hear that E3 2023 is finally getting canceled. It's a shame that what was once a juggernaut in gaming can now barely muster a show, but the organizers' inability to adapt to the times has spelled doom for them, especially after a painful setback following the coronavirus pandemic.