E3 2022: Why was it Cancelled? Is E3 2023 Happening?

The fact that E3 2022 is not happening has been clearly stated by ESA, but other gaming-based showcase events took matters in their own hands, and quenched the players’ thirst for new video game announcements.

Today, we’re going to discover which events replaced E3 2022, and why E3 2022 was cancelled altogether.

The impact of the pandemic on E3

As we all know, the COVID pandemic that detonated in 2020 caught everyone off guard. The ban on live in person events of any kind prevented plenty of happenings from happening. Institutions and workplaces had to reinvent themselves by improvising, so they came up with virtual solutions that would have kept things going.

E3 2020 was among those events that saw a complete cancellation, though. The people from ESA were basically unprepared and with no backup plan for such a situation. Organizing a fully online E3 ex novo would have simply meant a pretty considerable hassle. Holding such a huge event virtually and right off the bat was just not feasible, and the result would have been most likely disappointing.

The lukewarm reception of E3 2021

With E3 2020 being dismissed, 2021 came along, and this time E3 was revived as E3 2021 in exclusively virtual form. But the showcase faced a mixed reception among users and the industry alike. For instance, online attendees lamented issues with the event’s official mobile app.

But, most importantly, many pointed out that a virtual E3 was kind of pointless: streaming presentations could very well be held as standalone events by the publishers themselves.

So, E3 didn’t bring anything new to the table by going virtual. Who knows if the appeal of the event might only reside within the magical atmosphere of excitement you breath in when you’re actually at the LA Convention Center in person.

Seeing the most prominent personalities of the industry step on the stage right in front of you and hearing the crowd around you cheer and scream joyfully is something you won’t get at home.

E3 2022 cancelled; here are the other events replacing it

E3 2022, as for the 2020 edition, was completely scrapped. No physical nor virtual event in sight. The organizers cited once again the COVID situation as the cause of the cancellation.

In its place, other showcases were held by the biggest players in the industry themselves. Here they are:

• Summer Game Fest 2022
• PlayStation State of Play June 2022
• Future Games Powered by Mana
• Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase
• June 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini

E3’s gradual decline in popularity and E3 2023

Considering this list, the reason why E3 is losing its prestige and relevance is quite clear. When the big three of the gaming industry — Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft — started holding their own events for their latest games, hardware and services, E3 gradually became more and more unnecessary.

Companies are now able to move on their own accord to make announcements throughout the year. This relieves the pressure off the developers, who in the past had to rush to get demos ready for E3 season in June. Another nice positive for the companies is that they don’t need to pay for travel and accommodation in California each year.

E3 has been losing luster for a while now, and the continuous backtracking related to the COVID issue might have exasperated even the most loyal of its fans.

The good news is that the event will make a comeback next year as both a physical and virtual E3 2023. Only then we’ll find out if E3 is still able to reinvigorate its weakened presence.

Source: GamesRadar