The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) made a significant announcement on Tuesday, declaring the end of the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the premier American video game exhibition. This decision solidifies the conclusion of an event that experienced a gradual decline over the past few years, exacerbated by the substantial setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the cancellation of the 2020 edition.
Following a virtual comeback in the subsequent year, the expo then faced a hiatus in 2022 and ultimately canceled its 2023 edition, initially slated for June 13-16 of the previous year.
The expo’s official account on the “Ex” platform conveyed, “After two decades of hosting the expo, it’s time to bid farewell… Thank you for the countless memories.” The parting words were punctuated with a familiar phrase in the gaming realm, GGWP, an acronym for “Good Game, Well Played.”
E3 struggled with the withdrawal of major gaming platform manufacturers and video game publishers who increasingly opted to host their independent events, preserving their capacity to captivate audiences without being overshadowed by competing brands within a single expo.
Prominent names such as “Xbox,” “Sony,” “Nintendo,” and even the French company “Ubisoft” all chose to skip the expo before its official cancellation was announced.
The situation was further complicated by rival events, particularly the Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, which, akin to E3, contributed to diminishing the expo’s significance.
Stanley Pierre-Louis, President of the Entertainment Software Association, emphasized to The Washington Post, “Ending the expo was the right decision, considering the fresh opportunities available for the industry to engage with fans and partners.”
In contrast, other gaming expos, such as the Paris Games Week, Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and the Tokyo Game Show, demonstrated resilience by recording visitation levels approaching pre-pandemic figures this year.
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