E3 2023
E3 2023 won’t have Xbox, Nintendo or Sony in its big return
It seems like E3’s great return to physical events won’t be as grandiose as some expected, since all three of the biggest names in gaming have confirmed they’re not part of the show.
Bad news for fans of large gaming conventions: it seems like E3 2023 will be missing the Big Three when it finally comes back as a physical in person event.
According to a report by IGN, certain insider sources of the site have informed them that when E3 2023 happens in the Los Angeles Convention Center in June, it will not have the participation of Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo in the showfloor. This comes as a striking surprise given that the trade show has been working for four years to rebuild itself, and since the event will take place at the same time as Xbox’s incoming summer event, which was announced recently.
When Xbox CEO Phil Spencer spoke with the site for an interview, he said that they are working to make E3 as successful as possible together with the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) as part of the board, but didn’t specify if his company would have any sort of presence in the showfloor.
Spencer said that “E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming. I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things...getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we've had. I definitely want that to continue.” He continued by stating that Xbox is a part of the board of the ESA, but also reaffirmed that Xbox would go on to do their own showcase that merely aligns with E3 and the ESA’s plans. There was no solid confirmation that they would participate or be present during E3 2023.
E3 without the Big three?
As if that wasn’t enough, IGN also mentioned that other sources from “around the industry” point at the fact that neither Nintendo nor Sony would participate in the event either. While PlayStation had publicly stepped away from E3 back in 2019 due to disagreements with the ESA, Nintendo had always been present as a booth in the convention center, as well as timing the release of a “Nintendo Direct” presentation to celebrate the event.
There has been no official statement made by the ESA, Nintendo, Sony, or Xbox. However, the organizer of the event, ReedPop, did provide the following statement:
What does this mean for E3 2023? As of this moment we will have to wait and see, but if the news turns out to be true that would mean that the show, once considered to be the largest and most important venue to showcase new and upcoming video games, would no longer have the same strength that it did for many years before.
Source | IGN, ReedPop