E3 will go live again in 2022
E3 may never be in the lobby of the Los Angeles Convention Center again—and if so, not in 2022.According to reports game beat, the biggest gaming conference of the year will be held online rather than in person. E3 moves to online-only in 2021 after being canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding Covid-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022,” the Entertainment Software Association, which organizes E3, told GamesBeat.
While Covid-19 undoubtedly played a role in this decision, the timing of the announcement sounds like the ESA is responding to the current surge in infections due to the new Omicron variant. ESA is already planning to skip live events this year, according to analyst Mike Fatt.
“It’s a spin,” Futter tweeted. “The ESA campaign last summer…was not good. Publishers have learned that they don’t need to pay ESA exorbitant fees to reach the media and consumers.”
This is spin. In mid-November, before Omicron appeared at the end of the month, I learned from sources that the ESA had dropped the LACC date. https://t.co/2oIbkNDFBxJanuary 6, 2022
As Futter pointed out, it’s hard to see a future E3 as an industry event, whether online or in-person. Game publishers have learned that they don’t need help from the ESA to schedule livestreams to show off their games, and over the past two summers, “E3” week has expanded into a month-long stream of showcases like Wholesome Direct.
Fan-driven events like PAX may continue when Covid-19 dies, but 2019 may actually be the end of E3. I expect streaming this summer to be less reliant on ESA organizations than last year.maybe this year Geoff Keighley takes full charge.