E3 2020 is Officially Canceled
The massive Video Game show that is E3 has decided to cancel their conference for 2020. This sad news comes from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which is the group responsible for putting together the E3 conference.
Due to COVID-19 or the CoronaVirus, the ESA has pulled the plug on this year's E3, which was slated to take place from June 9-11 in Los Angeles. This is a massive loss for gamers and game developers alike because E3 brings the entire industry together for the newest games and hardware.
Since this event reaches out to everyone in the industry, the ESA has begun to look into holding an online experience. Many other companies have already discussed this option, but E3 claims that they will provide more info on that in June of 2020.
E3 has one of the most extensive lists of attached vendors that come to their shows. The long list has included Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation, Ubisoft, Sega, and Capcom. Now that they have canceled the event, these companies will be receiving refunds for their costs, but that cost isn't the only thing on anyone's mind.
Xbox head Phil Spencer expressed his sadness for the event in a recent twitter post stating, "E3 has always been an important moment for Team Xbox. Given this decision, this year, we'll celebrate the next generation of gaming with the Xbox Community and all who love to play via an Xbox digital event. Details on timing and more in the coming weeks."
Geoff Keighley, the creator of the Video Game Awards, also shared his feelings on twitter. "My heart has been on such a roller coaster the past month. To those of us who love games, we will find new and different ways to come together as a community. Please stay safe."
E3 conferences have been going strong since 1995, with a show divided into two parts. First, big companies like Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Bethesda have their meetings that show off their new titles and projects. Then attendees flood the Los Angeles Convention Center to try out new games from thousands of different game developers.
Because of this change to an online event, it leaves a lot of questions for game developers. They can quickly put some of the conferences that show new things online; after all, they have been doing it for years now with live streaming. The latter half is the most troubling part of E3 because now developers will have to send out their games without being with the press to show them what is so great about those games. There will be a lack of communication with a lot of games that aren't necessarily in the limelight already.
This year has already seen a lot of hardship because of the global outbreak of COVID-19. Our gaming industry is just one of the many parts of our lives affected by CoronaVirus. Remember to keep yourself informed and safe.
How do you feel about the ESA canceling E3? Will you be tuning into the online version of E3? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.