what you need to know
- E3 is the Electronic Entertainment Expo that has featured upcoming hardware manufacturers and software developers since 1995.
- Xbox has officially stated that while it won’t be on the E3 2023 show floor, it will be a part of E3 Digital this year.
- E3 2023 will take place from June 13 to 16.
Back in January, it was reported that Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox would be skipping E3 2023 (thanks IGN). (opens in a new tab)). Sony hasn’t attended the event for a few years anyway, but Nintendo came out with official statements shortly after confirming that it wouldn’t be there. Despite this, no official word came from Microsoft on the matter. In fact, rumors were still circulating that this information was incorrect and that Xbox would still have a presence to show off its upcoming Xbox games, even if it wasn’t on the official show floor.
As of this morning, an Xbox spokesperson has officially revealed that the company will not be attending the E3 2023 show floor in person, but will be sharing the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 as part of E3 Digital (thanks, IGN). (opens in a new tab)).
“We are looking forward to hosting our Xbox Games Showcase on June 11 and will share more details later. We also hope to co-broadcast our event as part of E3 Digital and will not be on the E3 show floor.”
Xbox skips the E3 2023 show floor https://t.co/DGoPQfq2Kx pic.twitter.com/Ou1lddviAwMarch 10, 2023
The last in-person E3 was in 2019, and the next three years were canceled due to COVID-19 and the ongoing concerns that followed thereafter. It was surprising that E3 was completely canceled in 2022 considering that a digital-only E3 had been held in 2021. Regardless of the reasons for these cancellations, the rise of live-streamed gaming events and the lack of E3 conventions in recent years have not. It worked well for the exhibition.
Sony stopped attending E3 in 2018 due to some disagreements with the Entertainment Software Association that hosts the multi-day convention. Instead, PlayStation chose to attend other game expos or launched its exhibits at various times throughout the year. Nintendo has also officially stated that it will not be attending E3 2023. While the Japanese company hasn’t always held a conference at E3, it has traditionally delivered some really impressive exhibits in the past. Nintendo was one of the first game companies to really embrace online events and has successfully run several Nintendo Directs over the past few years, proving that in-person conventions aren’t necessary to reach audiences.
Windows Central’s opinion
E3 has been struggling to stay relevant in recent years, especially within the gaming space. While it’s a fun experience for those who like to attend boisterous events in person, there’s far less incentive for game companies to attend these days. Internet breakthroughs and self-created online events allow Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo to reach a larger audience while spending far less money.
Therefore, the fact that the big three gaming companies will not attend the show floor in person will deter many visitors from attending the event this year and could prove detrimental to the exhibition. Even so, the fact that Microsoft will participate in E3 with the Xbox Gaming Showcase a few days before gives more credibility to the exhibition (at least for now). However, this may be the last year that Xbox will attend in any capacity. It’s definitely not necessary to reach your audience, as we’ve seen with the advent of additional digital events like the recent Xbox Developer_Direct.
