E3 2020 was officially canned today due to concerns around the coronavirus. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is moving forward with plans for 2021, but it will likely look much different than what fans have grown accustomed to over the years.
The ESA is going to reimagine how E3 will look and operate next year after having to cancel the 2020 expo, according to GameSpot.
Most fans expected E3 to receive big updates after Sony decided to skip out for a second straight year and other problems continued to plague the event. The cancelation of the event this year at least gives the ESA time to rework things to try and make it work.
“We thank everyone who shared their views on reimagining E3 this year,” the ESA told GameSpot. “We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media, and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.”
During E3 weekend, June 9 to 11, publishers might choose to host conferences in the form of digital presentations, similar to what Nintendo has been doing for the last seven years. In 2013, Nintendo moved from having live presentations to hosting what would eventually become Nintendo Directs at E3, which is a model that Sony and Microsoft have slowly followed suit in putting together over the last year.
If companies like Ubisoft, who’s been attending E3 for more than a decade, see that the online method of presenting is better for them moving forward, the new look for the expo might be more along the lines of PAX East.
There will always be a need for events to allow players to see and try out new games, along with giving media outlets a chance to preview those titles and interview the people involved in the games industry. E3 will always be one of the networking flagships for the industry, so it’s unlikely that the brand will just fade away after a year off.
