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The Electronic Software Association has reaffirmed its commitment to return to the gaming events calendar with E3 in 2023.
Speaking to the Washington Post, president and CEO Stan Pierre-Louis restated the organisation’s intentions, despite cancelling this year’s show. “We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event. As much as we love these digital events, and as much as they reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to convene — to be able to connect in person and see each other and talk about what makes games great.”
Despite E3’s absence, the next couple of weeks will still see plenty of showcases not under the E3 umbrella. Pierre-Louis acknowledged these elsewhere in the interview. “I think what’s great about all this experimentation is that companies of all sizes are trying to figure out what works best to promote the product and the content that they are looking to share with consumers.”
However, Pierre-Louis does pine for the return of the physical shows, which until this year have been largely absent due to the global pandemic. “And I think there is a space for a physical show; I think there’s an importance of having digital reach. Combining those two, I think there is a critical element of what we think E3 can provide.”
It’s certainly a busy couple of weeks ahead even without a formal E3 banner. We’ve already had a State of Play from PlayStation, and we’ve got the Summer Game Fest and the Xbox and Bethesda Showcases at the weekend. We’re also expecting shows from Capcom and a second Xbox Extended showcase next week.
