The E3 game fair has indeed been canceled this year. An official announcement was made by the organizer ESA this evening (March 11), declaring the end of the fair for 2020. The reason is the coronavirus. What does this mean for PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X?
Update March 11, 5:00 PM: The E3 has now been officially canceled. On the organizer’s website (viae3expo), the cancellation for 2020 has been confirmed. This was justified as follows:
Due to the growing and overwhelming concern over the COVID-19 virus, we believed that this is the best way to proceed in such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. However, we know that this is the right decision based on the information available to us today.
Instead, it is being considered whether an online alternative could be held in June 2020 to compensate for the cancellation.
Update March 11, 6:24 PM: The first developers are responding to the news that E3 will not take place. Xbox head Phil Spencer announced via Twitter that they are also aiming for an online solution:
The E3 has always been an important moment for the Xbox team. In light of this decision, we will celebrate the next gaming generation with the Xbox community and everyone who loves to play through a digital Xbox event. Details on the schedule and more will follow in the coming weeks.
Original Announcement:
What do insiders think about E3? The gaming industry has been speculating for days whether E3 can actually take place after the cancellations of events like GDC and SXSW (two major gaming events). After all, a state of emergency has been declared in California due to the coronavirus, and E3 is supposed to take place from June 9 to 11 in Los Angeles.
Now, publisher Devolver Digital announced via Twitter that they should cancel all their flights to E3. Kotaku author and industry insider Jason Schreier has also commented on the situation.
I have heard from two people (though second-hand) that the E3 cancellation will be announced tomorrow morning, and a person with ESA connections insists that this is not the case. Normally, I keep conflicting information to myself until I figure out what is true, but as E3 rumors are now popping up everywhere, I thought I should be transparent here.
Jason Schreier, author of Kotaku, via Twitter
The website Ars Technica claims to have heard from people connected to members of the E3 organizer ESA that a corresponding press release was actually planned for March 10. Now it should occur today (March 11).
In this announcement, ESA is allegedly revealing the cancellation of E3 for this year.
A difficult situation for the gaming industry
How certain is the cancellation? There is still no official statement from the organizer ESA. Thus, E3 has not yet been officially canceled. However, since so many voices from the industry are becoming loud and more and more people are stating that the cancellation will happen on March 11, there does seem to be something to it. We will only know for sure when ESA comments on it.
When is the cancellation supposed to take place? Allegedly, the official announcement is expected on March 11 at 5:30 PM our time (via bloomberg).
What does the cancellation of E3 2020 mean for PS5, Xbox One, and other announcements? The E3 would likely have been the platform where Microsoft would have revealed more information regarding the Xbox Series X .
On the other hand, Sony had already announced that they would not be present at the fair. However, publishers and developers would still have presented new titles for the PlayStation 5 (PS5) at E3 – provided Sony officially reveals the console soon.
Additionally, E3 is always expected to have many announcements of new games. Players hoped that Bethesda would show something new about Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 at E3. Cyberpunk 2077 would likely have been a major topic as well.
Above all, Microsoft wanted to put on a big show, which would certainly have been associated with interesting new announcements – also for the Xbox Series X.
In the event of a potential cancellation of E3, publishers and developers are under communication pressure. How can they best present their new products to the players now?
Will there be a virtual E3?
If E3 is canceled, will there be a replacement? Rumor has it that the ESA is currently considering an “Online E3” for the summer, a kind of virtual fair that you can follow via livestream. How this will look and when it will take place is all still unknown.
It is also possible that publishers and developers will now hold their own small virtual announcement events. This way, they would not have to share precious time with the competition, and it would avoid a crunch to get “E3 demos” finished on time, which might otherwise not receive the attention they deserve among a larger mass of new announcements.
Following the cancellation of the developer fair GDC, publishers reacted by announcing their “own online events” to showcase what they would have shown at GDC.
Fact is, should E3 really be canceled, players will have no opportunity to try out upcoming titles for the time being. Hands-ons are thus off the table for now. Only at Gamescom in August would a chance to play be possible – provided this event is not also canceled.
How do you stay informed about news? We at MeinMMO keep you updated. We present you with the latest games and also inform you about the upcoming consoles PS5 and Xbox One X.
This means you will receive all new and important information from us even without E3. How does the idea of a virtual MeinMMO fair sound to you?
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