After several years of stagnation, a real E3 is finally taking place in 2023. The event is set to offer digital content but will also take place physically. Media as well as visitors are welcome, it says.
Key points at a glance
- The Electronic Entertainment Expo, short E3, was held digitally only in recent years and did not take place at all in 2022.
- The US company ReedPop has now announced that it will host the E3 next year (via GamesIndustry.biz). ReedPop is also behind events such as PAX.
- So, 2023 will see one of the largest gaming fairs in the world again. A physical event is even planned for the second week of June.
This is what the organizers say: ReedPop is working with The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) to host E3 2023. Exhibitors and a schedule are still pending but are expected to be shared in the coming months.
The goal is to provide both digital showcases and opportunities for visitors who are present in person. Presumably, there will be the chance to try out some of the games showcased directly.
In recent years, E3 has only been available in a reduced form or was completely replaced by individual events from other exhibitors and organizers.
The Summer Game Fest was one of the substitute events for E3. The preview promised some new titles, the 5 hottest trailers from the Summer Game Fest can be found in the article:
Real E3 2023 instead of substitute events
In 2022, E3 was completely canceled and replaced by other events in the meantime. The two main shows were the Summer Game Fest, hosted by Geoff Keighley, and the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase.
There were also some smaller events from indie developers, which, however, did not gain as much traction – even though one was even moderated by the English speakers of Geralt and Yennefer (The Witcher).
In the showcases, there were some hidden gems, such as the presentation of a new Lord of the Rings game and even major highlights like the surprise announcement of the Diablo 4 release.
Besides Nightingale, the new survival game from Lord of the Rings was the big highlight of the shows:
In general, however, all shows were seen as rather disappointing. Partly because the event feeling was missing – but also because the games simply could not convince. Even the few games that were really worth it received little attention.
The “trailer storms” of recent years have drained more than hyped in many places and were even really bleak this year, says MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski:
The Summer Game Fest 2022 was the purest horror event – What this means for the gaming year
