As we know, in 2023, E3 will return face-to-face at the Convention Center in Los Angeles. A particularly awaited return, both for the industry and the profession, but also for the public who wants a more fanfare return from the show than simple online keynotes where a certain atmosphere and fervor are lacking. However, this comeback in physics is not seen with the same eye among certain publishers and manufacturers who have changed their communication habits since the global pandemic. This is the case of Sony but also of Nintendo who confirmed their absence at E3 2023 to the organizers of the show. A blow for the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) deprived of two of the three manufacturers on the market, which accepts the sentence and counterbalances by declaring that many other publishers are delighted to return to E3. If the non-return of Sony PlayStation is not really a surprise in itself (the Japanese manufacturer was already not present at E3 2019, the edition before the pandemic), Nintendo’s withdrawal is more of a surprise. We do not know if this absence is a way of affirming a change in communication, or of protesting against the still very high prices for having a stand at the Los Angeles Convention. The question remains.
What then of Microsoft? Last week, Phil Spencer had expressed his support for the Los Angeles show, without committing himself. The boss of the Xbox branch had said that the living room was a “convenient moment for the press and even consumers” to get together for a few days of festivities. Nevertheless, according to IGN, there would also be no Xbox stand during this E3 2023 for reasons that have obviously not been communicated. According to the VGC site, discussions were underway with Microsoft and that the Redmond firm could have a commercial and media presence similar to Gamescom last year. It must be said that Microsoft is going through a visible financial crisis, with in particular the elimination of 10,000 jobs (or 5% of its workforce), in addition to cuts in its marketing budgets which would traditionally cover events such as E3. Losing the three manufacturers would represent a blow for the show, which is likely to attract much less interest from the press and visitors, who will also prefer to save money by following the show from their computer screen. Wait and see as they say…
