A Digital E3 2021 is Still a Possibility; Needs Support From Major Game Companies
For us gamers, E3 is bigger than Christmas. All of those juicy reveals feels like unwrapping one new present after another and due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 event was understandably cancelled.
Many publishers and outlets stepped up to the plate with their own digital events and Nintendo, seemingly the company that would thrive with their Direct presentations, went in a completely different direction by simply dropping trailers out of the blue.
2020 was certainly a strange year, but some normality is looking to be reinstated as the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) have advised that they're looking to bring E3 back this year with a digital event. However, don't go counting those eggs before they've hatched just yet; the ESA are still needing the support from major game companies, such as Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft and other big developers/publishers.
Although, the ESA are remaining confident as they said in a press release:
We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we’re bringing the global video game community together. We are having great conversations with publishers, developers and companies across the board, and we look forward to sharing details about their involvement soon.
If the event was to go ahead, it would include live streams across three days from June 15 to June 17. In addition, there would be a preview screening on June 14 which would include presentations from smaller developers, media and influencers.
In lieu of demos being playable on the show floor, the event would see demos released on consumer platforms, but nothing is concrete as of yet. The days will feature events from platform holders, as well as digital events from major third-party companies throughout the days. Once all is said and done, there also seems to be an after-party event that is being held for charity.
According to VGC, there appears to be one final tidbit of information that alludes to a major game company who does not plan to attend:
It’s unclear how many publishers have signed up for E3 2021’s digital event, though at least one major games company VGC spoke to indicated that it would continue to run its own separate digital showcase, rather than paying the six-figure sums required to join E3 2021’s schedule.
While fans may speculate that this would be Nintendo, it could also be alluding to Sony as they did not attend the 2019 E3 event for the first time since E3's inception back in 1995.
Would you still be excited for E3 to make a return in 2021, even if it was held as a digital event? Let us know by reaching out to us on Twitter (@switchaboonews).