According to multiple sources for IGN, all of the “Big Three” console manufacturers are all skipping this year’s E3 event in Los Angeles.
Microsoft themselves are said to be skipping the event in order to have their annual summer showcase event has hinted by Xbox head Phil Spencer last week in an interview with the outlet.
Xbox skipping the event could send some mix signals to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) as the company are on their board.
Nintendo and Sony both are rumored to be skipping the event in favor on their own showcase, or in Nintendo’s case a “Direct” event. This wouldn’t be the first time Sony would skip E3 as the company did so back in 2019 due to ongoing disagreements with the ESA.
While none of these companies responded to IGN’s request for comment, ReedPop, the produces of PAX and New York Comic Con, released the following statement:
E3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we’ve worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs.
This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.
As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.
