According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the E3 games expo will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center next year as a live event after either skipping, going digital, or being outright canceled in prior years. The announcement confirms that E3 2023 will run from June 13 through 16. Meanwhile, the digital events will start on July 11 and run in conjunction throughout the entire convention. E3 2023 will kick things off with exclusive press and industry showings from June 13-15 with the public portion of the event happening on June 15-16. It’s not too different from how Gamescom runs things, which is a good way to minimize congestion. In addition to this, E3 2023 will feature a dedicated theater where attendees can meet with developers and other content creators. After working on the likes of PAX and New York Comic Con, Reedpop took over the reins of the digital showcase last year. This time around, Reedpop has lofty plans for E3 2023. VP of Gaming Kyle Marsden-Kish explained that their goal is to “reunite the industry by re-establishing the traditional E3 week”, adding that the organizers hope to “bring back that spark” and “restore E3’s role as a truly magical global showcase event for game creators and consumers.” You can say what you will about Marsden-Kish’s statement, but it’s not short on optimism and ambition. Unfortunately, it appears that Reedpop might have shot itself in the foot by setting sky-high expectations. E3’s current state was always a matter of when and not if after Sony exited and led the way for other companies to follow suit. The COVID-19 pandemic only helped to speed up E3’s demise. Over the past two years, publishers have found out that they host showcases with little to no trouble. What’s even better is that most companies are finding out that sporadic announcements throughout the year are a lot better than one big annual extravaganza. We’re not saying that E3 2023 will bomb, but anyone expecting it to be “magical” is setting themselves up for disappointment.
