ReedPop is known in the industry for its digital events. It has just officially ended its association with E3’s coordinator, the ESA, in light of the unexpected pseudo-cancelation of this year’s convention. The ESA has confirmed that it will not be organizing an E3 event at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2024. However, it is somewhat uncertain whether the 2024 E3 event has been completely canceled or not. According to Gamesindustry.biz, the ESA might be planning on a complete reinvention of E3 for 2025 and beyond.
The Future of E3 According To Reedpop & ESA
Considering the rapidly dropping interest in the event, this would make a lot of sense. E3 has seen tough times since the pandemic, and this might be the magic bullet it needs. The E3 convention was initially set to make a comeback this summer, marking its first physical appearance in nearly half a decade. This was planned along with Reedpop, the event organizer who has previously worked with PAX. But because of all the mounting doubts, the plans were put on hold until further notice in March of this year.
Reedpop then commented that the event just could not work considering the state of the gaming industry. The head of ReedPop’s gaming events, Kyle Marsden-Kish, said:
“We have enjoyed our time working with the ESA and appreciate their commitment to the games industry as a whole. While we will not be involved with the future of E3 we look forward to seeing its evolution and where the ESA takes it.”
On the other side, ESA’s President, Stanley Pierre-Louis, said:
“We appreciate ReedPop’s partnership over the past 14 months and support their ongoing efforts to bring industry and fans together through their various events.
While the reach of E3 remains unmatched in our industry, we are continuing to explore how we can evolve it to best serve the video game industry and are evaluating every aspect of the event, from format to location. We are committed to our role as a convenor for the industry and look forward to sharing news about E3 in the coming months.”
E3’s absence resulted in a lot of different events filling its shoes. Showcases like Summer Game Fest, Ubisoft Forward, Xbox Showcase, etc., have cemented their spots. And E3 will probably return to a very different environment.
