The E3 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic, along with almost every other trade event that was due to happen throughout the year.
The 2020 release schedule for games was thrown into chaos by the initial lockdowns, with titles like FF7 Remake and Resident Evil 3 seeing their launch disrupted by shipping issues. The sudden move to telework also caused a number of games to be delayed, with the entire industry needing to change how it worked overnight. The sudden lack of an E3 led to replacement events, such as the Summer Game Fest, but there was still a lot of uncertainty about the release schedule for the rest of the year.
It's looking increasingly likely that most industry events up to the end of the summer will need to be cancelled, due to the ongoing pandemic. The Entertainment Software Association is preparing for a shift, as it has announced that E3 2021 will take place as a digital event. There was talk last year of a reimagined E3 event for 2021, and those plans are now starting to take form. According to Video Games Chronicle, the ESA has outlined plans for this year's online-only event. The ESA wants to hold multiple two-hour keynote sessions with partners, along with individual smaller streams. Screen Rant has reached out to the ESA for clarification on the price required for publishers to participate in E3 2021. The intention is for remote demos to be available during the event. E3 2021 will take place from June 15-17, with a preview event taking place on June 14. The ESA has issued the following statement about E3 2021.
"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.!
It's unclear which developers and publishers will be involved in this year's E3 event, but companies that abandoned the show in the past (like Sony) could be willing to return to the fold. Then again, the individual events in 2020 gained massive viewership numbers, so there is still an audience for video game conferences that don't hold the E3 name. The success of the digital event in 2021 rests on the quality of the announcements made during the show, so it will be interesting to see which companies are willing to take part in the event.
The E3 shows of the past gave the main players in the industry a central platform from which to make announcements. As time went on, companies like Nintendo proved that they could claim all of the limelight for themselves, with individual shows that only included their content. E3 has badly needed a shake-up for a long time now, and 2021 could be the make or break year for the event.
The 2021 E3 Expo will take place from June 15-17, 2021.
Source: ESA, Video Games Chronicle