E3 moves forward with plans for 2021 digital event

E3 organizer the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is pushing forward plans for a digital event this summer, but it still requires support from the big game companies.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has always been the center of the games industry calendar, with companies often saving their biggest announcements for the annual Los Angeles event.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, plans for a physical E3 in 2020 have been canceled. When a “virtual” show proposed for 2020 also failed to materialize, ESA promised that a “redesigned” E3 would take place in June 2021.

According to E3 2021 blurbs sent to game publishers and viewed by VGC, ESA has now presented its proposals for this year’s event, which would see three days of live coverage take place on previously announced dates. from June 15 to 17.

ESA’s intention is to host multiple two-hour presentation sessions with game partners, an awards show, a preview night on June 14, and other smaller game publisher feeds, d ‘influencers and media partners.

The broadcast event would be complemented by media previews the previous week, as well as demos broadcast on consumer platforms, according to ESA’s proposal.

ESA also says it will allow partner companies to remotely broadcast playable game demos to the media through “thousands” of scheduled meetings, with individual support from developers. Many companies used similar on-demand streaming solutions during the pandemic to allow media to remotely play their games for preview purposes.

However, the E3 2021 plans still require approval from members of ESA, which is made up of the biggest game companies in the industry and has significant influence over the direction of the show.

ESA was already facing significant pressure to reinvent E3, with several major publishers, including EA, Sony, and Activision, having dropped the event in recent years – and that was before the 2020 cancellation, after which to many companies such as EA and Ubisoft have found success in running their own. digital events.

Longtime E3 contributor Geoff Keighley, who left the show last year due to a disagreement over its direction, also kicked off the success of the Summer Game Fest in 2020. Keighley confirmed to VGC by message privately that the event would return this year and said it would. again not to be involved with E3.

It’s unclear how many publishers signed up for the E3 2021 digital event, although at least one major games company VGC spoke to has indicated that it will continue to run its own storefront. digital separate, rather than paying the six-figure sums required to join the E3 2021. program.

However, the ESA – which is funded by game publishers and serves the interests of game publishers – would argue that a unified digital games event would gain the world’s attention more effectively than a series of smaller shows.

In a statement to VGC, ESA said it would share exact details about this year’s E3 show soon and said it was having “good conversations” with developers and publishers, but would not confirm. who had registered for the event.

“We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we bring together the global video game community,” said an ESA spokesperson.

“We have great conversations with publishers, developers and companies from all walks of life, and we look forward to sharing details of their involvement soon.”

While the body has not officially canceled plans for an E3 physical event, it is understood that the digital broadcast is now the focus of E3 2021, due to ongoing restrictions around the coronavirus pandemic.

Several game publication sources have told VGC that they are working under the assumption that the physical event will not take place this year.

According to ESA’s E3 2021 proposal, a typical show day would see its live broadcast schedule run from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST, with regional reruns scheduled in Europe, China and the Middle East.

An example of a program sent to editors looks like a typical show day from previous E3 events: it starts with a 30-minute pre-show hosted by a media partner, followed by a 2-hour “exclusive press conference” by a media partner. titular console platform, followed by a question and answer period from the panel.

The rest of the day would consist of presentations from third-party editors of varying lengths, with the day ending with a recap and a teaser for the next one. ESA notes also mention a “charity after-party” flow.

Leaked documents for the E3 2020 event – which was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic – showed plans for a ‘festival of fans, media and influencers’, including a redesigned lounge with’ experience centers », In addition to the company’s traditional stands.

Shortly after the last physical E3 event in 2019, ESA angered attendees after leaking a list of personal data belonging to more than 2,000 members of the media, including their home addresses and phone numbers. phone.

In the wake of the leak, ESA said regaining the trust of its media partners was its “top priority”.