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Is E3 Dying?

Is E3 Dying?

E3 2016 is nearly upon us. It’s that time of year where we wait anxiously at our computers for news about the newest games. I mean, you could plan your whole gaming year after hearing E3 event coverage. At least, that’s how it used to be. E3 2016 seems like it could be a harbinger of disaster. Little by little, the show is wearing down and concerning signs are appearing.

EA jumping ship is the first harbinger of doom. EA is a huge presence at the event. They always had the biggest booth in the South Exhibit Hall. What’s the first booth you’d see when you walked into E3? The EA booth. It was a huge spectacle, often with gigantic statues or cars. It was a two level booth with multiple meeting and theater rooms, and it was gorgeous. This year, it’s gone in favor of EA Play.

The South Hall is going to look pretty empty in general. Aside from EA, two of the other biggest booths belonged to Activision and Disney. Activision absolutely dominated the back of the hall with a massive complex that, again, was two stories. There was an open theater space, closed theaters for each game, and second floor meeting rooms for press. It won’t be there, abandoned in favor of a meeting room for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare discussions. Disney’s just plain out of the game business, taking away another valuable spot.

Nintendo’s lackluster showing this year is another notch against E3. Yes, The Legend of Zelda is exciting. It’s one of Nintendo’s biggest series. But, it isn’t as pervasive as Super Mario installments. Not all Nintendo fans are Legend of Zelda fans, and zeroing in on one game is going to leave people excited about others, like Pokemon Sun & Moon , disappointed.

Is E3 Dying?

Then, there’s E3 Live. E3 Live feels like a last ditch plea for attention. With vultures circling the main showcase, could an offshoot will make the event relevant again? Maybe these people will buy lots of merchandise, to help earn some money? Perhaps people won’t write the event off so quickly if they can go? That two of the main “draws” of this additional con are “live music” and “dance competitions” isn’t exactly reassuring. It makes you wonder what kind of substance will be at this song and dance show.

E3 is in trouble. It’s a shadow of its former self. Five years ago, ten years ago, you could expect incredible opportunities for interviews and insights into the industry. Now, everyone’s bailing out. Even E3 seems like it’s bailing out of E3, with its E3 Live event. If things don’t go well this year, perhaps we’ll see Sony focusing on PSX, EA continuing EA Play, Nintendo relying on mall tours, and Microsoft setting off to do its own thing.

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