E3 organizer The Entertainment Software Association “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/entertainment-software-association/ “> Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is moving forward with plans for a digital event this summer, but it still requires the support of big game companies.
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has historically been at the center of the gaming industry’s calendar, with companies often saving their biggest ads 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’ program proposed for 2020 also failed to materialize, ESA promised that an “reimagined” E3 would take place in June 2021.
According to E3 2021 field documents sent to game publishers and seen by VGC, ESA has now outlined its proposals for this year’s event, which would have three days of live coverage during the previously announced dates from 15-17 June.
ESA’s intention is to hold several main two-hour gaming partner sessions, an award show, a preview night on June 14, and other smaller flows of game publishers, influencers and media partners.
The broadcast event would be complemented by media previews from the previous week, as well as demos launched on consumer platforms, according to ESA’s proposal.
ESA also says it will allow partner companies to remotely broadcast game demos to the media in “thousands” of scheduled meetings, with individual assistance from developers. Many companies used similar on-demand streaming solutions during the pandemic to allow the media to remotely play their games for viewing purposes.
However, E3 2021 plans still require approval from members of ESA, which is made up of the largest gaming companies in the industry and has significant influence in the direction of the show.
ESA was already facing significant pressure to reinvent E3, with several major publishers, including Electronic Arts “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/electronic-arts/ “> EA, Sony Interactive Entertainment” href = “https: //www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/sony/”> Sony and Activision “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/activision-blizzard/activision/ “> Activision having abandoned the event in recent years – and that was before the cancellation of 2020, after which many companies like EA and Ubisoft have successfully run their own digital events.
Longtime E3 contributor Geoff Keighley “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/people/geoff-keighley/ “> Geoff Keighley, who left the program last year due to a disagreement over his direction, too launched the Summer Game Fest in 2020. Keighley confirmed to VGC by private message that the event would return this year and said he would not be involved with E3 again.
It is unclear how many publishers signed up for the E3 2021 digital event, although at least one major gaming company that VGC spoke to indicated that it would continue to run its own separate digital showcase, rather than paying the six-figure sums necessary to join the E3 2021 schedule.
However, The ESA – which is funded by and serves the interests of game publishers – would argue that a unified digital gaming event would attract the world’s attention more effectively than a series of smaller programs.
In a statement released to the VGC, ESA said it would soon share exact details about this year’s E3 show and said it was having “great conversations” with developers and publishers, but did not confirm who signed up for the event.
“We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we are uniting the global video game community,” said an ESA spokesman.
“We are having great conversations with publishers, developers and companies across the board and we hope to share details about your engagement soon.”
Although the body has not officially canceled plans for an E3 physical event, it is understood that the digital show is now the focus of E3 2021, due to the ongoing restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Multiple game publishing sources told VGC that they were working on the assumption that the physical event would not happen this year.
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According to ESA’s proposal E3 2021, a typical show day would have its live broadcast schedule from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm EST, with regional replays scheduled by Europe, China and the Middle East.
An example of programming sent to editors looks similar to a typical show day from previous E3 events: it starts with a 30-minute pre-presentation run by a media partner, followed by a 2-hour “exclusive press conference” by a holder console platform, followed by a Q&A and panel reaction.
The rest of the day would consist of presentations by third-party editors of different durations, with the day ending with a summary and teaser of the next one. ESA’s notes also mention a “post-charity” flow.
Documents leaked for the E3 2020 event – which ended up being canceled due to the pandemic – showed plans for a “festival of fans, media and influencers” including a redesigned show floor with “experience centers”, in addition to the company’s traditional booths.
Shortly after E3’s last physical event in 2019, ESA angered attendees after it leaked a list of personal details belonging to more than 2,000 members of the media, including their home addresses and phone numbers.
After the leak, ESA said that regaining the trust of its media partners was its “top priority”.