The E3 physical event for 2021 has been canceled, according to documents from the city of Los Angeles published this week.
In a new report published by the Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Board, a sales update lists E3 2021 as a “canceled live event”.
The document states that the Convention board is working with E3 organizer, The Entertainment Software Association “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/entertainment-software-association/ “> Entertainment Software Association (ESA) in transmission options at the Los Angeles Convention Center and the neighboring LA Live complex, the city council also says it is “working” on a 2022 and 2023 license for E3.
The cancellation would mark the second consecutive year in which the E3 event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As revealed exclusively by VGC this month, ESA has moved forward with plans for an E3 digital event this summer, but it still requires support from leading gaming companies.
According to E3 2021 pitch documents sent to game publishers and seen by VGC, ESA outlined its proposals for this year’s event, which would have three days of live coverage during the previously announced dates of June 15-17 .
The broadcast event would be complemented by media previews from the previous week, as well as demos released on consumer platforms, according to ESA’s proposal.
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However, E3 2021’s 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.
Multiple game publishing sources told VGC that they were working on the assumption that the physical event would not happen this year.
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 be sharing 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 involvement soon.”
Commenting on the VGC report, ex-Nintendo “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/platforms/nintendo/ “> Nintendo of America chief Reggie Fils-Aimé said this month that he believed ESA needs act fast if it is to save the event from historic games.
Speaking to Gamertag Radio, Fils-Aimé said he saw reports of E3’s digital return in 2021 and was not enthusiastic. “I must say that what I read does not seem so convincing.”
“If I were king for a day, I will say how I would do that,” he said. “I think doing this digitally is absolutely correct and the reason for that is that there are more than 60,000 people who would normally attend an E3. There are millions of people interested in finding out what’s going on and running an event digitally is the way to bring it to life, so that’s the right way.
“That said, I think platform owners need to find a digital way to allow their fans, their players, to experience the content, because that’s the key to the right E3 – the ability to play The Last of Us Part 3 for the for the first time or to play the next The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/the-legend-of-zelda-series/the-legend-of-zelda -breath-of-the-wild / “> Breath of the Wild game for the first time, or to play the next great game coming from the new amalgamation of the entire Xbox” href = “https://www.videogameschronicle.com / platforms / xbox / “> Xbox studios.
“Playing for the first time is what is magical and platform owners need to figure out how to deliver that experience to their fans during a digital experience similar to E3. I think that would be great. “