History MediaNotes / ElectronicEntertainmentExpo

The expo was held by the Entertainment Software Association (previously known as the Interactive Digital Software Association), after the organization was created in 1994. Before E3 was formed, game companies attended the Consumer Electronics Show, but CES' disdain for the game industry[[note]]Management put the video game companies in a secluded corner in a parking lot behind all the porn booths. In 1991, they shoved them all in a tent that leaked, and water got all over the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis. Creator/{{Sega}}, incensed, did not return the following year.[[/note]] and unwillingness to accommodate them lead to the creation of a separate show.

* UsefulNotes/E3InThe1990sAndThe2000s
* UsefulNotes/E3InThe2010sAndThe2020s

For those interested in a more complete story of how E3 began, check out [[https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/6/7/18653968/e3-history-1995-sega-saturn-nintendo-64-playstation-launch this Polygon article]]. For a humorous look at what gaming fans believe constitutes the ideal E3 press conference, check out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP091FeB-3o this informative video]].

There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but the convention was canceled due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic; attempts were made to shift it online, but logistical issues and work delays due to the virus made it impossible to concentrate it all into a week, and so most developers and publishers simply dropped their news when available throughout the summer. Organizers remained optimistic that the convention would return in the following years -- accommodating the shifting landscape of the video game business -- but after a tepidly-received digital-only event in 2021, the 2022 and 2023 events were canceled entirely due to the lack of sustained interest from potential presenters, as most of the major players had moved on to their own events as noted above. On December 12th, 2023, the Entertainment Software Association would [[https://twitter.com/E3/status/1734583493592498437 announce on their Twitter]] that they have decided to end E3 after over two decades.

* UsefulNotes/E3InThe2010s
* UsefulNotes/E3InThe2020s

The Electronic Entertainment Expo[[note]]"Expo" changed to "Experience" for the 2021 edition[[/note]] (E3) ws a major gaming event that started in 1995 in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}} and, save for some brief stints in Atlanta (1997 and 1998) and Santa Monica (2007), was held there every year since. Though dwarfed in attendance numbers by other gaming events such as Gamescom and PAX, it had a unique place in gaming culture. It was traditionally where new franchises were shown for the first time, where new consoles were unveiled and played live for the audiences, and where long-awaited new installments or franchise reboots were given their introductions. The entire gaming world watched E3, ensuring that these new debuts would have the most exposure possible.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo[[note]]"Expo" changed to "Experience" for the 2021 edition[[/note]] (E3) is a major gaming event that started in 1995 in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}} and, save for some brief stints in Atlanta (1997 and 1998) and Santa Monica (2007), has been held there every year since. Though dwarfed in attendance numbers by other gaming events such as Gamescom and PAX, it has a unique place in gaming culture. It is traditionally where new franchises are shown for the first time, where new consoles are unveiled and played live for the audiences, and where long-awaited new installments or franchise reboots are given their introductions. The entire gaming world watches E3, ensuring that these new debuts will have the most exposure possible.

The expo is held by the Entertainment Software Association (previously known as the Interactive Digital Software Association), after the organization was created in 1994. Before E3 was formed, game companies attended the Consumer Electronics Show, but CES' disdain for the game industry[[note]]Management put the video game companies in a secluded corner in a parking lot behind all the porn booths. In 1991, they shoved them all in a tent that leaked, and water got all over the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis. Creator/{{Sega}}, incensed, did not return the following year.[[/note]] and unwillingness to accommodate them lead to the creation of a separate show.

Though the convention began life as your standard trade show, targeting retailers with their new and upcoming products, E3 has shifted over the years to become a major event for the industry at large, with its audience including journalists, marketing executives, and even consumers who are watching at home. Whereas other expos are focused on specific demographics -- PAX for general gaming fans (including tabletop games), Gamescom for consumers, GDC for game developers, and DICE for executives -- E3 is for everyone, regardless of where they are in, or in relation to, the game industry.

The broader focus comes with its positives and negatives, though. Due to the massive intersection of all aspects of games and gaming, controversial issues and events often spring back to up relevance around E3, since the issues tend to resurface or the events are referenced, directly or otherwise. For all that E3 unites the gaming community, it also serves as a stark reminder of underlying problems within gamer culture and business, with the various presentations and interviews subject to a large amount of critical and commercial analysis. On the other hand, there's always the chance for announcements that bring ecstasy and elation to audiences, and the numerous events at conferences that surround the games themselves can be ripe for MemeticMutation; whether it be a case of us laughing at them (Creator/{{Sony}}'s disastrous 2006 conference alone [[GiantEnemyCrab named]] [[RealTimeWeaponChange three]] [[AttackItsWeakPoint tropes]] and an [[ThisIndexHitsForMassiveDamage index]]) or with them is another matter.

There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but the convention was canceled due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic; attempts were made to shift it online, but logistical issues and work delays due to the virus made it impossible to concentrate it all into a week, and so most developers and publishers simply dropped their news when available throughout the summer. Organizers remained optimistic that the convention would return in the following years -- accommodating the shifting landscape of the video game business -- but after a tepidly-received digital-only event in 2021, the 2022 and 2023 events were canceled entirely due to the lack of sustained interest from potential presenters, as most of the major players had moved on to their own events as noted above. Only time will tell the lasting ramifications this shift will have on the future of E3.

However, this wouldn't last for long, as by the late 2010s, gaming companies began to question the value of the show. To paraphrase [[https://www.evolve-pr.com/2019/11/23/e3-2019-media-study-presser-on-a-precipice/ a media study on the 2019 event]], E3 had many issues threatening its relevancy as it approached the next decade. Despite now being open to the public, it was too expensive to be truly be an audience-focused show like PAX; because of the high attendance caused by it being a public convention, it was now too crowded and open to be an industry-focused like GDC or DICE; and overall, it was becoming too broad and loud for companies to gain any worthwhile and focused attention, with publishers finding that creating their own press events outside of E3 was suddenly a more appealing and cost-effective option that still reached roughly the same audience. Indeed, by the end of the decade, a [[Creator/SonyInteractiveEntertainment number]] [[Creator/BlizzardEntertainment of]] [[{{Creator/Activision}} companies]] would ditch E3 entirely, [[Creator/XboxGameStudios while]] [[Creator/ElectronicArts others]] would start hosting similarly-timed events next door with their own press conferences, and still others had gone almost [[{{Creator/Nintendo}} entirely]] [[Creator/DevolverDigital digital]], dropping their announcements via webcasts throughout the calendar year instead of saving them all for E3.

The later 2010s brought a number of changes to E3. For one, the public was allowed to attend. But most importantly, thanks to the rise of 24/7 games journalism and more widespread availability of broadband internet, gaming companies began to question the value of a show that was expensive to attend and a hassle to develop demos for[[note]]E3 demos must often be started 9 to 12 months before the actual show dates[[/note]] as opposed to simply hosting their own events online (or their own physical events) and reaching roughly the same audience. A [[Creator/SonyInteractiveEntertainment number]] [[Creator/BlizzardEntertainment of]] [[{{Creator/Activision}} companies]] have ditched E3 entirely, [[Creator/XboxGameStudios while]] [[Creator/ElectronicArts others]] have held similar-timed events next door with their own press conferences, and still others have gone almost [[{{Creator/Nintendo}} entirely]] [[Creator/DevolverDigital digital]], dropping their announcements via webcasts throughout the calendar year instead of saving them all for E3.

Though the convention began life as your standard trade show, targeting retailers with their new and upcoming products, E3 has shifted over the years to become a major event for the industry at large, with its audience including journalists, marketing executives, and even consumers who are watching at home. Whereas other expos are focused on specific demographics -- PAX for general gaming fans (including tabletop games), Gamescom for consumers, GDC for game developers, and DICE for executives -- but E3 is for everyone, regardless of where they are in, or in relation to, the game industry.

There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but the convention was canceled due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic; attempts were made to shift it online, but logistical issues and work delays due to the virus made it impossible to concentrate it all into a week, and so most developers and publishers simply dropped their news when available throughout the summer. Organizers remained optimistic that the convention would return in the following years -- accommodating the shifting landscape of the video game business -- but after a tepidly-received digital-only event in 2021, the 2022 and 2023 events were canceled entirely (in-person and online) due to the lack of sustained interest from potential presenters, with most major players (including Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Sega, and others) pulling out and opting to instead host their own digital showcases. Only time will tell the lasting ramifications this shift will have on the future of E3.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is a major gaming event that started in 1995 in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}} and, save for some brief stints in Atlanta (1997 and 1998) and Santa Monica (2007), has been held there every year since. Though dwarfed in attendance numbers by other gaming events such as Gamescom and PAX, it has a unique place in gaming culture. It is traditionally where new franchises are shown for the first time, where new consoles are unveiled and played live for the audiences, and where long-awaited new installments or franchise reboots are given their introductions. The entire gaming world watches E3, ensuring that these new debuts will have the most exposure possible.

There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but the convention was cancelled due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic; attempts were made to shift it online, but logistical issues and work delays due to the virus made it impossible to concentrate it all into a week, and so most developers and publishers simply dropped their news when available throughout the summer. Organizers remained optimistic that the convention would return in the following years -- accommodating the shifting landscape of the video game business -- but after a tepidly-received digital-only event in 2021, the 2022 and 2023 events were cancelled entirely (in-person and online) due to the lack of sustained interest from potential presenters, with most major players (including Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Sega, and others) pulling out and opting to instead host their own digital showcases. Only time will tell the lasting ramifications this shift will have on the future of E3.

There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but the convention was cancelled due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic; attempts were made to shift it online, but logistical issues and work delays due to the virus made it impossible to concentrate it all into a week, and so most developers and publishers simply dropped their news when available throughout the summer. As a result, how E3 changes in the coming years to accommodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen.

There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but the convention was cancelled due to the [[UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic COVID-19 pandemic]]; attempts were made to shift it online, but logistical issues and work delays due to the virus made it impossible to concentrate it all into a week, and so most developers and publishers simply dropped their news when available throughout the summer. As a result, how E3 changes in the coming years to accommodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen.

The 2010s brought a number of changes to E3. For one, the public is now allowed to attend. But most importantly, thanks to the rise of 24/7 games journalism and more widespread availability of broadband internet, gaming companies began to question the value of a show that was expensive to attend and a hassle to develop demos for[[note]]E3 demos must often be started 9 to 12 months before the actual show dates[[/note]] as opposed to simply hosting their own events online and reaching roughly the same audience. Creator/{{Nintendo}} was the first major developer to ease back on their E3 presence, still being present on the show floor but abandoning live stage shows in favor of [[WebVideo/NintendoDirect prerecorded webcasts]] in 2013. [[Creator/SonyComputerEntertainment Sony]] would go a step further a few years later, ceasing to attend the expo entirely in 2019 to also do their own webcasts. There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but these had to be cancelled due to the [[UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic COVID-19 pandemic]]; attempts were made to shift it online, but many gaming outlets and developers choose to create their own events to handle announcements instead. As a result, how E3 changes in the coming years to accommodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen.

For those interested in a more complete story of how E3 began, check out [[https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/6/7/18653968/e3-history-1995-sega-saturn-nintendo-64-playstation-launch this Polygon article]]. For a humourous look at what gaming fans believe constitutes the ideal E3 press conference, check out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP091FeB-3o this informative video]].

For those interested in a more complete story of how E3 began, check out [[https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/6/7/18653968/e3-history-1995-sega-saturn-nintendo-64-playstation-launch this Polygon article]]. For an idea of what gaming fans believe constitutes the ideal E3 press conference, check out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP091FeB-3o this informative video]].

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is a major gaming event that started in 1995 in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}} and, save for two editions held in Atlanta, (1997 and 1998) and one on Santa Monica (2007), has been held there every year since (uninterrupted until 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Though dwarfed in attendance numbers by events like Gamescom and PAX, due to it being primarily industry only for most of its life, it has a unique place in gaming culture. It is traditionally where new franchises are shown for the first time, where new consoles are unveiled and played live for the audiences, and where long-awaited new installments or franchise reboots are given their introductions. The entire gaming world watches E3, ensuring that these new debuts will have the most exposure possible.

The first E3 was held by the Interactive Digital Software Association, now known as the Entertainment Software Association, after the organization was created in 1994. Before E3 was formed, game companies attended the Consumer Electronics Show, but CES' disdain for the game industry[[note]]Management put the video game companies in a secluded corner in a parking lot behind all the porn booths. In 1991, they shoved them all in a tent that leaked, and water got all over the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis. Creator/{{Sega}}, incensed, did not return the following year.[[/note]] and unwillingness to accommodate them lead to the creation of a separate show.

Though the show was originally primarily for retailers (like other trade shows), E3 has shifted over the years to become a video game trade show for the industry at large, including journalists, marketing executives, and those watching at home. Other expos are focused on other aspects of gaming -- PAX for the community (and tabletop/card games), Gamescom for the consumers, GDC for game developers, DICE for executives -- but E3 is for everyone, regardless of where they are in, or in relation to, the game industry.

The expo is still immensely popular, and journalists, fans, and developers alike have their eyes focused on Los Angeles for the roughly week-long event. It is a source of both joy and heartbreak, of incredibly ecstasy and mouth-frothing rage, and everything in between. Though fandoms the world over may feel elation at the announcement of a new entry in a long awaited franchise, other announcements, or a lack thereof, can easily cause huge backlashes, often in the forms of {{Flame War}}s, TheyChangedItNowItSucks, BrokenBase, AccentuateTheNegative, and many others.

Due to the massive intersection of all aspects of games and gaming, controversial issues and events often spring back to up relevance around E3, since the issues tend to resurface or the events are referenced, directly or otherwise. For all that E3 unites the gaming community, it also serves as a stark reminder of underlying problems within gamer culture and business, with the various presentations and interviews subject to a large amount of critical and commercial analysis.

The huge focus isn't all bad, though - all the attention means that events that happen during the show are ripe for MemeticMutation. Creator/{{Sony}}'s disastrous 2006 conference is a good example of large-scale mockery, as that single event alone [[GiantEnemyCrab named]] [[RealTimeWeaponChange three]] [[AttackItsWeakPoint tropes]] and an [[ThisIndexHitsForMassiveDamage index]]. On the other hand, reference E3 2019, which had Ikumi Nakamura and Keanu Reeves make their positive and meme-worthy appearances.

The 2010s brought a number of changes to E3. For one, the public is now allowed to attend. But most importantly, thanks to the greater onset of 24/7 games journalism and availability of broadband internet, gaming companies began to question the value of a show that was expensive to attend and a hassle to develop demos for[[note]]E3 demos must often be started 9 to 12 months before the actual show dates[[/note]] as opposed to simply hosting their own events online and reaching roughly the same audience. Creator/{{Nintendo}} was the first major developer to ease back on their E3 presence, still being present on the show floor but abandoning live stage shows in favor of [[WebVideo/NintendoDirect prerecorded webcasts]] in 2013. [[Creator/SonyComputerEntertainment Sony]] would go a step further a few years later, skipping the expo entirely in 2019 to also do their own webcasts. There were plans to reinvent the convention in 2020, but was cancelled due to the [[UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic COVID-19 pandemic]]; attempts were made to shift it online, but many gaming outlets and developers choose to create their own events to handle announcements instead. As a result, how E3 changes in the coming years to accommodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen.

For those interested in a more complete story of how E3 began, check out [[https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/6/7/18653968/e3-history-1995-sega-saturn-nintendo-64-playstation-launch this Polygon article]]. For a neat look at what constitutes the ideal E3 press conference, check out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP091FeB-3o this informative video]].

The late 2010s brought a number of changes to E3 (the public is now allowed to attend, for one), mostly due to the onset of 24/7 games journalism and broadband internet - companies began to question the value of a show that was expensive to attend and a hassle to develop demos for[[note]]E3 demos must often be started 9 to 12 months before the actual show dates[[/note]] as opposed to simply hosting their own events online and reaching roughly the same audience. Sony skipped E3 entirely in 2019 and 2020 for these reasons, joining Nintendo in doing news drops every few months via online webcasts. The attempted reinvention of 2020 was cancelled due to the [[UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic COVID-19 pandemic]], so how E3 changes in the coming years to accommodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen.

The late 2010s brought a number of changes to E3 (the public is now allowed to attend, for one), mostly due to the onset of 24/7 games journalism and broadband internet - companies began to question the value of a show that was expensive to attend and a hassle to develop demos for[[note]]E3 demos must often be started 9 to 12 months before the actual show dates[[/note]] as opposed to simply hosting their own events online and reaching roughly the same audience. Sony skipped E3 entirely in 2019 and 2020 for these reasons, joining Nintendo in doing news drops every few months via online webcasts. The attempted reinvention of 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so how E3 changes in the coming years to accommodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is a major gaming event that started in 1995 in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}} and, save for two editions held in Atlanta, (1997 and 1998) and one on Santa Monica (2007), has been held there every year since (uninterrupted until 2020, when it was mostly cancelled[[note]]An online substitute was organized in lieu of the lack of a physical show[[/note]] due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Though dwarfed in attendance numbers by events like Gamescom and PAX, due to it being primarily industry only for most of its life, it has a unique place in gaming culture. It is traditionally where new franchises are shown for the first time, where new consoles are unveiled and played live for the audiences, and where long-awaited new installments or franchise reboots are given their introductions. The entire gaming world watches E3, ensuring that these new debuts will have the most exposure possible.

The late 2010s brought a number of changes to E3 (the public is now allowed to attend, for one), mostly due to the onset of 24/7 games journalism and broadband internet - companies began to question the value of a show that was expensive to attend and a hassle to develop demos for[[note]]E3 demos must often be started 9 to 12 months before the actual show dates[[/note]] as opposed to simply hosting their own events online and reaching roughly the same audience. Sony skipped E3 entirely in 2019 and 2020 for these reasons, joining Nintendo in doing news drops every few months via online webcasts. The attempted reinvention of 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, so how E3 changes in the coming years to accommodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is a major gaming event that started in 1995 in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}} and, save for two editions held in Atlanta, (1997 and 1998) and one on Santa Monica (2007), has been held there every year since (uninterrupted until 2020, whose edition was cancelled due to several factors). Though dwarfed in attendance numbers by events like Gamescom and PAX, due to it being primarily industry only for most of its life, it has a unique place in gaming culture. It is traditionally where new franchises are shown for the first time, where new consoles are unveiled and played live for the audiences, and where long-awaited new installments or franchise reboots are given their introductions. The entire gaming world watches E3, ensuring that these new debuts will have the most exposure possible.

Though the show was originally primarily for retailers (like other trade shows), E3 has shifted over the years to become a video game trade show for the industry at large, including journalists, marketing executives, and those watching at home. Other expos are focused on other aspects of gaming -- PAX for the community (and tabletop/card games), GDC for game developers, DICE for executives -- but E3 is for everyone, regardless of where they fit in the spectrum of gaming.

The late 2010s brought a number of changes to E3 (the public is now allowed to attend, for one), mostly due to the onset of 24/7 games journalism and broadband internet - companies began to question the value of a show that was expensive to attend and a hassle to develop demos for[[note]]E3 demos must often be started 9 to 12 months before the actual show dates[[/note]] as opposed to simply hosting their own events online and reaching roughly the same audience. Sony skipped E3 entirely in 2019 and 2020 for this reason, joining Nintendo in doing news drops every few months via online webcasts. How E3 changes in the coming years to accomodate the shifting landscape of the video game business remains to be seen. Certainly not helping matters is the cancelation of E3 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic that began in early 2020.