PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Reportedly Skipping E3 2023

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced in March that E3 would be returning as an in-person show in Los Angeles following the cancellation of the 2022 edition. Then, in September, the ESA revealed that E3 2023 will take place from Tuesday, June 13, through Friday, June 16. 

Now, IGN reports it has learned that PlayStation, Xbox, and Sony will be skipping E3 2023, a major blow to what was supposed to be E3’s big comeback. The publication also reports that these companies won’t have a presence on the Los Angeles Convention Center showfloor, either, which is where game companies typically have large (and flashy) booths where people can preview games and learn more about what’s in store. 

Despite this, Xbox is still set to have its own summer showcase in Los Angeles, like it has in previous years. And Xbox usually times this to coincide with games press and fans being in Los Angeles for E3. IGN reports that Xbox’s overall plans for its summer gaming showcase are unconfirmed as a result of having to tighten the comany’s financials after recent Microsoft-wide layoffs that hit Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries hard. 

PlayStation hasn’t been a part of E3 since it first dropped from the show in 2019, reportedly over disagreements with the ESA. Nintendo is usually a big supporter of E3, typically livestreaming a Nintendo Direct alongside a large presence on the actual show floor.

Video Games Chronicle reports that Nintendo is skipping its first in-person E3 show in four years because the company feels it doesn’t have enough major releases to showcase to justify its typical E3 presence. VGC also notes that its own sources have claimed discussions in regards to E3 and Xbox are still ongoing, and that it might have a “business and media presence similar to last year’s Gamescom, if not a traditional booth.” 

ReedPop, the Star Wars Celebration organizer that’s organizing E3 2023, provided IGN with the following statement: 

E3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we’ve worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs. This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. 

We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years. As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.

[Source: IGN, Video Games Chronicle]

Do you think E3 2023 will still be a great show? Let us know in the comments below!