Only a few hours have passed since the cancellation of E3 2023 was announced, and we are still kind of in shock. Although we were aware that the legendary industry event faced an uphill struggle due to publishers withdrawing left and right, it still feels a little weird, don’t you think?

Stanley Pierre-Louis, executive director of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), discusses what transpired and what to anticipate in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. Pierre-Louis says that “we were off to a strong start. There was interest among exhibitors, industry players, the media, and certainly the fans. Ultimately, there were challenges that proved too large to surmount.” The ESA partnered with event coordinator ReedPop for the first in-person event in a number of years.

One of these insurmountable difficulties was the current development schedules studios have been dealing with ever since the COVID pandemic started, and another was the global economic turmoil that followed. Some businesses have started to rethink spending on pricey exhibit space and significant marketing events as there is less money available.

When asked about E3 returning in 2024, Pierre-Louis sticks to the script, saying that “at that time, we will have more news to share.” He also adds that “we’re committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convening, but we want to make sure we find that right balance that meets the needs of the industry.”

As you might anticipate, he gives a completely non-committal response. In our opinion, the E3 period appears to be coming to an end. The writing has been on the wall for a while now, with so many less expensive and more efficient ways of spreading the word about upcoming games and endeavors, not to mention public reluctance in the wake of a horrific pandemic. We can only hope that Sony has been saving the best for the much-anticipated Showcase.

Do you believe E3 will ever come back, or are the heydays of attending conventions really over?