Maybe “Electronic Entertainment Expo” doesn’t ring a bell, but surely “E3” does. That’s because the most important video game fair in history is on everyone’s lips due to the memories it has left us, as we would say when we are mourning a deceased. Because that’s what it has become: the E3 has finally declared that it has passed away, something we already suspected after the lackluster 2021 edition. The world we knew is slipping away from us.
25 years of video games
From May 11th to 13th, 1995, the first E3 took place in Los Angeles, drawing in more than 40,000 attendees. It swiftly became the ultimate destination for anyone in the industry; all major consoles debuted there (alongside major failures) in a world that grew and evolved alongside it. From the dominance of print media to the emergence of the first websites and, of course, the modern live streams, the industry has thrived and transformed alongside E3. It has etched its place in history, shaping an industry that wouldn’t be the same without it. Of course. But.
The console wars never escalated as intensely as they did at E3, when a Sony executive took the stage after Xbox‘s announcement and uttered just one word: “299.” It was the price of the PS2, one of those moments that could be experienced before every show became meticulously planned, with constant announcements and carefully orchestrated lighting. It was a time when the future of gaming was decided in small rooms for a select few, a time when everything was so much more enchanting.
But now, everything matters to everyone all at once. Production companies have to make an impression on the public that won’t fade once the next one announces their games. Perhaps that’s why Nintendo chose to step away from E3 (a very risky move at the time) to present their own Directs, pre-recorded videos where they could control the entire narrative. Sony and Microsoft followed suit shortly after. And the guillotine was already prepared.
Now, individual streams (and trailers at the Game Awards) are all we’ll have after the definitive end of E3, marking the conclusion of an incredible era in the history of video games. It’s very sad, indeed, but who knows, in this vibrant world, nothing remains dead for too long, and someone with a new idea may always come along to resurrect it. For now, we have to wipe away our tears and, with sadness, accept that E3 has passed away. Long live E3!
