The E3 large trade event will take place this year as expected, but with one big and disappointing change: this will be completely online. This is not a surprising announcement given a massive increase in the Omicron transmission variant, which triggered a record number of Covid-19 cases in the US where trade shows were held.
EXPO Electronic Entertainment – Most commonly referred to as E3 – is a massive trade show that occurs every summer. Usually speaking, this event is held directly with publishers and developers who exhibit their game products, among others.
E3 2021 marked the first time the trade show was broadcast as an “global, interactive” event online, but it won’t be the last. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has confirmed that the E3 2022 will take place online, too, because of the circulation of sustainable SARS-COV-2 virus, other waves, and the arrival of new variants related to new ones. .
Esa issued a very short statement about the decision, saying:
Because sustainable health risks around Covid-19 and their potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and participants, E3 will not be held directly in 2022. We remain very passionate about the future of E3 and hope to announce more details.
Even though we have to wait for additional details, the event is likely to be held online this summer with the same general format that we saw last year. However, maybe Esa shook everything a little. When contacted for confirmation, the event will be held online, the association told Venture Beat that “excited about the possibility of online events.”
We are likely to be about half a year from the date planned for the event, but considering the history of the pandemic and current situation, it is not surprising that the collective behind E3 has made a decision early to be careful. Like other major events, E3 often pulls a large number, including international travelers, and the meeting remains the risk of personal health safety and public health.
The decision might be driven by criticism recently over CES 2022 and the decision to hold events directly despite Omicron. Some are called electronics showing the “SuperSpreader” event because a large number of people present and the event is usually crowded, narrow.
Why will Esa make a big decision in January? Most likely for logistical reasons. Although the event will (most likely) take place this summer, the month of work must be completed before, including building which companies will participate and their exhibition needs.
This is not the first time a major event has turned to online format just because of a pandemic, health problems, and regulations that limit large meetings. BlizzCon 2021 is held online, for example, while some other major events such as IFA 2021 are completely canceled. Making the initial decision to hold an online event will help protect the possibility of last minute changes that can be caused by the unexpected wave of Covid-19 future.
The big question now is whether the game developer conference (GDC), scheduled for the end of March, will remain directly as planned or switched to similar online-based formats. This event is similar to E3 because it involves the game industry and often attracts many people.
Last summer it was announced that GDC 2022 will be held directly and nothing has changed at this time. However, the increasing pressure of public health institutions, current criticism of CES as a suppreader event, and the pressure of peers from other people in the industry can produce last-minute format changes.