ESA President and CEO, Stan Pierre-Louis, sat down with The Washington Post where he acknowledged the success of digital showcases. Pierre-Louis cited Geoff Keighly’s Summer Game Fest, Nintendo Direct, and Sony’s State of Play, as examples of such events. However, Pierre-Louis also defended the importance of in-person gaming conventions. According to Pierre-Louis, “there’s a really strong desire for people to convene - to be able to connect in person and see each other talk about what makes games great.” Most important of all, Pierre-Louis reaffirmed in the same interview that “E3 is coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event.” The ESA has done an excellent job weathering storms. Three years of no in-person events is no joke. Even if E3 2021 pushed through, it just wasn’t the same. Of course, this isn’t ESA’s first tussle with tough times. The long-running must-watch industry event persevered even after multiple gaming studios like Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, and Sony, left many years ago. In the case of EA and Activision Blizzard, ESA saw its former highlights hold their own in-person video game showcases at nearby locations. Thankfully, this year’s usual E3 season isn’t devoid of announcements. Case in point, Sony has concluded its June 2 State of Play with big announcements like Resident Evil 4 Remake. Audiences can also look forward to the third Summer Game Fest on June 9. Microsoft also confirmed that it will hold a showcase on June 12 and June 14. Meanwhile, Capcom will have its own event on June 13. Who knows? Nintendo could throw its hat into the ring with a Nintendo Direct to end the month. If we’re lucky, all of these aforementioned events will still take place next year and co-exist with E3 2023.
