E3 was once viewed as the premier event to showcase the most exciting new video games coming to modern hardware. However, many fans and journalists questioned E3’s relevancy as the event became less important over the last few years. E3 2023 was meant to be the event’s triumphant return to the spotlight, as it is the first in-person showcase since the pandemic. Unfortunately, E3’s victorious return will have to make do without the three biggest gaming companies — Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony.
IGN reported that Xbox, Sony, and Nintendo won’t have a presence at the Los Angeles Convention Center show floor during E3. Xbox revealed in a recent blog post that it was working on the company’s yearly showcase in Los Angeles for this summer but did not specify if it was tied to E3 or not. Xbox has supported E3 in the past and has a lot of games to promote in 2023, which is why it is surprising the company will not have a presence on this year’s show floor. Microsoft would usually set up Xbox booths at the neighboring Microsoft Theater during E3, but Xbox would not be part of the E3 floor itself.
Related: When can the general public attend E3 2023? Answered
Nintendo also typically has a presence on E3’s show floor, being the only company of the “big three” to be on the show floor at the last in-person event in 2019, making Nintendo’s absence this year notable as well. Sony has been skipping E3 for years now, even before the pandemic. With none of the “big three” going to E3, it’s unknown what shape this year’s event will look like.
For E3 2023, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is teaming up with the analytical company ReedPop to help run the event. Several reports and sources about E3 have claimed that there has been tension between video game companies and the ESA. There has also been heavy criticism towards the ESA’s and ReedPop’s mishandling of E3. Despite the setbacks and criticism, at the time of this writing, E3 2023 is still set for June 13 to 16.
