In case you didn’t hear, E3 2023 has been canceled. Following the announcement of Ubisoft and other publishers pulling out of the event, the ESA and ReedPop made it official. Now, talking with Gamesindustry.biz, ESA President & CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis talks about why they came to the decision they did and what to expect in the future.
According to Pierre-Louis, E3 served as an industry platform to make announcements about games products and services, as well as a place for business to get done. Over the years, E3 brought in consumers but the event focused largely on the industy’s marketing and business needs. But, those marketing needs evolved, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
To reflect those changing needs, the ESA announced that they would be partnering with ReedPop, who have a history and a track record in operating industry and consumer events including PAX, Comic-Con, EGX, and more.
Pierre-Louis said that they were on to a strong start with interest among exhibitors, industry players, media, and fans. “However, there were challenges that proved too large to surmount,” Pierre-Louis said.
“First, several companies have reported that the timeline for game development has been altered since the start of the COVID pandemic. Second, economic headwinds have caused several companies to reassess how they invest in large marketing events. And third, companies are starting to experiment with how to find the right balance between in-person events and digital marketing opportunities.”
Talking about the future, Pierre-Louis said “we remain committed to providing a platform for industry marketing and convening but we want to make sure we find the right balance for the industry’s current and on-going needs. We also remain focused on our issue advocacy work on behalf of the most creative and innovative industry in the world. While E3 serves in many ways a public-facing element of what ESA does, our primary focus and our priority remains to advocate for the industry and the workforce that fuels a positive economic and cultural impact.”
Pierre-Louis says the ESA wants to make sure they are providing a platform that works for the needs of the industry. This means asking questions regarding what the ESA can do to help developers but also monitor how they want to deploy their assets in an evolving world. This also means being mindful of the fact that we are in the midst of a very difficult period for the industry in terms of game development and economic headwinds. The ESA wants to provide a platform in a way that is sustainable for today and in the future.
“It’s a matter of finding the right pitch – and I mean that in the sound way – for the needs that are evolving,” Pierre-Louis said. “They’re continuing to experiment with how they market their works. We’re seeing other shows coming back slowly, but coming back. They’re at a different scale and investment commitment than E3 so we have to continue to work on how we create a dynamic and sustainable model that meets the needs of the industry.”