Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo will not attend the relaunched E3 event in June, which will be back in person in Los Angeles, according to The Verge.
This news follows Xbox's declaration last week that it would be coming to Los Angeles for its annual summer showcase while hesitating to disclose whether it would be participating in the show itself.
The Convention's Return Is Met By Big Names Ditching It
As the trade show's first physical event in four years, E3 was expected to make a victorious comeback and rekindle some of the excitement of earlier events.
According to IGN, conventions have historically served as important showcase occasions for the games industry.
It is anticipated to approximately coincide with the event itself because Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said the platform owner is timing its demonstration with E3 at a time "convenient for press and even consumers" at the event.
Additionally, Spencer highlighted Xbox's public support for E3 and the Entertainment Software Association, but Xbox will reportedly not have a booth.
Xbox has not announced its current intentions for the showcase, but in the past it has hosted preview events, press mixers, and showcases.
Xbox has lately been forced to make cuts and layoffs internally as a result of a year with essentially no significant releases.
Read More: Halo Will Continue Receiving Support From Microsoft Despite 343 Layoffs, Phil Spencer Claims
The Big Three's Absence Is A Blow For E3
Given its prior support for the event, Xbox's decision to forgo a formal presence on the E3 showfloor is unexpected.
It appeared to be the most probable of the so-called "Big Three" to attend E3, not least since it has three significant games to market in 2023.
Even after creating the "Direct" format, Nintendo has always had a presence on the E3 exhibition floor.
However, according to IGN, neither Nintendo nor Sony will attend E3 in 2023. PlayStation initially withdrew in 2019 due to alleged differences with the Entertainment Software Association.
Nintendo, Sony, Xbox, and the ESA representatives did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication, thus it is currently unknown whether they plan to time a showcase with the event.
According to Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls, the information might be a significant setback for E3, which is striving to rebuild its reputation with the aid of the events business ReedPop.
"It's unfortunate that the physical event returns when Nintendo is at the tail end of the Switch lifecycle, with no sign of a next-gen device this year," Rolls says.
However, Rolls noted that Sony had been avoiding major events "for several cycles now," noting that it would not be a surprise if it happens this year as well.
It can be remembered that a source claims that during the past three years, there have been ongoing complaints with the ESA because they are said to have seriously mishandled the E3 brand over that time.
According to the source, ReedPop started talking to publishers about E3 last autumn and promised to book spaces in December.
However, with less than six months till E3, the source claims there is still a lot of information that is not available.
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