Game developers and studios paid their respects to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), once the largest gaming event, which was officially canceled forever.
The Entertainment Software Association announced on Tuesday that it will now close the expo after its over-decade run this year, ending an era for many gamers and developers.
— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023
Notable personalities in the gaming industry have since expressed their sadness for the event that helped launch many careers and project titles to success.
Game Industry Personalities Send Regards to E3
Death Stranding and Metal Gear franchise creator Hideo Kojima posted a long farewell message on X (formerly Twitter), thanking the expo for helping boost Japanese creators and titles to the world.
The end of E3 is sad news; we exhibited "MGS" for the first time in Atlanta in 1997. I have participated every year since then. Especially, the presentation of "MGS2" in 2000 is a precious memory. It was 23 years ago. Without E3, Japanese creators and titles would not have made… pic.twitter.com/Lz3RkuQgSY
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) December 13, 2023
Kojima has been attending the gaming event since 2000 during the presentation of Metal Gear Solid 2, which the Japanese game designer referred to as a "precious memory."
Other big game developers and titles also offered their condolences to the event many considered as the "video game Christmas."
Official accounts of Assassin's Creed and Cyberpunk 2077 replied to E3's announcement as a sign of solidarity.
Ubisoft, the game publisher of the Assassin's Creed franchise, has announced several of its best-selling titles during the E3 convention, including the classic Black Flag and Odyssey.
Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt, both titles under CD Projekt Red, were also first announced in E3.
Another big contributor to the gaming scene, Bethesda, thanked the event for "all the amazing memories."
Bethesda, with Todd Howard in the lead, debuted Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 76 on E3 convention in 2011 and 2018 respectively.
❤️ thank you for all the amazing memories pic.twitter.com/Uxg2UJmkI3
— Bethesda (@bethesda) December 12, 2023
E3 Expo Wraps Up After Two Decades
The game expo was officially closed over 20 years after it started in 1995 as big tech companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony opted out of the event.
The major game publisher has since preferred to announce their future games on their websites and platforms. The three companies used to debut their new consoles during the expo.
The COVID-19 pandemic did not help as the expo had to take a hiatus in 2020. The 2021 event was held virtually while last year's run was completely cancelled.
E3 signed off its historical run with "GGWP" (Good Game, Well Played).
