E3 2023: World's biggest gaming show cancelled

Image source, Getty Images

One of the world's biggest video gaming events - E3 - won't be going ahead this year.

The show is a huge event that usually takes place each year in Los Angles Convention Center in the US.

Game developers, publishers and makers from all over the world, like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, would come to give big presentations to show off their new games or consoles.

However, E3 hasn't had an in-person event since 2019, due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the last one in 2021 being digital-only.

Will there be another E3?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot had fun in their 2017 presentation

The show's official organisers, ReedPop, announced the news that the conference wouldn't be going ahead this year, stating that "alongside the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), both parties will re-evaluate the future of E3".

Meaning they will think about how the event could still run in the future.

This has led some people to think that the event could be cancelled permanently.

Why has E3 been cancelled?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Microsoft revealed the Xbox One, and Sony revealed the PS4 at the event in 2013

The first ever E3 event took place in May in 1995, and around 40,000 people attended.

Only journalists and people who worked in the games industry could attend the event, however from 2017 the public could attend for the first time.

Since 2019 there has not been an in-person E3 event. This is partly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic caused delays to a lot of gaming production schedules, meaning that big games weren't ready to be shown off or announced, and their release dates were difficult to pin down.

The pandemic also saw gaming companies focus more on making their own livestream events to promote new games or devices.

This was much cheaper for game makers, as they don't have to pay for big booths and displays or dancers at the event, and meant they had more control over what they shared, and when.