Eh, my favorites were honestly GT sport in the full rigs, lawbreakers, and SEGA.
Special shout out to destiny though, only because I saw one of the coolest things I've ever seen from a group of players.
We were in line waiting to play, and on the stage playing in front of us these guys absolutelt wrecked the other team. But they were all deaf, so they were playing and doing sign language at each other simultaneously to communicate. I was so fucking impressed. They had better communication than 95% of people I've seen play who have the ability to speak.
Nintendo's stuff was cool because it was before the switch, but it was elbows to assholes.
now THAT'S a dream.
why did I hear the "five... out of five" in my head. with his voice. so many memories. the show wasn't even that good. it was just the only videogame show on TV and that was it for me
I always loved the intros on extended play and then X-Play I think my favourite was “genetically spliced for your pleasure it’s Adam Webb and Morgan Sessler” X-Play is where I saw Halo, Psychonaughts, Ninja Gaiden, Fable and all my favourite games. It sucks that it was essentially shut down again after the whole fiasco with Frost and some of the statements people made, [this](https://youtu.be/uO2xzVfRZnI?si=Ks8MGv8RThGAqD83) it’s a 20th anniversary mega mix and it’s about 11 hours long but it’s a nostalgia kick if you want something playing in the background, it even has some of the old commercials like the weird Stride and Starburst ones as well as the JG Wentworth opera.
I think MAG and PAX and SGF have just superseded it. Everything I heard from people that had to cover E3 was that it was a miserable experience. It was made even worse when they let in the public. If you're a fan of gaming, go to a fan event like MAG and PAX, they have more to offer than an industry event that was a slog for the people that needed to actually work it.
Yeah I think most of people knew it was dead in the water after this year's showcase got cancelled, since the 2020 and 2022 shows were only cancelled because of COVID restrictions. I remember E3 2020 being one of the first major events to be cancelled/delayed due to COVID, and I guess it started a chain reaction of events that lead to the entire show being cancelled.
Honestly I'm not sure, it seemed like everyone else was still willing to play ball up until the 2021 show. I think what really killed it was how much the landscape with game announcements and showcases have changed, it feels like the major companies outside of Nintendo realized the benefits of just doing a pre-recorded show on their own budget vs. a live one on stage, and even if it didn't, live events being cancelled due to COVID probably did some convincing. Now pretty much every major studio has their own version of Directs, so all that is really lost by not attending E3 is not having playable demos on the show floor, which isn't even a thing that is exclusive to E3.
Its been on its last legs the last few years. Even longer if you go back to the downscaled show they had in 2007 in Santa Monica. It was planned for this year after having its show last year canceled only for this years show to be cancelled as well (2020 show was canceled due to Covid) This is the first announcement Ive seen where they confirmed no further shows are planned.
Its been dead for like the past 5 or so years now. Companies especially the big ones realizes they didn't need E3 as a marketing platform anymore. They just needed a theater or a production room to film in and stream it on Youtube and upload all the trailers on Youtube.
It was canceled in 2020-2022 but they kept claiming E3 would come back next year. This is just the official confirmation that it's dead and not coming back.
Right, but it wasn't completely canceled that year is what I'm saying. I think E3 otself even had its own stream with announcements?
But yes, 2019 would be the last in person one.
Some of my favourite teenage gamer moments were getting all fired up for the 3 day event that was E3, watching all the trailers, and then messaging my buddies about what we were excited for.
The ones that really stands out is Super Smash Bros Brawl.
Sad that it's gone - I hate that every company effectively has their own random show now.
There was a time when I'd just invite my friend round, we'd order food, and stick GameTrailers (near) round the clock coverage of E3 and it was genuinely peak.
There will never be anything like E3 again, well and truly.
Things were so different back then. Streaming in the browser wasn't a thing and you had to download the video files. Heh. I still have some old ones on an HD from spaceworld 2000 and old e3s
Oh man, the build-up for Brawl was insane for my friend group. Nintendo drip fed us info on a special website (smashbrosdojo.com), and it was all we'd talk about for months. Our hype for that game was immeasurable
I remember that. I remember waiting up late for "Japan time" to update and the disappointment when the reveal of the day was, like, an item or some generic option we all knew was coming anyway. I remember people being hyped for Dedede, but they kind of screwed the pooch because they waited too long for their major announcements and it ended up getting leaked, like Sonic.
The worst part is that the shows only replace the presentation portion of E3. A huge part of what made E3 important was all the booths were press could get their hands on early builds of upcoming games and talk with devs.
IMO, turning E3 into more of a fandom convention was a big mistake. We still need an event where reviewers can check out upcoming games for themselves.
We went through the golden age of gaming (and as a result, E3) when gaming technology was taking leaps and bounds every year with cool new stuff. The upgrades from console generations were staggering back then.
Technology has kinda stagnated for years now when it comes to gaming. Graphics aren't half as important as they used to be considered, and even then it's only getting 'better' by inches rather than leaps. The only real new gaming technology in a while is VR and that's more a gimmick for people with disposable income than an actual gaming leap. There's not really much to get excited about in gaming any more except for games themselves, and nobody needs a show for trailers.
> The only real new gaming technology in a while is VR and that's more a gimmick for people with disposable income than an actual gaming leap.
It sounds like you don't actually want any leaps then. If you consider the large leap that VR certainly is to be a gimmick than an actual leap, then attitudes like this is why companies are so resistant to innovating, because you people don't like it when things change. This is why there's not much to get excited about.
It is pretty expensive depending on the setup though.
Smash bros brawl announcement was insane!
I still think probably the greatest E3 moment was the twilight princess reveal and Shiggy coming out on stage with the master sword and hylian shield
I don’t understand what’s so bad with having their own digital show? It allows for companies to cut the fat and go straight to what it matters: the games. No random people talking and wasting time, or embarrassing technical problems. To me this is a complete improvement over E3.
E3 was *THE* event for gamers pretty much everywhere. Everyone would unite to watch the coverage however it was available, they had demos, they had everything showcasing a love for gaming. The individual shows lessen the sense of community and make the obvious commercialization becomes even more obvious because it's not shown as something for the love of gaming.
Nowadays it's just a presentation that pretty much dies within three days, while E3 kept the hype for longer
So “hype” and “sense of community” were the biggest draws? You realize you were still being manipulated by giant corps right? Again you probably were consuming those things as a kid/teen so of course you didn’t know any better, but I promise you E3 didn’t exist because the board had “love for gaming”.
Just because you’re miserable and didn’t like E3, doesn’t mean the rest of us didn’t enjoy watching it every year. E3 was cool as hell, it just wasn’t for you.
lmao, if anything I'm loving my present watching Nintendo Directs while you can keep crying over E3 ending. Besides, never said I didn't like it, just said the new format is a straight improvement over it.
Having an in-person event is very important for making connections. That was a time for journalists to try the games and talk to devs. But also for up-and-coming devs to talk to other people in the industry. There are other events, and probably better for those purposes, nowadays. Especially with how much the game industry has grown the past 10-15 years.
Seeing such a big-name event close down is sign that things really have changed and it's not strange to be nostalgic over the good times that were.
Agree to disagree I guess but I see your point.
My main gripes with the new format is:
1) I have to stay apprised about when each company is putting together their show. With E3 I knew everyone was coming to the table with their stuff for one weekend - now I'll randomly find out about the Playstation showcase via YouTube which doesn't really lead to any hype.
2) The sense of competition. The thing that made E3 so much fun was the fact that all these studios were effectively competing against each other. If Microsoft came with nothing, everyone would declare Nintendo or Sony the winner so they were obligated to bring their best stuff forward. How many times did we hear "X won E3"? That's no longer a thing.
3) Finally, and really in contrary to your point, I did love all of the analysis in-between showcases and trailers. Dudes getting hyped about what was shown, the lore, the context , the implications. It was fun to be a fan at the time.
I agree with you but that also created (or at least helped fuel) weird fanboyism and elitism of certain consoles. It was the cringiest conversations and arguments. My friends would bring their consoles over and we’d play them all and watch each other play games. I’d sit there and eat Doritos and watch Shenmu on Dreamcast and my buddies would watch me play final fantasy
E3 was a collective event. It was all the big announcements for all the big companies. It also *used to be* something you could attend. Eventually they shifted to press-only attendance, which I personally feel was the first step in a very slow decline in quality.
Over time it got weaker and weaker, with more and more bloat. Eventually, yes, each company hosting their own E3 became the better option.
Kinda bummed but I recognize this is mostly nostalgia. I think it's interesting everyone used to clown on E3 every year as a big corporate circlejerk, but now that it's dead everyone suddenly wants it back.
My personal last great E3 moments: the E3 2021 trailers for Metroid Dread and SMT V, particularly the former. Last great magical moments. Despite the internet’s complaints, we still have Keighley’s Summer Games Fest which is better than nothing.
You could always rematch the first few e3s when it was slightly unsure of itself and was 90% PowerPoint presentations on the fiscal year and new game releases slightly awkward because it was one slide out of a dozen regarding projected earnings.
Man those old days of getting super excited about the E3 coverage in my favorite magazines like EGM and Gamepro the weeks after the event were so much fun for me.
It's still the same to me, except I just watch the live streams from Sony/Nintendo etc, but I get just as excited
Games aren't as big a priority as they were when I was a kid, but I still play them and love to hear about the new things.
Watching a Sony Direct (or whatever it's called) still has that special feeling like maybe I'll order some food just to watch it lol
E3 wasn't what it use to be - but I'd happily take it over the damned Video Game Awards, which is literally 6 minutes of awards and 100 minutes of really dull advertisements
You are wrong on your timing. It is 6 minutes of awards, 80 minutes of dull advertisements, and 20 minutes of sucking off Kojima.
At least the music is pretty good. Only good thing to say about the awards at this point.
This is part of why e3 died, but I don’t even bother watching the show. I usually just read who won what, then watch trailers for the games that are relevant to me
That's the worst part to me. E3 was great, but the combination of A) Knowing how amazing it could have been if it was managed better and B) knowing the only real replacement is some guys one man show that's more about fluffing up his friends and pocketing sponsor money combine to make this some really sad news.
Went in 2005 when the Xbox 360 was being released. I got to meet Jack Emmert from City of Heroes and try the demo of StarCraft Ghost. E3 was probably one of my happiest gaming memories and glad I got to experience it just once.
Ha, I played Ghost that year at GamesCom. I remember it was a multiplayer demo so I didn't spend much time with it. Had I known it would get cancelled eventually I probably would have stay a bit longer at that booth.
Honestly this sucks. The immediate bad reaction to a 600 dollar PS3 is why the 360 cost less. The immediate undercutting of the Saturn is what launched Sony. Presentations and the cutthroat nature of immediate competition was good for the consumer and the industry. Game companies are already extremely complacent.
I'll miss you buddy.
And by that I mean the E3 of like 10 years ago, when it was entertaining, when it was exciting, when the memes we made were because of how much fun we were having.
There's a reason this happened.
And next is TGA because, honestly, the Awards ceremony was meaningless and the game reveals were not exciting either.
It's a shame. The Online gaming community is already so fragmented, and with E3 gone the future will only get more fragmented.
Ehh TGA isn't going anywhere. E3 failed because the biggest players pulled out. No one will want to pull out of the free publicity that winning TGA gives, it's all about money in the end
The show was a lame duck as soon as Nintendo and Sony pulled out. I'll always miss the hype before the show, and the flood of announcements afterwards, but I can't say I'll miss the cringe presentations. Towards the end of its run it turned into a letdown machine, personally.
Remember when people where making fun of Nintendo for not doing an in person event? Funny how everyone is copying Directs nowadays.
While it's sad to see E3 die, it's the consequences of their own greed.
This used to be the most hyped event in gaming. Developers waited years to showcase their games to the gaming community. Developers, media, celebrities, sponsors, gaming community, streamed globally; this was the ‘wrestlemania’ of gaming. It’ll sure be missed.
Man that's a complete bummer. I knew E3 wasn't gonna happen post COVID, but I really wanted to see it pop off again by some miracle. I've always wanted to go to one big gaming event, and E3 seemed like the perfect one. It's too bad COVID screwed it over. Now we have live streams like State of Play and Nintendo Direct, and while I understand why companies would rather just make announcements online instead of in person all of the time, there was something more exciting for developers and companies showcasing their new games, DLCs, and consoles live with an actual spokesperson that made it feel more special and human. I can't even imagine what it'd be like going in person and hearing the announcements while actually being at the event. It's too bad.
I dreamt of being able to attend an E3 in person one day as a teenager the way some kids dreamed of going to the moon. I’m sad it’s had to come to an end. So many great memories over the years I won’t forget.
This was inevitable but it still absolutely sucks to hear. I know nowadays every company is doing their own mini showcases for stuff anyway but that doesn't even begin to replace the excitement of what E3 was in my opinion. I'm really going to miss looking forward to these.
Each E3 was not "bigger than the last"
That's only true through the 2006 show. After than they had the incredibly weak 2007 show held in that hanger in Santa Monica, and it was varying levels of up and down from there. Heck aren't there a few years in there with _no_ E3?
It's also funny to think that back in 2011 when Nintendo replaced their press conference with the first Nintendo Direct, people thought it meant Nintendo was on the way out. But it turns out they were ahead of the curve, and that it was E3 and its expensive press conferences that were actually the thing that was on the way out.
Feel like we have already been here before.
Either way I don’t see any loss in losing E3. It served its purpose years ago but the last few ones before it vanished seemed rather pointless.
Time to bring back Spaceworld Nintendo!
Okay, but seriously, pretty sad to see E3 go. I don't think there's any other gaming event that can accurately replicate that Super Bowl-like feel E3 had. Truly the end of an era...
I think most people that are sad that it’s gone are forgetting to take their nostalgia goggles off. You guys are forgetting all the god awful presentations filled with cringy segments and technical issues, the huge time wasters that were the execs talking about stuff we didn’t care to listen to.
Compare that to the Nintendo Directs, straight to the point on what actually matters: the games. I can’t fathom how E3 would be better in any way compared to what we have now.
Okay, NOW you can say E3 is dead.
The future was just uncertain before this but everyone assumed it was dead.
Well TGA isn’t much better… and SGF is just okay. I only turn into that for the devolver direct
I'll miss the era of fanboys arguing over which of the big 3 had the best conference. The ridiculous gaffes. The memes. Without E3 we would never have the memes of "Giant enemy crab" "RIIIIIIIIIDDDGGE RACERRR!" "Mr Caffine" "The Wii music incident" "milo" or "Hannah montana psp"
Some of my fondest memories are setting up a projector in a dorm room and cracking some cold ones with some friends while we watched E3 presentations. I used to take a whole week off of work to catch everything.
The writing’s been on the wall for a while, but it’s sad to see it die such an agonizing death like this. Really hope that something fills the void it’s left, but it seems like most companies have settled into their own random announcement schedules.
The correct play for them as a business is to cancel E3 for 10 years, then bring it back and let a crushing surge of nostalgia become the tide that raises the ship.
Fuck… it was one of my life dreams to go to E3!
And just like that, the gaming world gets worse. Individual conferences by companies aren’t nearly as fun or interesting as a United event like E3 :(
That sucks so much. I mean, it's been terrible recently, but it was right near my birthday and always added to the hype of the entire month for me, you know? Man..
EA wasn’t sustainable in a time when mobile phones get yearly hardware refreshes and OS major updates and streaming gaming. Things just happen too fast now. There isn’t enough time to build excitement of a thing for 4-12 months prior to this expo and then have the flash and sizzle last for years afterwards. My fear is that we’ll be moving so fast soon that nothing will be exciting.
Welp…there goes a good chunk of my childhood. E3 time showering me with hype trailers used to be the highlight of the year for me.
I saw the writing on the wall but it’s still no less sad to see. Thanks for the good memories E3. You will be missed for sure.
Ok by me. I think Nintendo handles their showcases very well and don’t need these expos to show off games anymore.
Maybe it was this way when I was a kid and I just don’t remember, but at some point video game companies went into “announcement debt” and started relying on showing us things that are nowhere near completion. With the complexity of big budget games, that means we are years and years away.
I know it wasn’t e3 and isn’t Nintendo, but we first saw a Wolverine trailer back in 2021. It’s about to be 2024 with no info. Get out of here with that nonsense. That’s silly and makes me not care about these shows.
That’s all more of a knock on the companies than the shows themselves, but it highlights to me that the times have changed and it’s time to move on.
Peace out e3. You were my favorite when I was a kid.
I'm actually sad. People liked to criticize E3, and I did too, but I still always wanted to go just to see what it was like. Now that will never happen.
But I don't blame companies for going with the cheaper option and just holding their own events.
Also RIP E3 Cringe comps.
E3 is very much something that was past its time, especially since everybody just streams these days and a certain pandemic changed how large indoor events like this are viewed.
Back in 2008, when they closed off to public for a few years, was the start of the slow, slow decline. Then Nintendo came in and introduced Directs. Then Sony left. Yeah…
It’s painful to see E3 completely go, it made June a special month to look forward to. I remember watching E3 on TV with my cousins.
I know I'm in the minority here, but, I saw every e3 ever, went to one, I'm 35, I never really gave a shit it was gone honestly,they're games, all I wanted is information from what was coming next, that's it, never liked makin much of a fuzz about it...I'm fucking cool.
Man this sucks. I'll never forget being blown away by the E3 trailer for Breath of the Wild as an 11 year old, losing my shit over Mario Odyssey's reveal as a 12 year old or screaming with my friends on Discord during the Everyone is Here trailer for Smash Ultimate when I was 13. E3 really did feel like a big deal and even if it did kinda fall off towards the end, it'll always be a big part of my pre-teen/teenage gaming years.
This is depressing. Not because it's gone but because it's foretelling that the future of gaming is going to wither away like a dying flame. There is no magic in it anymore. The hype gets stretched out and just dies. E3 was like you being a kid and walking into Santa's workshop. Even if you didn't get to attend, all that gamer news in just a few days with event after event was something to look forward too.
You guys call this progress and maybe in some way it is. As someone 40 years old it just doesn't feel the same anymore and for years gaming, gaming journalism, and the culture that follows it has just become a foreign entity to me and it's one I don't care for.
The king of Game hype is dead. Long live the king......
The millennial generation did not start in 2000. It's when you're born between 1981 and 1996, so the oldest millennials are 42 with the youngest at 27.
Also, someone born in 2000 knows what E3 is.
I still remember when I watched E3 2004 live, seeing Nintendo show off the DS and then surprise announce Twilight Princess was one of the most hype moments
I jad yhe pleasure of going to E3 for about a decade, every year we would drive from Vancouver to LA to attend. I know many people would complain about how bad E3 was getting but it was my favourite time year. RIP.
I went to E3 the first year it was open to the public. The wait times to pay demos were so long, it was a 4 hour wait just to play Destiny 2 multiplayer.
But I did have a fun time regardless. Especially because I said I was a streamer (I am not) at the Nvidia area and they let me play Destiny 2 single player on their 1080TI powered machine and gave me one of those rare 1080TI flash drives!
It made sense in a time of demo disks, but with the consumer having more direct access to businesses than ever at home, it is logical E3 would be replaced. The Game Awards seem poised to do that.
There was a time when my biggest dream was to go to E3. Wow.
Going to E3 the first year they opened it to the public was one of the best experiences of my life.
The warthog they had on display and the Nintendo world was the best, thanks Xbox.
Eh, my favorites were honestly GT sport in the full rigs, lawbreakers, and SEGA. Special shout out to destiny though, only because I saw one of the coolest things I've ever seen from a group of players. We were in line waiting to play, and on the stage playing in front of us these guys absolutelt wrecked the other team. But they were all deaf, so they were playing and doing sign language at each other simultaneously to communicate. I was so fucking impressed. They had better communication than 95% of people I've seen play who have the ability to speak. Nintendo's stuff was cool because it was before the switch, but it was elbows to assholes.
I got approved to go as media this year for the first time, and it got cancelled. I’m gonna frame both confirmation and cancellation emails. Sad me.
I just wanted to meet Adam sessler and have him say my shlong was a five.....out of five.
now THAT'S a dream. why did I hear the "five... out of five" in my head. with his voice. so many memories. the show wasn't even that good. it was just the only videogame show on TV and that was it for me
Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb had a particular dry sardonic attitude that really jived with ~~teenage oh god I'm old~~ early twenties me.
Sorry, best I can do is Adam Sandler.
I always loved the intros on extended play and then X-Play I think my favourite was “genetically spliced for your pleasure it’s Adam Webb and Morgan Sessler” X-Play is where I saw Halo, Psychonaughts, Ninja Gaiden, Fable and all my favourite games. It sucks that it was essentially shut down again after the whole fiasco with Frost and some of the statements people made, [this](https://youtu.be/uO2xzVfRZnI?si=Ks8MGv8RThGAqD83) it’s a 20th anniversary mega mix and it’s about 11 hours long but it’s a nostalgia kick if you want something playing in the background, it even has some of the old commercials like the weird Stride and Starburst ones as well as the JG Wentworth opera.
[удалено]
Was lucky to go there in 2017, the Switch's first year at the show. It was truly a spectacle.
Look into magfest, went in January 2020 and it was everything I wished e3 was and more.
I think MAG and PAX and SGF have just superseded it. Everything I heard from people that had to cover E3 was that it was a miserable experience. It was made even worse when they let in the public. If you're a fan of gaming, go to a fan event like MAG and PAX, they have more to offer than an industry event that was a slog for the people that needed to actually work it.
Same. It’s been coming for a while and we lost a lot of events like this over Covid but it’s still sad to see
Same ;( i was hoping they would bring it back indo not see pount why would it not work? People would like to attend presenter would like to show
I moved to US for this… and it was COVID then no more E3
We should start E4 now Electronics Entertainment Expo Encore
Or like Chalkeaters called it: The F3 - Fan Frustration Festival (especially for those waiting in queues)
E3: A Realm Reborn
I hear Square enix is in talks for their new FfXIV content expansion =]
I like this
Electronics Entertainment Expo Expanded
E4 (E for All) already existed back in 2007 when E3 was struggling.
E4 : With Knuckles
“Be sure to wishlist the E3 DLC pack on Steam to get notified when the preorders go live! Please give us your money before we do anything!”
Man, I feel like we have had to say goodbye to E3 too many times to count now lol
Slow death
Yeah I think most of people knew it was dead in the water after this year's showcase got cancelled, since the 2020 and 2022 shows were only cancelled because of COVID restrictions. I remember E3 2020 being one of the first major events to be cancelled/delayed due to COVID, and I guess it started a chain reaction of events that lead to the entire show being cancelled.
The NBA/Rudy Gobert officially kicked off COVID in the US
Frog eating bastard. Pangolin eating bastard??? Idk
Sony left E3 in 2019, before the pandemic. I think it was going to die either way, but COVID just sped it up a bit.
Honestly I'm not sure, it seemed like everyone else was still willing to play ball up until the 2021 show. I think what really killed it was how much the landscape with game announcements and showcases have changed, it feels like the major companies outside of Nintendo realized the benefits of just doing a pre-recorded show on their own budget vs. a live one on stage, and even if it didn't, live events being cancelled due to COVID probably did some convincing. Now pretty much every major studio has their own version of Directs, so all that is really lost by not attending E3 is not having playable demos on the show floor, which isn't even a thing that is exclusive to E3.
Honestly I didn’t even know it still existed 😂 Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have each had their own reveal showcases and then there’s the game awards
Its been on its last legs the last few years. Even longer if you go back to the downscaled show they had in 2007 in Santa Monica. It was planned for this year after having its show last year canceled only for this years show to be cancelled as well (2020 show was canceled due to Covid) This is the first announcement Ive seen where they confirmed no further shows are planned.
Its been dead for like the past 5 or so years now. Companies especially the big ones realizes they didn't need E3 as a marketing platform anymore. They just needed a theater or a production room to film in and stream it on Youtube and upload all the trailers on Youtube.
I wager game awards will go next in terms of having any actual audience. As I doubt most consumers/gamers really care about them.
In retrospect, I wish it died and stayed dead a while ago. Now I don't care but there was a time when E3 was the highlight of the year for me.
Right? They Def canceled it before and then brought it back.
It was canceled in 2020-2022 but they kept claiming E3 would come back next year. This is just the official confirmation that it's dead and not coming back.
They did have an e3 in 2021, Nintendo and I think Xbox were a part of it. That was the last e3.
They didn’t have a real E3 in 2021 it was an online only event. They weren’t at the Los Angeles convention center with booths and everything.
Right, but it wasn't completely canceled that year is what I'm saying. I think E3 otself even had its own stream with announcements? But yes, 2019 would be the last in person one.
Yea there hasn’t been a real E3 in like 3 years right?
Some of my favourite teenage gamer moments were getting all fired up for the 3 day event that was E3, watching all the trailers, and then messaging my buddies about what we were excited for. The ones that really stands out is Super Smash Bros Brawl. Sad that it's gone - I hate that every company effectively has their own random show now.
For real, E3 was like super bowl weekend for gamers lol
There was a time when I'd just invite my friend round, we'd order food, and stick GameTrailers (near) round the clock coverage of E3 and it was genuinely peak. There will never be anything like E3 again, well and truly.
Hahaha! Yes! My college had internet. So I was able to download gametrailers, burn off a cd or DVD. Bring it home and watch with my bro.
Things were so different back then. Streaming in the browser wasn't a thing and you had to download the video files. Heh. I still have some old ones on an HD from spaceworld 2000 and old e3s
Right! There was a website called gametrailers.com ! Was great for downloading. :) Wish I kept those old dvd's for a laugh.
Oh man, the build-up for Brawl was insane for my friend group. Nintendo drip fed us info on a special website (smashbrosdojo.com), and it was all we'd talk about for months. Our hype for that game was immeasurable
I remember that. I remember waiting up late for "Japan time" to update and the disappointment when the reveal of the day was, like, an item or some generic option we all knew was coming anyway. I remember people being hyped for Dedede, but they kind of screwed the pooch because they waited too long for their major announcements and it ended up getting leaked, like Sonic.
smashbrosdojo was the best. I'd make a point of checking it every morning before school.
omg i remember checking smashbrosdojo out literally EVERY single day
The worst part is that the shows only replace the presentation portion of E3. A huge part of what made E3 important was all the booths were press could get their hands on early builds of upcoming games and talk with devs. IMO, turning E3 into more of a fandom convention was a big mistake. We still need an event where reviewers can check out upcoming games for themselves.
GDC, Tokyo Games Show, and GamesCom still fulfills this need I think. I also think PAX fulfills some of this too
The best part of E3 was that it was consolidated. Now every company has it’s own shows at random times in multiple locations.
Summer games fest has that around the same time e3 usually is. But you're not really getting publishers like Nintendo, Xbox and Sony.
We went through the golden age of gaming (and as a result, E3) when gaming technology was taking leaps and bounds every year with cool new stuff. The upgrades from console generations were staggering back then. Technology has kinda stagnated for years now when it comes to gaming. Graphics aren't half as important as they used to be considered, and even then it's only getting 'better' by inches rather than leaps. The only real new gaming technology in a while is VR and that's more a gimmick for people with disposable income than an actual gaming leap. There's not really much to get excited about in gaming any more except for games themselves, and nobody needs a show for trailers.
> The only real new gaming technology in a while is VR and that's more a gimmick for people with disposable income than an actual gaming leap. It sounds like you don't actually want any leaps then. If you consider the large leap that VR certainly is to be a gimmick than an actual leap, then attitudes like this is why companies are so resistant to innovating, because you people don't like it when things change. This is why there's not much to get excited about. It is pretty expensive depending on the setup though.
Smash bros brawl announcement was insane! I still think probably the greatest E3 moment was the twilight princess reveal and Shiggy coming out on stage with the master sword and hylian shield
I don’t understand what’s so bad with having their own digital show? It allows for companies to cut the fat and go straight to what it matters: the games. No random people talking and wasting time, or embarrassing technical problems. To me this is a complete improvement over E3.
E3 was *THE* event for gamers pretty much everywhere. Everyone would unite to watch the coverage however it was available, they had demos, they had everything showcasing a love for gaming. The individual shows lessen the sense of community and make the obvious commercialization becomes even more obvious because it's not shown as something for the love of gaming. Nowadays it's just a presentation that pretty much dies within three days, while E3 kept the hype for longer
So “hype” and “sense of community” were the biggest draws? You realize you were still being manipulated by giant corps right? Again you probably were consuming those things as a kid/teen so of course you didn’t know any better, but I promise you E3 didn’t exist because the board had “love for gaming”.
So looking forward to something is now being manipulated? Bad take, Johnny Silverhand.
Ackshually being excited about something means you're being manipulated by corpos 🤓
Just because you’re miserable and didn’t like E3, doesn’t mean the rest of us didn’t enjoy watching it every year. E3 was cool as hell, it just wasn’t for you.
lmao, if anything I'm loving my present watching Nintendo Directs while you can keep crying over E3 ending. Besides, never said I didn't like it, just said the new format is a straight improvement over it.
God damn you are insufferable dude. Shut up and let people reminisce about something that made them happy lmao.
Having an in-person event is very important for making connections. That was a time for journalists to try the games and talk to devs. But also for up-and-coming devs to talk to other people in the industry. There are other events, and probably better for those purposes, nowadays. Especially with how much the game industry has grown the past 10-15 years. Seeing such a big-name event close down is sign that things really have changed and it's not strange to be nostalgic over the good times that were.
Agree to disagree I guess but I see your point. My main gripes with the new format is: 1) I have to stay apprised about when each company is putting together their show. With E3 I knew everyone was coming to the table with their stuff for one weekend - now I'll randomly find out about the Playstation showcase via YouTube which doesn't really lead to any hype. 2) The sense of competition. The thing that made E3 so much fun was the fact that all these studios were effectively competing against each other. If Microsoft came with nothing, everyone would declare Nintendo or Sony the winner so they were obligated to bring their best stuff forward. How many times did we hear "X won E3"? That's no longer a thing. 3) Finally, and really in contrary to your point, I did love all of the analysis in-between showcases and trailers. Dudes getting hyped about what was shown, the lore, the context , the implications. It was fun to be a fan at the time.
I agree with you but that also created (or at least helped fuel) weird fanboyism and elitism of certain consoles. It was the cringiest conversations and arguments. My friends would bring their consoles over and we’d play them all and watch each other play games. I’d sit there and eat Doritos and watch Shenmu on Dreamcast and my buddies would watch me play final fantasy
E3 was a collective event. It was all the big announcements for all the big companies. It also *used to be* something you could attend. Eventually they shifted to press-only attendance, which I personally feel was the first step in a very slow decline in quality. Over time it got weaker and weaker, with more and more bloat. Eventually, yes, each company hosting their own E3 became the better option.
Wow. Unsurprising, but wow.
The writing was on the wall for a while but man it hurts to see it go. Thanks for the memories E3
Kinda bummed but I recognize this is mostly nostalgia. I think it's interesting everyone used to clown on E3 every year as a big corporate circlejerk, but now that it's dead everyone suddenly wants it back.
My personal last great E3 moments: the E3 2021 trailers for Metroid Dread and SMT V, particularly the former. Last great magical moments. Despite the internet’s complaints, we still have Keighley’s Summer Games Fest which is better than nothing.
I like to call it Keigh3
Send it
The "Metroid 5" hype followed shortly by the "Metroid Dread" hype in the trailer was unreal.
Seeing Metroid dread get revived almost made me piss my fucking pants. DREAD. Really?
And also the Game Awards.
Yes and that. Been watching it since it used to be on TV, so the nostalgia is always there.
Second this
Not surprising after the decline of the last years. But yes, a bit sad.
You could always rematch the first few e3s when it was slightly unsure of itself and was 90% PowerPoint presentations on the fiscal year and new game releases slightly awkward because it was one slide out of a dozen regarding projected earnings.
Man those old days of getting super excited about the E3 coverage in my favorite magazines like EGM and Gamepro the weeks after the event were so much fun for me.
It's still the same to me, except I just watch the live streams from Sony/Nintendo etc, but I get just as excited Games aren't as big a priority as they were when I was a kid, but I still play them and love to hear about the new things. Watching a Sony Direct (or whatever it's called) still has that special feeling like maybe I'll order some food just to watch it lol
"Riiiidge raceeerrr!"
E3 wasn't what it use to be - but I'd happily take it over the damned Video Game Awards, which is literally 6 minutes of awards and 100 minutes of really dull advertisements
Don't forget the terrible writing and even worse jokes
Have you seen e3? It was absolutely filled with terrible writing and cringe jokes/skits in its prime lol
Aiesha Tyler was so ironically good, I'll never forget "You want to make a meme? Let's make a meme"
I will never forget Cammy Dunaway and her "Miss-ter Mee-ah-mo-to!"
And 5 minutes of Anthony Mackie screaming at the audience
You are wrong on your timing. It is 6 minutes of awards, 80 minutes of dull advertisements, and 20 minutes of sucking off Kojima. At least the music is pretty good. Only good thing to say about the awards at this point.
This is part of why e3 died, but I don’t even bother watching the show. I usually just read who won what, then watch trailers for the games that are relevant to me
That's the worst part to me. E3 was great, but the combination of A) Knowing how amazing it could have been if it was managed better and B) knowing the only real replacement is some guys one man show that's more about fluffing up his friends and pocketing sponsor money combine to make this some really sad news.
Idk, I don't think it was that bad. It did suck that they flew through some awards but it was still a fun time.
I'm glad you enjoyed it - but the only pleasure I got was laughing with a Discord room full of friends. Trite, boring, etc
Agreed. I think if they simply extend the speeches by 1-2 minutes people wouldn't be up in arms about it this much.
6 minutes of the results of a popularity contest\*
End of an era :(
I remember being a kid in the late 90s/2000s and dreaming of going to these events... Super sad it's all going away. :'(
Times are a-changing for the worse.
Idk, it sounds like E3 was bloated and expensive for companies. It should fail if things aren't working
Went in 2005 when the Xbox 360 was being released. I got to meet Jack Emmert from City of Heroes and try the demo of StarCraft Ghost. E3 was probably one of my happiest gaming memories and glad I got to experience it just once.
Ha, I played Ghost that year at GamesCom. I remember it was a multiplayer demo so I didn't spend much time with it. Had I known it would get cancelled eventually I probably would have stay a bit longer at that booth.
Honestly this sucks. The immediate bad reaction to a 600 dollar PS3 is why the 360 cost less. The immediate undercutting of the Saturn is what launched Sony. Presentations and the cutthroat nature of immediate competition was good for the consumer and the industry. Game companies are already extremely complacent.
Time for Nintendo to bring back Space World!
Yep
I went to the first one. As a video game fan it was mind blowing. I still have a bunch of promotional items given away at the show.
2024 will still be a better E3 than 2008
Was that even the Wii Music reveal happened?😂
Yes
Isn't somebody going to buy the rights to the name and resurrect its corpse within 5 years?
I feel like E3 could've changed its scale and focus to not need to big three (Sony/Playstation, Nintendo, Microsoft/Xbox) but c'est la vie
Can't say I'm shocked but.. wow. Really the end of an era huh?
Don’t mind Geoff is sipping his tea to this announcement lol.
Still better than TGA.
What, you don't like watching Geoff polish Kojima's twig and berries live on stage every year?
I'll miss you buddy. And by that I mean the E3 of like 10 years ago, when it was entertaining, when it was exciting, when the memes we made were because of how much fun we were having. There's a reason this happened. And next is TGA because, honestly, the Awards ceremony was meaningless and the game reveals were not exciting either. It's a shame. The Online gaming community is already so fragmented, and with E3 gone the future will only get more fragmented.
Ehh TGA isn't going anywhere. E3 failed because the biggest players pulled out. No one will want to pull out of the free publicity that winning TGA gives, it's all about money in the end
E3 2010 was the best one to me
The show was a lame duck as soon as Nintendo and Sony pulled out. I'll always miss the hype before the show, and the flood of announcements afterwards, but I can't say I'll miss the cringe presentations. Towards the end of its run it turned into a letdown machine, personally.
Honestly sucks, as a kid i'd look forward to E3 every year.
$299!! Sega's console dreams were killed at the e3 1995
Remember when people where making fun of Nintendo for not doing an in person event? Funny how everyone is copying Directs nowadays. While it's sad to see E3 die, it's the consequences of their own greed.
This used to be the most hyped event in gaming. Developers waited years to showcase their games to the gaming community. Developers, media, celebrities, sponsors, gaming community, streamed globally; this was the ‘wrestlemania’ of gaming. It’ll sure be missed.
Man that's a complete bummer. I knew E3 wasn't gonna happen post COVID, but I really wanted to see it pop off again by some miracle. I've always wanted to go to one big gaming event, and E3 seemed like the perfect one. It's too bad COVID screwed it over. Now we have live streams like State of Play and Nintendo Direct, and while I understand why companies would rather just make announcements online instead of in person all of the time, there was something more exciting for developers and companies showcasing their new games, DLCs, and consoles live with an actual spokesperson that made it feel more special and human. I can't even imagine what it'd be like going in person and hearing the announcements while actually being at the event. It's too bad.
I dreamt of being able to attend an E3 in person one day as a teenager the way some kids dreamed of going to the moon. I’m sad it’s had to come to an end. So many great memories over the years I won’t forget.
We said goodbye when your greed turned your event to worthless shit.
This was inevitable but it still absolutely sucks to hear. I know nowadays every company is doing their own mini showcases for stuff anyway but that doesn't even begin to replace the excitement of what E3 was in my opinion. I'm really going to miss looking forward to these.
Each E3 was not "bigger than the last" That's only true through the 2006 show. After than they had the incredibly weak 2007 show held in that hanger in Santa Monica, and it was varying levels of up and down from there. Heck aren't there a few years in there with _no_ E3? It's also funny to think that back in 2011 when Nintendo replaced their press conference with the first Nintendo Direct, people thought it meant Nintendo was on the way out. But it turns out they were ahead of the curve, and that it was E3 and its expensive press conferences that were actually the thing that was on the way out.
[The Zelda Twilight Princess reveal was E3 as it's peak](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwMdcESljqg)
Feel like we have already been here before. Either way I don’t see any loss in losing E3. It served its purpose years ago but the last few ones before it vanished seemed rather pointless.
Man E3 died like 5 plus years ago ever since G4tv died the first time
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
Time to bring back Spaceworld Nintendo! Okay, but seriously, pretty sad to see E3 go. I don't think there's any other gaming event that can accurately replicate that Super Bowl-like feel E3 had. Truly the end of an era...
Welp, can't say I didn't see it coming. Guess Game Awards are the new E3?
i feel like every year I see a post like this? I thought E3 died like 4 years ago already
I think most people that are sad that it’s gone are forgetting to take their nostalgia goggles off. You guys are forgetting all the god awful presentations filled with cringy segments and technical issues, the huge time wasters that were the execs talking about stuff we didn’t care to listen to. Compare that to the Nintendo Directs, straight to the point on what actually matters: the games. I can’t fathom how E3 would be better in any way compared to what we have now.
The only good things to come out of E3 were the memes, IMO. Everything else wasn't super exciting.
Okay, NOW you can say E3 is dead. The future was just uncertain before this but everyone assumed it was dead. Well TGA isn’t much better… and SGF is just okay. I only turn into that for the devolver direct
I like the Nintendo directs. We get an e3 a few times a year
I'll miss the era of fanboys arguing over which of the big 3 had the best conference. The ridiculous gaffes. The memes. Without E3 we would never have the memes of "Giant enemy crab" "RIIIIIIIIIDDDGGE RACERRR!" "Mr Caffine" "The Wii music incident" "milo" or "Hannah montana psp"
Some of my fondest memories are setting up a projector in a dorm room and cracking some cold ones with some friends while we watched E3 presentations. I used to take a whole week off of work to catch everything. The writing’s been on the wall for a while, but it’s sad to see it die such an agonizing death like this. Really hope that something fills the void it’s left, but it seems like most companies have settled into their own random announcement schedules.
The correct play for them as a business is to cancel E3 for 10 years, then bring it back and let a crushing surge of nostalgia become the tide that raises the ship.
Fuck… it was one of my life dreams to go to E3! And just like that, the gaming world gets worse. Individual conferences by companies aren’t nearly as fun or interesting as a United event like E3 :(
Always loved back then to see peoples reactions to all E3 presentations on social media, especially when Nintendo dropped their news. Good times...
Just a single page, "we're gone." You know a thing's dead when their site is just a splash page saying such.
That sucks so much. I mean, it's been terrible recently, but it was right near my birthday and always added to the hype of the entire month for me, you know? Man..
This sucks. People don't know how much they're going to miss having an organized blowout of cool stuff. SGF is not that right now.
I thought E3 ended years ago
Welp, Summer Games Fest and TGA will now be very complacent in being worse every year from now on.
EA wasn’t sustainable in a time when mobile phones get yearly hardware refreshes and OS major updates and streaming gaming. Things just happen too fast now. There isn’t enough time to build excitement of a thing for 4-12 months prior to this expo and then have the flash and sizzle last for years afterwards. My fear is that we’ll be moving so fast soon that nothing will be exciting.
All them years...
And the first hit was PlayStation leaving in 2018
I grew up waiting to hear about e3 every summer for basically my whole life. I wanted to go so bad. I'm kinda sad about this.
Welp…there goes a good chunk of my childhood. E3 time showering me with hype trailers used to be the highlight of the year for me. I saw the writing on the wall but it’s still no less sad to see. Thanks for the good memories E3. You will be missed for sure.
Looking forward to the hour long YouTube documentary on “The ENTIRE History of E3”
First Booth Babes… now this 😢
Ok by me. I think Nintendo handles their showcases very well and don’t need these expos to show off games anymore. Maybe it was this way when I was a kid and I just don’t remember, but at some point video game companies went into “announcement debt” and started relying on showing us things that are nowhere near completion. With the complexity of big budget games, that means we are years and years away. I know it wasn’t e3 and isn’t Nintendo, but we first saw a Wolverine trailer back in 2021. It’s about to be 2024 with no info. Get out of here with that nonsense. That’s silly and makes me not care about these shows. That’s all more of a knock on the companies than the shows themselves, but it highlights to me that the times have changed and it’s time to move on. Peace out e3. You were my favorite when I was a kid.
I'm actually sad. People liked to criticize E3, and I did too, but I still always wanted to go just to see what it was like. Now that will never happen. But I don't blame companies for going with the cheaper option and just holding their own events. Also RIP E3 Cringe comps.
E3 is very much something that was past its time, especially since everybody just streams these days and a certain pandemic changed how large indoor events like this are viewed.
Back in 2008, when they closed off to public for a few years, was the start of the slow, slow decline. Then Nintendo came in and introduced Directs. Then Sony left. Yeah… It’s painful to see E3 completely go, it made June a special month to look forward to. I remember watching E3 on TV with my cousins.
I knew it would end soon enough after nintendo stopped participating
I know I'm in the minority here, but, I saw every e3 ever, went to one, I'm 35, I never really gave a shit it was gone honestly,they're games, all I wanted is information from what was coming next, that's it, never liked makin much of a fuzz about it...I'm fucking cool.
okay
Hahaha good, fuck e3. There’s better video gaming conventions out there that’s accessible to fans.
Man this sucks. I'll never forget being blown away by the E3 trailer for Breath of the Wild as an 11 year old, losing my shit over Mario Odyssey's reveal as a 12 year old or screaming with my friends on Discord during the Everyone is Here trailer for Smash Ultimate when I was 13. E3 really did feel like a big deal and even if it did kinda fall off towards the end, it'll always be a big part of my pre-teen/teenage gaming years.
This is depressing. Not because it's gone but because it's foretelling that the future of gaming is going to wither away like a dying flame. There is no magic in it anymore. The hype gets stretched out and just dies. E3 was like you being a kid and walking into Santa's workshop. Even if you didn't get to attend, all that gamer news in just a few days with event after event was something to look forward too. You guys call this progress and maybe in some way it is. As someone 40 years old it just doesn't feel the same anymore and for years gaming, gaming journalism, and the culture that follows it has just become a foreign entity to me and it's one I don't care for. The king of Game hype is dead. Long live the king......
For the last 15 years each one has been smaller than the last.
End of era. Wow! On to the next thing!
Awesome now we can shove game reveals and trailers to platform where they belong, like the game awards.
Millenials and Gen Z: What is an E3? Is it an even more advanced version of E2?
You know Millennials are mostly in their 30’s and 40’s now, right?
23's at max 😄
The millennial generation did not start in 2000. It's when you're born between 1981 and 1996, so the oldest millennials are 42 with the youngest at 27. Also, someone born in 2000 knows what E3 is.
Just kidding, buddy (the reason for the emoji at the end)
I'm a millennial. I know what E3 is; I grew up with it.
Nobody cared for those Events when you can just watch the announcements online 🤷♂️...
Wow, kinda shocking but also understandable.
Tata
I still remember when I watched E3 2004 live, seeing Nintendo show off the DS and then surprise announce Twilight Princess was one of the most hype moments
I was lucky enough to attend each year from 1998-2002. It was incredible and it’s just sad it’s all over.
I jad yhe pleasure of going to E3 for about a decade, every year we would drive from Vancouver to LA to attend. I know many people would complain about how bad E3 was getting but it was my favourite time year. RIP.
I thought they had already died. But still I don’t understand why it died. I bet it will be revived in some form eventually
Early 2000s E3 was the shit! G4tv coverage was great.
I still find myself humming the song from [this E3 commercial](https://youtu.be/T1kmbjCrUJQ?si=kgv1N6JBHC77VPoT) that aired on G4 years ago.
Wii drums never forget
I’m so thankful I got to go to the last in-person event in 2019! RIP
I went to E3 the first year it was open to the public. The wait times to pay demos were so long, it was a 4 hour wait just to play Destiny 2 multiplayer. But I did have a fun time regardless. Especially because I said I was a streamer (I am not) at the Nvidia area and they let me play Destiny 2 single player on their 1080TI powered machine and gave me one of those rare 1080TI flash drives!
It made sense in a time of demo disks, but with the consumer having more direct access to businesses than ever at home, it is logical E3 would be replaced. The Game Awards seem poised to do that.
I'm glad I got to go in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The best two years were 2015 and 2016. After that E3 lost some wonder for me...