The live E3 2021 event seems to have been canceled, leaving the reported digital event in its stead. Last year's E3 was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and it looks like the live E3 2021 event has followed suit.
All signs point to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) putting together a digital E3 program this year, something in partnership with developers and publishers as it does with the standard event. The live event being canceled this year, in light of the pandemic continuing and health and safety being on the fore-front, makes sense. The ESA told Video Games Chronicle (VGC) that it will soon share "exact details" on how it's bringing the video game community together.
For those who wonder what the future holds for the live program, documents obtained from the City of Los Angeles also show that LA is working with the ESA on a 2022 and 2023 license. This should indicate that the live event may return at some point in the future.
It may still be a tough pill to swallow for many in the industry that the standard E3 event is canceled again this year. It had become a mainstay event for so long that it is hard to not see the event taking place in early-to-mid-June. While digital formats can still push exciting announcements, the live aspect of E3 allows for a certain level of positivity and thrill that is seemingly impossible to replicate.
Some of the best moments in E3 history are the roars of the crowd when a trailer like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess drops, the reveal of backward compatibility for the Xbox One, or the reveals in the 2016 PlayStation conference. Even those who watch the online feed of a live show may feel that excitement from the crowd. For those who are lucky enough to attend the show, being able to play the games on the show floor is a big deal, as is entertaining countless interviews and seeing products up close.
It seems as if the ESA will still be able to together a competent digital program at E3 2021, which is great because last year it did not have enough time to plan and canceled E3 2020 altogether. Apparently, there may be ways to play demos from home, which sounds intriguing. Even without the magic of a live event, the digital show could pull through and work out remarkably, but only time will tell whether that is the case.
Source: VGC