E3 has long been a major attraction for gamers since its inception in 1995, but in 2023 it seems like the event won't be nearly as exciting as Devolver Digital has announced it is not participating. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) recently confirmed dates for E3 2023 but it seems like the event is in trouble with so many of the usual participants announcing that they will not be in attendance.
Microsoft's Xbox will not have a physical presence at E3, opting to host a digital event instead. This is a huge blow to E3 since Microsoft has had a strong presence at the trade show since the year 2000. Incidentally this was the last year that Sega had a presence at E3 as a hardware manufacturer alongside Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, announcing that it would discontinue production of the Dreamcast and instead develop software for other platforms early the following year. At its peak E3 attracted around 70,000 attendees with gamers around the world looking forward to it each year as a source of exciting new game and hardware announcements.
Indie publisher Devolver Digital has announced that it will not have a presence at E3 and will instead host a Devolver Direct presentation at Summer Game Fest which kicks off on June 8, 2023. While this may be disappointing news to those who look forward to Devolver's over-the-top game showcases at E3 it must be noted that Summer Game Fest is happening the week before E3 this year, meaning fans won't have to wait quite as long for news about some of the publisher's upcoming titles like Gunbrella and Sludge Life 2.
With so many companies dropping out of E3 rumors have begun swirling about the future of the event. As things stand none of the major console manufacturers will have a physical presence at the show, with Nintendo and Sony having no presence at all. Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime seemingly shared his thoughts about the state of E3 through a tongue-in-cheek post likening the emptiness of the Miiverse to the "new reality" of the show, which has suffered repeated cancelations in recent years.
While the future of the show is uncertain, there are many other companies that might take advantage of the fact that some of the usual heavy-hitters are not there to hog the limelight. Konami is rumored to have big plans for E3 that involve Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid which could potentially make up for the absence of the likes of Sony and Xbox.