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E3 2023 will have notable absences from the big three - Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo. The news came from multiple outlets earlier on January 31, disappointing a massive section of the gaming community.
The last few years of the convention have been tough, with the pandemic wreaking havoc. This led to cancelations on more than one occasion, but things finally looked positive as COVID gradually subsided. The latest news amidst all the positivity has dented the scope for this year's show, which will be hosted in the summer.
On the face of it, the decision to skip this year by all three console giants will seem like a disaster for E3. After all, it is fair to claim that gaming is a big part of the convention, and many eagerly look forward to it.
PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo skipping E3 2023 is less surprising than you think
Nonetheless, it's a significant decision for all three console giants to skip an event of E3's magnitude. Without them, the convention's scope reduces when it comes to gaming titles and pushing the ecosystem's boundaries. After all, the three combine to dominate the console market, which has seen a boom in the current generation.
However, looking into it paints a different picture, as the absences won't matter too much. The reason is quite simple. The three brands' participation has historically been limited, especially that of PlayStation. Of the three, only Nintendo was present in 2019, the last event before COVID was held.
It's unclear why the Japanese giants have reportedly decided to skip this year's event. One significant factor could be overhead costs, as E3 2023 will be offline. It requires a lot of expense to arrange something of that scale, and Nintendo isn't a brand to do something low-key. If they set up a booth, the expectations from them would be sky-high.
PlayStation has been skipping the event for quite some time now, and their strategies have changed, just like Nintendo and Xbox. There have been plenty of State of Play events in which first-party studios have shown excellent potential. Even games like Hogwarts Legacy, which isn't a PS exclusive, have been given a lot of screen space.
While the exact numbers aren't available, it's safe to assume that virtual showcases cost less. For one, they can be organized from any studio. Secondly, there are fewer space requirements. Given the global economic turmoil, it just makes economic sense for PlayStation to continue its alternate strategy.
Xbox will host their booth at the nearby Microsoft building, which seems an obvious choice. Out of all three, Xbox has big-budget games coming up in the summer. But it appears that Microsoft is comfortable with its in-house showcase.
It's hard to imagine that E3 2023 planners had high expectations from the three console giants. The gaming landscape was very different before COVID regarding conventions and shows. It was inconvincible that virtual events would become the norm moving forward.
Adopting virtual shows and webinars was born out of necessity, but the world has realized the commercial gains that can be generated from it. Even conservative shows like The Tokyo Game Show 2022 had full streams of all the events despite being held offline.
Typically, PC gaming hasn't been the strongest forte in E3 over the years. But this year could be different, and much of this has to do with necessity. With all three console makers pulling out, the convention will have to rely on PC gaming for a change. This could be a new opportunity for PC game makers and convention organizers.
While it's hard to estimate the developments in the background that led to the recent news, it's not doom or gloom for E3 and its gaming aspirations. However, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo will be deeply missed.
Given the success of PlayStation's State of Play event, it is likely that Xbox and Nintendo will soon host their virtual events with big names and flashy streams. The console wars are still raging as the giants move to capture more of the market. While the pandemic was a setback, much is in store for gamers in the future.
