E3 has been on a downward spiral for years but this year looks to truly mark the end of an era. With Sony skipping the show yet again in the year of their next-gen console, many began to worry about what the show holds in store this year.
Geoff Keighley, host of The Game Awards and E3’s Collusieum event, has announced he will not be hosting the E3 event this year. Keighley stated that he doesn’t feel like he’s “comfortable” with participating in the show with the changes the ESA has made this year.
“Covering, hosting and sharing E3 has been a highlight of my year, not to mention a defining part of my career,” Keighley said in a statement to The Washington Post Wednesday. “While I want to support the developers who will showcase their work, I also need to be open and honest with you, the fans, about precisely what to expect from me. I have made the difficult decision to decline to produce E3 Coliseum.”
“Based on what’s been communicated to me about the show, I just don’t feel comfortable participating,” Keighley told The Post. “It’s no secret that E3 needs to evolve and I have lots of ideas around that, but have decided to take a wait-and-see approach. I’m looking forward to learning more about the ESA’s vision for the show beyond what was in the blog post last week.”
Many people were able to write off Sony as just not needing the space of E3 but Keighley loves to host. It’s not totally clear what changes he could be referring to as the ESA has been holding off on releasing any substantial details for the 2020 event. The organization has stated that they want to make it more consumer-friendly and open to those watching at home as well via live streams.
“We are working to make E3 2020 a more interactive and immersive experience with a show floor that will amplify our exhibitors, their innovations, and announcements,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President and CEO of the ESA in a statement. “The E3 experience is an industry showcase like no other. It connects media, brands, innovators, and super fans with one another.”
Activision, Take-Two, Bethesda, Warner Bros, and a number of other significant publishers have been announced for the show.
