The numerous pullouts of big publishers and developers from gaming conferences like PAX East and the Game Developers Conference has been understandable if disappointing. From EA to Kojima Productions, many gaming industry companies have been pulling out of events due to safety concerns. However, if this trend continues, E3 2020 will either be the biggest gaming spectacle of the year to a much larger or extent, or it will be done away with.
The relevance of gaming conferences has been in question for a while. As streaming presentations become more and more common, as seen through Nintendo Direct presentations and Sony’s streamed previews, gaming conventions and conferences seem less necessary than ever. Even so, they do present grand opportunities for publishers and developers to show their latest and most anticipated projects. This is why it’s so unfortunate that the hazardous coronavirus has taken a tremendous toll on society, including the gaming sector, which will now suffer due to lack of excitement buildup.
With the Game Developers Conference now delayed until late summer, there is a much wider gap between PAX East and the annual E3 event. Assuming the show will go on, E3 2020 could be full to the brim of extensive previews for Final Fantasy VII’s remake, Marvel’s Avengers, unannounced EA projects, more Kojima Productions content, and other titles. It could be far busier than any E3 before it, which is an overwhelming thought but would make it one of the most memorable conferences in recent years.
On the other hand, E3 2020 could straight-up be canceled. Despite some negative opinions of the conference, publishers and developers nonetheless use it as an opportunity to draw excitement toward promising projects. However, if the coronavirus outlasts its welcome, or if it is decided that E3 2020 would simply be too long an E3 event, then E3 2020 could easily be skipped. It’s a disappointing thought for many but one that might be realistic considering current public health and safety concerns.
E3 may not be a big deal for some folks, and it has certainly waned in popularity over the years. Though it has produced memorable moments and memes over the years, one thing is sure of E3 2020: it will either be one of the fullest E3’s ever or the first to be shut down for tragic reasons.
