If you were thinking that it's just Sony that's skipping E3 this year, you're in for a surprise. It could be possible that even your favorite gaming company could be opting out of the popular electronic trade show. When Sony confirmed that it wasn't going to attend E3, people on social media went on to say that it could be the end of E3. However, Microsoft will be attending E3 and will likely show off their brand-new Xbox Series X console, but it is also understandable that the company will be unable to carry the entire show on its shoulders.
Not only is E3 an expensive platform to announce and advertise games, but also video game marketing has taken a different turn nowadays. Developers are now more concerned about reaching out to streamers and influencers to advertise their games. Hell, even a short advertisement stream costs very little. Look at Apex Legends, the game just dropped out of nowhere and took over the entire Battle Royale genre within months.
Besides Sony, EA will not attend E3 again. The developers of Battlefield games do hold a separate EA Play event before E3, but it is not held in the same hall as E3. At EA Play, fans get to play the newly announced games by the developers as well as meet popular streamers, celebrities, and professional athletes.
Also, Wargaming and Disney have stopped attending E3 since 2016. Call of Duty has also been announcing their games by asking for a spot in PlayStation E3 events and that doesn't cost a lot of money in comparison to a separate event. Similarly, Blizzard Entertainment has been holding events like EA Play since 2005, which allows the developers to meet fans and announce new games. We think companies like Sony, EA, and many other gaming companies are looking at similar fan events instead of E3's press-focused approach.
