I’m so glad to read such news. I do hope irl games conventions won’t die any time soon
Why’s demand for E3 is so low comparatively? What’s different with gamescom? I know gamescom used to be the gamer focused convention when E3 was still focused on business side but what’s different about it today?
I think one of the main draws of Gamescom has always been the community or interactivity, also Köln is in the blue banana of Europe so there’s probably almost 100milion people within a 5 hour drive. I don’t really know why E3 is failing but I can roughly tell you why Gamescom isn’t, for one while there are occasional issues Orga is good generally, half of the German media lives a stones throw away from the fairgrounds, a lot of entertainment is provided besides the fair itself (concerts and other things throughout the city), it’s organised by the German games industry association so the cashflow required could be more easily acquired, it also likely means more stability, the city and potentially the entire country want the event to succeed which likely helps. Most of this is just educated guesswork though so take it with a little scepticism.
E3 is failing because companies can just upload their showcases to YouTube now. Modern day E3 is a consumer event anyway, why not deliver the announcements they are looking for in a manner that’s cheaper and more convenient for everyone?
It seems like gamescom is more of a festival where announcements are a bit of a bonus. Gamescom’s better public relations most likely help too.
I also read today that there’s a game developer conference organised by the same association around the time here too, so that likely helps a lot. If your team is already there to learn they might as well present stuff and vice versa.
E3 was canceled in 2020 due to Covid and hasn’t been back since. There was no E3 in 2023. I have no idea why though.
Because times are changing, E3 no longer has the prestige it once held. Presenting your game in E3 costs an arm and a leg and isn’t any more effective than making a Direct presentation video. Because of that companies are moving into online showcases. I wonder how Gamescom and Summer Games Fest maintained relevancy while E3 turned into a nostalgic memory.
Starfield is why
