Electronic Entertainment Expo

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Electronic Entertainment Expo
E3

Branch Consumer electronics , video and computer games
Place of issue Los Angeles Convention Center , Los Angeles
First exhibition 1995
Website www.e3expo.com
Last exhibition
date June 11, 2019 to
June 13, 2019
Visitors 66,100
Exhibitors over 200
Next exhibition
date June 15, 2021 to
June 17, 2021
LA Conference Center (E3 2005)
Sony booth at E3 2006
The old logo until October 2017

The Electronic Entertainment Expo , E3 for short (or E³ in the old spelling ), is one of the world's most important and popular trade fairs for video and computer games . In her present game developers and publishers at press conferences current and upcoming products. These usually take place before the actual visitor fair and are reserved for trade visitors and accredited press.

E3 has been held in Los Angeles since 1995 (with the exception of 2020), with a few exceptions, and is organized by the Entertainment Software Association .

The Game Critics Awards have also been presented at E3 since 1998 . Comparable international trade fairs are the Tokyo Game Show and Gamescom in Cologne.

history

1995 to 2006: The beginnings

The first edition of the fair took place between May 11th and 13th 1995 in the Los Angeles Convention Center and had over 40,000 visitors. Due to failed negotiations with the Los Angeles Convention Center, the fair took place in 1997 and 1998 in the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The visitor fair returned to Los Angeles in 1999 and recorded a significant increase in visitor numbers.

Since the first trade fair in 1995, Nintendo , Sony and Sega have been among the largest video game developers and publishers who present their games at E3. Microsoft has also been presenting its own games at E3 since 2000 . Sega was no longer significantly represented from 2002 to 2018.

A record of over 70,000 visitors, which is still valid today, was set at E3 2005. Almost high visitor numbers were not reached again until 2018.

2006 to 2008: The E3 in crisis

At the end of July 2006 it became known that some large companies in the industry would no longer support E3, which ultimately meant the end of the fair in this form. The publishers and developers criticized the steadily rising costs, which is why the organizers announced a radical change in the concept, which also included a downsizing and relocation of the event.

On August 1, 2006, the head of the organizer Entertainment Software Association (ESA) confirmed that E3 would not be continued in its previous form. The new concept included, among other things, a new date instead of May now in July, which would be close to the Christmas business. In addition, the E3 should no longer take place in the Los Angeles Convention Center, but in the conference rooms of one or more hotels in Los Angeles. As an exclusive trade fair, only 3,000 to 4,000 visitors are expected instead of 60,000.

Ultimately, E3 2007 with a different concept took place in a significantly smaller setting than in previous years in a hangar at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport in Santa Monica . This trade fair for trade visitors and accredited press, called E3 Media & Business Summit 2007 , took place from July 11 to 13, 2007 and, due to the restrictions, had significantly fewer visitors than the previous trade fairs.

As a follow-up event for consumers at the time, Entertainment for All or E for All took place for the first time in the Los Angeles Convention Center from October 18-20, 2007 . This event was already closed after the second event in 2008, as it was reintegrated into E3 the following year.

The 2008 E3 was scheduled for July 15, 2008 and ended two days later, on July 17. It took place again in the Los Angeles Convention Center, but still had significantly fewer visitors than the previous events in Los Angeles.

2008 to 2010: criticism and return to the old form

After the end of E3 in 2008, there was criticism from video game manufacturers, including Sega , Ubisoft and EA . They "hated the terrible E3, which now looks like a craftsman's show in the basement." It would have been noticed before, but now "it seems to have lost importance." In addition, the time in July is inappropriate for being Offer for the Christmas business even earlier, around May. There was also criticism from consumers . The manufacturers no longer really used E3 to announce new games , show trailers or publish other material. For example, the manufacturer Nintendo only showed three of its own games at its press conference , which are developed by a single one of its studios, although Nintendo has a large number of in-house studios. The target group of these games was also criticized.

Based on these reactions, the decision was made to return to the old concept before 2007 with E3 2009 and to open the fair to the general public, i.e. to waive the obligation to invite. With this step, the organizer would like to re-establish E3 as the most important visitor fair in the computer and video game sector.

The E3 2009 took place from June 1st to 4th in Los Angeles. It was still largely reserved for trade visitors and the press, but the number of visitors could still be increased to 41,000. Since then, the fair has been taking place under the old name "Electronic Entertainment Expo" every year in June in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Since 2010: The E3 is on the rise and new developers

At E3 2010, Electronic Arts , Konami and Ubisoft were joined by three new game developers with their own presentations. However, Konami was only represented at E3 until 2013. Nintendo has also not held a press conference since 2013, but instead shows a pre-recorded video presentation via live stream.

Since E3 2014, Twitch has been broadcasting the press conferences of developers and publishers via live streaming on their platform. To this end, Twitch entered into a partnership with the E3 organizer, the “Entertainment Software Association (ESA)”.

E3 gained greater importance in 2015, since then, with Bethesda and Square Enix, two other well-known game developers and publishers have presented their games at E3 in their own press conferences. Since 2016 Electronic Arts no longer presents new games at E3, but at a separate event, the "EA Play", which takes place shortly before E3. Due to the press conferences held before E3, the press continues to count "EA Play" as E3.

For the E3 2017, 15,000 tickets were released to the general public for the first time. The tickets were sold out. Since then, private visitors can also purchase a ticket for E3. Previously, some tickets were sold by developers and publishers to their fans.

In October 2017, the "ESA" introduced a new logo for E3, the old three-dimensional logo was replaced by a flat one with stylized graphics.

With E3 2018, E3 achieved the highest number of visitors since 2005, with almost 70,000 visitors. Due to the lack of modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center, "ESA" did not announce any further dates for the E3 after 2019, as alternatives were being examined. Thus, the E3 could leave Los Angeles again after 2019. After E3 2019, however, "ESA" announced that it would also hold the next E3 in 2020 in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

E3 2020 was canceled in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Instead, it should take place as an online event via live stream. At the beginning of April 2020, "ESA" also canceled the online event; instead, exhibitors are to present innovations in individual presentations. The next E3 in 2021 is to take place from June 15 to 17, 2021.

Trade fair electronics

year date Venue Number of visitors Most important presenters Remarks
1995 May 11-13 Los Angeles Convention Center , Los Angeles , California 40,000 Nintendo , Sega , Sony First alignment
1996 May 16-18 57,795 Nintendo, Sega, Sony
1997 June 19-21 Georgia World Congress Center , Atlanta , Georgia k. A. Nintendo, Sega, Sony After failed negotiations with the Los Angeles Convention Center, move to Atlanta
1998 May 28-30 k. A. Nintendo, Sega, Sony
1999 May 13-15 Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California k. A. Nintendo, Sega, Sony
2000 May 11-13 k. A. Microsoft , Nintendo, Sega, Sony
2001 May 17-19 k. A. Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Sony
2002 May 22-24 k. A. Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
2003 May 14-16 k. A. Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
2004 May 11-13 k. A. Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
2005 May 18-20 70,000 Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Current visitor record for E3
2006 May 10-12 k. A. Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
2007 July 11-13 Santa Monica Municipal Airport , Santa Monica , California <10,000 Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony under the name E3 Media & Business Summit
2008 July 15-17 Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California <10,000 Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony under the name E3 Media & Business Summit
2009 June 2-4 41,000 Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
2010 June 14-17 45,600 Electronic Arts , Konami , Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft
2011 June 7th - 9th 46,800 Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft
2012 June 5-7 45,700 Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft
2013 June 11-13 48,200 Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft Nintendo began with the tradition of showing a pre-recorded video presentation instead of a press conference
2014 June 10-12 48,900 Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft
2015 June 16-18 52,200 Bethesda Softworks , Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Oculus Rift , Sony, Square Enix , Ubisoft Introduction of the "PC Gaming Show", which presents games for personal computers independent of developer and publisher. Since this year, Bethesda Softworks and Square Enix have also been holding their own press conferences.
2016 June 14-16 50,300 Bethesda Softworks, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Square Enix, Ubisoft Since this year Electronic Arts is no longer presenting in the LA Convention Center, but separately at the "EA Play" at the beginning of E3
2017 June 13-15 68,400 Bethesda Softworks, Devolver Digital , Electronic Arts, Intel , Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft Open to the general public for the first time, with 15,000 visitor tickets sold
2018 June 12-14 69,200 Atlus , Bethesda Softworks, Devolver Digital, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Square Enix, Ubisoft Highest number of visitors since 2005
2019 June 11-13 66,100 Bethesda Softworks, Devolver Digital, Microsoft, Nintendo, Square Enix, Ubisoft For the first time in the history of E3 that Sony was not represented at the fair
2020 June 9-11 - - - The fair as a physical event has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Instead, it was supposed to take place as an online event via live stream, but this has also been canceled in the meantime.
2021 June 15-17 Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California

Web links

Commons : Electronic Entertainment Expo  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b E3 2019 Attendance Falls Compared To Last Year. In: GameSpot . June 13, 2019, accessed June 18, 2019 .
  2. ^ A b c Then there were three: Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and the evolution of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. In: Engadget.com. June 6, 2013, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  3. ↑ a b E3: Past, Present, and Future. In: GameSpot . June 9, 2010, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  4. ↑ a b c d 3 2018 attendance was highest since 2005. In: VG247. June 15, 2018, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Brendan Sinclair: E For All detailed. In: GameSpot . March 27, 2007, accessed August 2, 2011 .
  6. ^ Twitch Broadcast Schedule for E3. In: Twitch Blog . June 8, 2014, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Electronic Arts - No E3 presence, but separate event “EA Play”. In: Gamestar . January 28, 2016, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  8. ↑ PSA: E3 2017 Public Tickets Are Now On Sale. In: GameSpot . May 16, 2017, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  9. ↑ E3 has a new logo and it's automatically better than the old one. In: destructoid.com. October 16, 2017, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  10. ↑ E3 2019 Dates Announced, And It's The Final Show Confirmed For Current Venue. In: GameSpot . June 14, 2018, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  11. ↑ All Eyes on the Video Game Industry as E3 2019 Comes to a Close. In: theesa.com. June 13, 2019, accessed June 18, 2019 .
  12. ↑ a b Coronavirus: E3 game fair is canceled. In: heise online . March 11, 2020, accessed March 11, 2020 .
  13. ↑ a b Completely canceled: E3 2020 will no longer take place due to the corona crisis. In: GameStar . April 7, 2020, accessed April 9, 2020 .
  14. ↑ E3: Date announced for 2021 - IGN will hold its own "Summer of Gaming" in 2020. In: heise online . April 5, 2020, accessed April 7, 2020 .
  15. ↑ E3 2017 Attendance Revealed, Future In LA Uncertain. In: GameSpot . June 15, 2017, accessed July 4, 2018 .
  16. ↑ Sony Interactive Entertainment Is Not Attending E3 In 2019. In: Game Informer . November 15, 2018, accessed June 11, 2019 .