E3 2021 is happening after all, though the Entertainment Software Association is changing the established formula by making E3 entirely virtual. E3 2021 will run from June 12 to June 15.
The E3 website calls it a “hyper-engaged digital experience” event with virtual press conferences and major reveals. The ESA said in a press release it would “amplify and make this content available to everyone for free.”
The ESA’s President and CEO, Stanley Pierre-Louis, said:
We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games.
What that means isn’t clear, though, and it’s also not certain if the ESA is still planning on distributing hands-on experiences to virtual attendees as internal conversations from earlier in the year suggested.
What is certain is that E3 2021 has the major publisher backing the ESA reportedly needed to host a digital event. There’s a substantial lineup of other publishers that will attend, including Nintendo, Capcom, Ubisoft, Xbox, Konami, Take-Two, and Warner Bros.
Sony and EA will once again not be part of the show, along with Square Enix, Bandai Namco, Sega, and Activision Blizzard.
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]
