Image: Shout Design<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAnd so here we are: the week in June we have come to expect all the biggest gaming news for the year to take place in has arrived. E3<\/strong> has been the event on the calendar every fan, journalist, and developer alike would look forward to, safe in the knowledge something big was about to go down. It was an incredibly exciting time – all the big platform holders and publishers were about to strut their stuff with new game announcements and reveals. For over 20 years, it was the place to be. Then COVID happened, and the event (perhaps deservingly) has never recovered.<\/p>\nIn a time when companies can produce their own livestreams and have journalists preview games without leaving the comfort of their living room, the convention is indeed a relic of the past. No longer do fans and writers need to fly over to Los Angeles to guarantee themselves hands on time with the latest titles, no longer do publishers need to invest so much money into booth space. The death of E3 should probably be seen as a net positive for all, and yet I cannot help but miss it so very much.<\/p>\n
The reason for that is its replacement: Summer Game Fest<\/strong>. I think Geoff Keighley is doing an excellent job of keeping the spirit of E3 alive with Summer Game Fest Live<\/strong> and trying to work as an aggregator for the other companies, but it clearly just isn’t working. Some firms are playing ball; others most definitely aren’t. Yes, most of the major players are signed up, but the proof of their commitment will be in the pudding: will Geoff’s live show have just scraps handed to him by Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, or will there actually be worthwhile announcements?<\/p>\n