E3, which returned to the exhibition hall for the first time in four years, may face the absence of three major manufacturers this year. Earlier, IGN learned from various sources that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will not be participating in this year’s big show or setting up their own booths at the Los Angeles Convention Center. None of the three companies have yet commented on the news, but Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed in an interview with IGN last week that they would choose a time “convenient for the media (attending E3) and consumers” to hold their own games and activity.
As the closest of the three companies to E3, Microsoft’s decision to leave the show entirely is somewhat surprising. While they’ve held their own game showcases independently before, they’ll always reserve space in the E3 exhibit hall. Old Ren is also adopting a similar strategy, which will also set up an E3 booth while broadcasting the meeting face-to-face. As for Sony, they distanced themselves from the show after a disagreement with ESA who was then hosting E3 in 2019.
In response to IGN’s report, new E3 organizer ReedPop responded that it had not announced contracts to exhibitors “until early this month.” Currently, he has received “show intentions and verbal commitments from many major companies in the industry.” When they finally announce the exhibitors, they believe they will create a list of exhibitors that “make it worth the trip to Los Angeles for industry insiders and consumers.”
