Stop for a moment and ask yourself this question? When was the last time that E3 had the full package? That was 5 years ago in 2018. When all companies would show off their upcoming Games scheduled for release either this year, or next year, or when big names would make guest appearance on the big stage, or when you would hear loud super hyped cheers on or off the screen. Gamers around the world would have fun watching E3 while making new memories with what use to be, “Gaming’s biggest event worldwide”. From Sony’s blunt price tag announcements in both of Sony’s E3 1995 and 2013, to Microsoft’s first reveal for the original Xbox in Microsoft’s E3 2001, to Reggie’s epic introduction in Nintendo’s E3 2004, to some hilarious moments that happened in the event. E3 in many ways, was one of those events that NO ONE could miss out on. But those times are now behind us. After 4 years of slumber due to the pandemic, it would seem that 2023 would be the year that E3 would finally make the comeback that all of us Gamers have been waiting for, but bad news just popped up.

According to reports from IGN, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will be skipping the E3 2023 event, to make the matters worse, Nintendo will not have a presence at the Los Angeles Convention Center showfloor either. In many ways, they will be basically nonexistent at E3 2023. This is the first time in history that neither of the three at be present at E3. But truth be told, E3 was already going downhill for a while. The event started showing cracks in 2019, when Sony declined to attend E3, making it the first time in history that Playstation would not be present at the event. While Nintendo continued to present itself at E3, but not in the big stages like it use too.

While Xbox did not specifically say that they will not be attending E3 due to the fact that they company itself will attend the Los Angeles Convention Center, they declined to confirm if they were going to be part of the show. According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, he said that the platform is holding its showcase with E3 at a moment. “convenient for press and even consumers” at the event, a possibility that it’s aligned with the event itself. Spencer expressed Xbox’s support for E3 and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). However, IGN has confirmed that Xbox won’t have a booth on the showfloor at all either.

“E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming. I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things…getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we’ve had. I definitely want that to continue,”

“Xbox is on the board of the ESA, and I think a successful and healthy ESA is critical to what we’re trying to go do. So we place our showcase, like we always have done, at a time where hopefully it’s convenient for press and even consumers that are going to the E3 event, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. We will continue to work with ESA in terms of their plans. As I said, we’re on the board, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful.”

While Xbox remains uncertain on the issue, it is 100% confirmed that Nintendo and Sony won’t be present at E3 2023. This news will mark a sad day for many Gamers, even as things slowly return to normal in our daily lives, it seems like the E3 we use to love really is just a memory of a distant past. E3 for many years, has been dying a slow death, and with this news, it only got worse. Just how long will E3 be able to survive? E3 as we know it, will probably just sink into irrelevance pretty soon. Either way, I am still going to watch the event, but to not see the either Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft just feels strange.

According to sources, there has been some internal turmoil at the ESA over “mishandling the event”, as well as disagreements, departures and uncertainty over the brand’s future. Following the event’s cancellation last year, as well as a horribly received E3 2021 and many big name companies pulling out of the event, this could be why E3 is dying a slow painful death. If nothing is done about it, then E3 will soon become “just a memory” in the future. Hopefully, things will soon get better for the brand, because E3 is just one of those events that can’t be missed at all.