Ea announced that it would be holding EA Play the weekend before E3, but that it would not be holding a press conference this year. Anyone hoping for five minutes of off-screen Star Wars footage, three minutes of a dev talking about what?s next for Anthem, and 17 years of coverage on EA Sports games, The Sims, and the rest of the usual suspects might end up pretty disappointed. But does the lack of a press conference even really matter" Daily Reaction has talked plenty about press conferences before. Have our thoughts changed at all four years on"
Press conferences are a marketing strategy for content delivery, but we?re increasingly seeing a shift to more focused and/or digital ways of delivering those same messages. Nintendo is a great example with Nintendo Directs. They don?t need to get a public venue, send out invites, or have other factors around what they want to say. They are still able to have a big production, but when most people are watching press conferences online anyway, there?s not a huge difference between Sony filling out seats in a theater and a Nintendo producing a video that they then hit play on.
E3 Press Conferences and the Battle for Attention
The other big problem with E3 press conferences is the crowded space for attention. E3 became this bombastic showcase because everyone wanted their games front and center. Then the bubble burst. They started inviting the public. Some publishers stopped attending altogether. Even Sony is stepping away...