Sony won?t be at E3 this year, marking a massive shift that?s shedding quite a light on the industry?s annual show and its continued relevance. We?ve all known that for quite a while now, but what we didn?t expect was Sony to keep making its presence felt all throughout the window of time leading up to E3. From early reveals of the innards that will power the PS5, to a bunch of exciting game announcements, Sony doesn?t seem ready to let people forget about the PlayStation brand, despite not being at this year?s show.
In fact, it paints a pretty grim picture for the future of E3, which has turned from an industry trade show into more of an open, public expo. That in turn has turned away numerous major players. We?ve seen the likes of EA ditch the show to hold its own event. Activision doesn?t have a booth on the floor this year. Sony and Microsoft have pulled back. Even as more and more gamers are purchasing overpriced passes to the show floor, the show floor is becoming less enticing to actually attend anymore. E3 is a vestige of days gone by, with press conferences and industry meetings that have become obsolete in the era of livestreams, teleconferences, and individualized events.
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