Gaming enthusiasts have been used to getting some very exciting news during the summer for more than two decades now thanks to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), so many of us were very disappointing when the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) finally decided to cancel E3 2020 last year. This despite the show not being as relevant as before because the biggest publishers, developers and games might get as much attention with their own streams throughout the year. That didn't stop ESA from saying E3 would return in 2021 shortly after the cancellation last year, and plans haven't changed. In fact, they seem to have solidified somewhat.
Our friends over at Video Games Chronicle have gotten their hands on pitch documents ESA has sent out to its partners detailing plans for how a digital E3 2021 can happen. These reveal intentions of having a preview night similar to the traditional conferences from Sony, Microsoft, Square Enix and such on June 14, then have multiple two-hour keynotes, smaller streams and and awards show the following three days. The proposal even mentions something similar to the traditional "judges week" where we in the media would be able to try out or see the games early to deliver previews, articles, interviews and so forth leading up to, during and after the expo, so it doesn't sound like drastic changes on paper despite ESA's talk about a reimagined E3.
It's important to note that none of this has been confirmed, and are even just suggestions that can end up being tweaked or scrapped based on what the partners say. Something the statement I got from ESA when asking for a comment clearly shows:
""We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we're bringing the global video game community together."
We are having great conversations with publishers, developers and companies across the board, and we look forward to sharing details about their involvement soon."
E3 isn't the only place set to bring big announcements this summer either, as Geoff Keighley confirms that Summer Game Fest will return, and won't be spread across three months this time around. Keighley instead hopes that having more time to prepare this year means everything will take less than a month.
How do you like the sound of these shows? What needs to change from last year and which games do you want to see more of?