LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 16: A game enthusiast takes photos of the Sony PlayStation 4 and peripherals, including the virtual reality ‘Project Morpheus’, during the Annual Gaming Industry Conference E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Convention Center will be hosting the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) which focuses on gaming systems and interactive entertainment, featuring introductions to new products and technologies. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
A game enthusiast takes photos of the Sony PlayStation 4 and peripherals, including the virtual reality 'Project Morpheus', during the Annual Gaming Industry Conference E3 on June 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
In a shock move, Sony announced today that they will not have a presence at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2020. E3 has traditionally been known as a place where major consoles, games and content are announced to the gaming world. This becomes the second straight year the tech giant will skip the event.
In a statement to gamesindustry.biz, Sony said,
"After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year. "
The announcement comes as a surprise as the next generation of their Playstation console, the Playstation 5, is due out this holiday season. Since last year, Sony made their gaming announcements via "State of Play" live streams. In those videos, they reveal new titles, trailers and hardware coming in the immediate future.
The organization in charge of E3, the Electronic Software Association (ESA) responded to about Sony's absence to the Washington Post saying,
“E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike. Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.”
The ESA saw 2019's E3 riddled with troubling headlines such as Dr. Disrespect's bathroom streaming and a massive leak of attending press' personal information. That coupled with declining attendance numbers will not help E3's case as the world's premier gaming trade show. Sony's absence only exacerbates concerns of E3's relevancy as more game companies opt for their own live events or streams.
