PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo won’t be at E3

The big three publishers and console manufacturers reportedly won’t be making an appearance at gaming’s biggest marketing event.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, known simply as E3 by most, is usually the biggest gaming event of the year, but PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo might not be attending.

A new report from IGN suggests that none of the big three publishers will be present at the show, which has traditionally been held as a week-long event in Los Angeles, instead opting to host their own events.

Microsoft announced last week that Xbox would be returning to LA in June for its annual Summer Showcase, which has been a part of E3 for over a decade. While the showcase is set to take place in the same place and at the same time as the expo, it appears that the Xbox conference will be an entirely separate event.

E3 is typically headlined by major publishers like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Photo: CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES

During the announcement, Microsoft said that it still supports E3, despite the fact that its games will be showcased separately. IGN also claims that Nintendo and PlayStation will be skipping the show, though it’s unclear if the two will also be hosting separate events.

The big three console manufacturers are usually one of the main attractions at E3, often attracting thousands of gamers and members of the press to the event in LA, and millions watching their press conferences live from around the world to see what games get announced.

While their absence from the event will likely result in a reduction of attendance, there will still be plenty of games on offer at E3. Major third party publishers like Ubisoft, Square Enix, and EA typically attend the show as well, and will likely still showcase their games during the event.

The big three publishers have taken games showcases into their own hands in recent years, with Nintendo starting the trend all the way back in 2011 with the first Nintendo Direct. Since then, PlayStation has adopted the format with its State of Play presentations, and Xbox has held a host of similar presentations.

Nintendo also has streams and in-person events celebrating independent games under the Indie World banner. Picture: Nintendo

Xbox held a presentation last week, with a surprise game release headlining the event. Tango Gameworks, a Japanese studio that is best known for its work on horror games like The Evil Within, both announced and released Hi-Fi Rush, a colourful rhythm action game, during the show.

It comes after Microsoft revealed that Xbox revenue had dropped in the latest earnings report, with the company attributing the drop to a lower amount of game releases in 2022, as well as a lower volume of consoles sold.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.