Activision won't have an E3 booth this year
Publisher taking meetings at E3 but similar to EA it won't have a massive booth on the show floor
Similar to publishing competitor Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard has opted not to spend money on a big, flashy E3 booth this year. While EA has replaced its booth presence with a major one next door at Club Nokia, Activision doesn't appear to be taking the same approach. Instead, Activision appears to be focusing on Call of Duty as a year-round staple of its eSports business.
"In June, we're going to be at E3 showcasing gameplay from Infinity Ward's ambitious new game. We're looking forward to sharing exciting new details about the next great Call of Duty game in partnership with our friends at PlayStation. We're proud to be participating in this premier video game event, but won't have an Activision booth on the show floor," the publisher said on its official blog.
"We're also going to be celebrating the community this fall at the Call of Duty Championship, marking the epic conclusion of the first season of the Call of Duty World League, and holding a major community event that will give fans special insight and access to the world of Call of Duty."
We understand that Activision will still be at E3 taking meetings with partners and press but it makes sense in some ways for the company to skip the booth. After all, with Sony putting a spotlight on the next Call of Duty already and Destiny 2 not coming this year, there's less of a need to grab attention with a prohibitively expensive booth.
We reached out to the Entertainment Software Association for reaction to Activision's lack of booth presence at the show. Here's what Rich Taylor, Sr. VP of Communications and Industry Affairs, had to say: “We respect Activision's decision and appreciate their continued participation in E3. E3 is where exhibitors continually innovate and connect with audiences in new ways. E3 2016 will have exciting video game announcements, new virtual and augmented reality experiences, hundreds of exhibitors and a large number of press events revealing what is coming next in the most dynamic industry in the world. We look forward to, once again, capturing the world's attention in June.”