ESA CEO says ending E3 was based on shifting industry needs
The executive said "Video game companies have new and exciting ways to reach people"
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Following the ESA's bringing E3 to an end, CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis says that gaming firms have various methods to promote their titles to meet business needs.
In an interview with GamesBeat, the executive reflected on what led to abandoning the event.
He did not provide a direct answer but posed that the decision was partly a result of the industry's needs changing over time.
"Video game companies have new and exciting ways to reach people. They can do it on a timetable that meets their business needs. This doesn't take away from the need to bring people together," said Pierre-Louis.
"We'll think about exploring ways to bring everyone together to tell a story about the industry. I don't know what form that will take."
He added, "We're spending time thinking through what that narrative is, because there's a nice moment for the industry to reshape and refashion how the public thinks about games. But it's early thinking. "
When asked if competition, such as The Summer Game Fest, played a factor in the decision, Pierre-Louis said this was not a significant factor in abandoning the show. He again noted that companies creating their own showcases became critical over the years.
The ESA CEO also acknowledged the decision to pull the plug wasn't just because of the challenges ReedPop (GamesIndustry.biz parent company) faced when trying to revive the show, but those helped the organizer come to the decision.
E3's closure was announced yesterday, but throughout the year, the event navigated rocky waters.
ReedPop was on pace to run E3 2023 after an online version in 2021 and two cancellations in 2020 and 2022.
This year's show was canceled in March 2023, and then in September, ReedPop and the ESA parted ways over E3.
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