E3

For other uses, see E3 (disambiguation).

Electronic Entertainment Expo
Final logo, used from 2017 to 2023
The Los Angeles Convention Center (west wing view) where the event took place each year
StatusDefunct
Genre
FrequencyAnnually
VenueLos Angeles Convention Center
Location(s)Los Angeles, California
Coordinates34°02′23″N 118°16′13″W / 34.03972°N 118.27028°W / 34.03972; -118.27028
CountryUnited States
Years active1995–2019, 2021
InauguratedMay 11, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-05-11)
Most recentJune 12, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-06-12)
AttendanceDecrease 66,100 (2019)[1]
Organized byEntertainment Software Association
Websitee3expo.com

E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo)[a] was an annual trade event for the video game industry organized and presented by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).[2] It was held principally in Los Angeles from 1995 to 2019,[b] with its final iteration held virtually in 2021. The event hosted developers, publishers, hardware manufacturers, and other industry professionals who used the occasion to introduce and advertise upcoming games, hardware, and merchandise to the press. During its existence, E3 was the world's largest and most prestigious annual gaming expo.[3][4][5][6]

E3 included an exhibition floor for developers, publishers, and manufacturers to showcase their titles and products for sale in the upcoming year. Before and during the event, publishers and hardware manufacturers usually held press conferences to announce new games and products. Before 2017, E3 was an industry-only event;[7] the ESA required individuals wishing to attend to verify a professional relationship with the video game industry. With the rise of streaming media, several press conferences were broadcast to the public to increase their visibility.[8] E3 2017 became open to the public for the first time, with 15,000 general-admittance passes for those who wanted to attend.[9]

When hosted in Los Angeles, E3 was held in the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event was cancelled for the first time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the event in 2021 was held as a virtual event to mixed reception. The 2022 event was cancelled also due to the pandemic, and with no virtual event held. The ESA had planned to return to a full in-person convention in 2023 with a new format, including a fan convention component at a separate venue in collaboration with ReedPop.

The pandemic further accelerated the use of standalone presentations by individual publishers and media outlets to promote upcoming games directly to consumers, development timelines usually aligned around the convention had been disrupted, and publishers were increasingly concerned over the costs of exhibiting at the convention. E3 2023 was cancelled after all major publishers pulled out of the event, and E3 2024 was cancelled in September 2023 in order to evaluate plans for 2025. On December 12, 2023, the ESA announced that E3 had been retired and would no longer be held.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference e3 2019 attd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "E3 Show Info". Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  3. ^ Watts, Steve (June 11, 2019). "E3 2019: Video game industry readies for major annual showcase". CBS. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019. The Electronic Entertainment Expo, more commonly known as E3, is the biggest showcase for video game software, hardware and new game tech innovations.
  4. ^ Yeo, Amanda (November 17, 2018). "Sony Is Skipping Out On The Biggest Gaming Event Of The Year". Junkee. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "E3 2019 schedule: From Nintendo and Xbox to Pokémon, here's what to look out for at the gaming conference". Evening Standard. June 6, 2019. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019. The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the largest gaming expo of the year and a chance for the biggest names in gaming to show off their new consoles, titles and to set the bar for the rest of the industry.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference gameproe3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Thier, Dave (June 8, 2012). "E3 is Obsolete, But it Doesn't Matter". Forbes. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  8. ^ Miller, Ross (June 11, 2019). "E3 2017 schedule: your guide to the biggest live streams". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  9. ^ Makuch, Eddie (May 16, 2017). "E3 Opens To The Public For The First Time Ever". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.


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