In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag".
We don't have (paper) pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes — so welcome to our semi-regular feature, Back Page. Today, Kate's trying to find out what the heck we should be calling this mid-June video game extravaganza, if it's not E3...
E3 ain't happening this year. The Electronic Entertainment Expo — that's the three 'E's, by the way — has been happening in some shape or form since 1995, until it was cancelled in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But even then, it was supposed to take place: All the participants had been confirmed, the arena had been booked, but there just wasn't enough time to switch it to an online event.
In 2021, still in the middle of a pandemic, it went online-only, and it was a bit of a damp squib — so it's not entirely surprising that the Entertainment Software Association, or ESA, decided to scrap it altogether in 2022, a bit like someone cancelling their birthday party because they didn't get enough RSVPs. Nevertheless, the rest of the games industry has rallied together to basically throw their own birthday party. With better cake. And Geoff Keighley.
(Oh, and fear not — E3 will be back next year. For now, anyway.)
So now, we're left in this very minor pickle: What are we supposed to call this... amorphous event? It's not E3 any more, and it feels a bit silly to call it that anyway, even if it is a nice two-character shorthand for "lots of reveals" that fits nicely into a headline.
Most games journalism outlets seem to have settled on "Not-E3", ourselves included, presumably because it's a lot shorter than "Summer Game Fest" and doesn't give Geoff Keighley all the credit. But if E3 really is going the way of the dinosaurs, we can't call it "Not-E3" forever, can we?
Perhaps what we need is some good ol' fashioned democracy. What do you think we should call this week of game announcements, news, delays, and updates?
As always, if you have other, better suggestions, drop 'em in the comments.
Comments 52
"The time of year where we all want a Nintendo Direct, and then we don't get one, and we're really sad." is the only correct option and nothing can change my mind.
W3: waiting, waiting, waiting...
More people should use 'Egads' so I'm voting for that one.
Me myself, I’m a Junexpo guy. Simple and fun-sounding.
E4.
The latest rumor for a Direct is Wednesday June 15th. Comes from a leaker who had to delete their account so hold it with a grain of salt. But yeah, not proper Direct is gonna crush a lot of people, especially since we are really expecting one at this point. A lot of smoke and no fire is no fun
Geoff Keighley's Inevitable Exit Strategy,
@Polley001 “So, you’re saying there is a chance?” 😉
Shout out to all my "I hate fun and this is stupid" peeps.
But yeah, I don't even think there needs to be a name cause it's just a bunch of randomness.
I'm still calling it E3 since the pandemic is temporary (hopefully!).
.....
picks "I hate fun and this is stupid." because lulz
Anyways yeah, don't really care, I'm just waiting for a big Nintendo Direct, it better still happen this month.
We should call it weeks of summer loot Boxes, because the show and announcements are totally random!
@Fizza sigh Go, take this 🍪, you earned it!
In my brain, I know that we will have a Nintendo Direct releasing very soon.
But I need to hear them officially announce it for my heart to actually believe it.
Jeff moved away from being a games guy to being just an ad agency for a single targeted demographic. How much fuss can you really make about his streams when you’re watching a spot from Procter & Gamble that he personally slots into his productions?
Not-E3 is meaningful. It highlights the importance that many of us really do place on E3, and everything that the organized, concise, branded, scheduled convention where companies put their best marketing foot forward represents.
It's not E3, maybe it won't be E3 again, but for the time being it really puts a stamp and and, dare I say it, trends , in a way that shows the popular opinion of the value placed on that format and structure, and makes clear there's absolutely demand for that, whether it's put on by ESA or not.
For better or worse, E3 is a brand. It's a brand for a marketing event and trade show, but it's a brand. Apple's product reveals aren't CES. CES is CES. E3 is E3. And I think the press and public calling it "Not-E3" regularly creates a very solid case that the E3 brand and format holds significant sway in popular discourse, and demand exists for something to live up to that void, be it a return of the brand, or a successor to replace it. Keighley's Summer Games Fest, is too informal, loose, and poorly organized to be a functional successor. Big as his ego may be, he's one guy, not a massive organizing institution to assemble numerous multi-billion dollar corporations and hold them to a schedule.
I think companies' marketing divisions that are trying to follow the community touchtones that may have been thinking "we don't need E3 anymore" are following the journalists, the socials, the public, seeing all the "Not-E3" mentions and getting a clear picture of a demand that exists to fill.
I’ve been calling it June for awhile now.
Boring? That's what I'd go with. (Depending on what Nintendo bring to the table of course.😁)
Apparently it would like to be known as Geraldine.
Whoever voted "I dislike fun", the door is at the x in the top right of your computer screen.
Lol.
Really hoping for a direct tho
I like Not-E3 because that's just what it is, isn't it? Or, what it isn't, I guess!
So Super hipster and just call is "The E."
"The time of year where we all want a Nintendo Direct, and then we don't get one, and we're really sad" is every time of year that there isn't a Nintendo Direct.
@Axecon The mods had him delete the post due to lack of proof, but then reversed course when he showed an email that very heavily implied the shadow drop of a pretty big indie Switch console exclusive.
To all of the Silksong people, it's not Silksong.
I don't really care about the other announcements so it will either be Nintendo Direct week or not-Nintendo Direct week.
I think it’s better for gamers that we have an e3, or whatever it’s called. But we need it to make them compete more with each other, companies just analysing data on how well received their own broadcasts get is not enough. Make them feel someone is going to steel there headlines or do better than them.
Supposedly we're getting a direct on June 15th. I'll believe it when I see it.
I'd go with "fake E3" unless there's a Nintendo Direct. There's probably not much more to reveal at this point, as the rest of the year is already quite packed. So Fake E3 it is.
@Axecon yes next Wednesday hopefully, supposedly Neon White is one of the games they're announcing
Direct coming next Wednesday
https://www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2022/06/08/nintendo-direct-rumoured-for-next-week-thanks-to-neon-white-leak-16789426/amp/
Let's call it Steve!
I will call it PPAP. 🤭
Keighley's Paycheck Presentation
I don't know about leaks, but I know that if there WERE an E3, Nintendo would have had their treehouse on the 15th.
What should we call it? Call it OFF. Heh.
Gonna go back to shouting at clouds, now.
NINJA APPROVED
No direct, no dice..
Keigh 3
Get it...?
I look forward to June 16th as a day that shall define this year’s gaming expectations.
@Fizza Thumbs down for using LGPE pic, but otherwise good idea.
Doesn't matter, I stopped paying attention to E3 and E3-related events some time ago. I'm half convinced there won't be a Direct this month, either, with Nintendo no longer being obligated to put together any sort of showing. They've been going pretty heavy on game info and trailers recently, things that easily could have been slapped into a Direct. So they aren't saving them for anything.
Bag O’ *****? As Paul Calf used to say …
AbsensE-3. That’s it. I don’t have something more to say. Let me post please.
I assume NL is choosing to ignore the Direct leak. Why? They’ve reported on rumors before?
They like to announce Ditects last minute. And it would steal some thunder if they do. There's still hope
“Sonic Frontiers at IGN” month, that’s all I’m here for unless Nintendo has a direct.
So it's been 5 months since we had a Nintendo Direct. There's been no mention of a Direct even the slightest rumor that it's going to happen this month. I'm starting to lose hope (and faith) in Nintendo! If they don't announce one early next week or the week after, then what gives?
Those are some grade-A punns!, 😂🤣❤️
I call it a waste of time.
"It's all been leaked already, but act surprised! " week?
Leak week for short!
Just looked at the not-E3 schedule, and weird thing, the only event that's interesting there is the Wholesome Direct. And maybe Devolver Direct. That's all. Definitely not E3. Like last year, if Nintendo chimes in, they would easily win the show.
Note Three
The Void
E0
Nintendo Indirect
Calendar Week 23
Ridge Racer
Go with N¹E³. Drive people who name drop it too much wild having to alternate to superscripts every other letter every single time they mention it.
Episode 254 of "The Besties" podcast has a good explainer of why, from a journalist's standpoint, the event had already taken a hard downturn years prior to cancellation and many outlets were just flat out considering not wasting the money to attend. Im not sure bringing it back would ever be a good idea without some major changes at this point.
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