E3

PAX organiser ReedPop is parting ways with the Entertainment Software Association and will no longer be the production company behind future E3 events (thanks, gamesindustry.biz).

While plans for E3 2024 have not been cancelled for the time being, the ESA has informed the Los Angeles Convention Centre — the host venue of prior E3s — that the show will not take place there. This does not necessarily mean that the 2024 event will follow the same path as its 2023 and '22 predecessors, but a location change will certainly be in order.

The two companies announced that the departure was a "mutual decision" after ReedPop had previously signed a multi-year deal to organise the convention back in 2022. Gamesindustry.biz has reported that the ESA is looking towards a "complete reinvention" of the E3 show for 2025, though no details have been shared on what this might involve for the time being.

Full disclosure — Nintendo Life and its sister sites under the Hookshot Media umbrella are partnered with ReedPop.

ReedPop's games events boss, Kyle Marsden-Kish, stated that the company appreciates the ESA's "commitment to the games industry as a whole" and that it looks forward to the event's future:

While we will not be involved with the future of E3 we look forward to seeing its evolution and where the ESA takes it.

Similarly, ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis stated that the body appreciates ReedPop's work over the past 14 months and looks forward to seeing what it does next before offering the following comment on future E3 events:

While the reach of E3 remains unmatched in our industry, we are continuing to explore how we can evolve it to best serve the video game industry and are evaluating every aspect of the event, from format to location. We are committed to our role as a convenor for the industry and look forward to sharing news about E3 in the coming months.

What this means for E3 2024, '25 and beyond remains to be seen, but the one thing that we know for certain is that there will be a different company in the driving seat.

What do you make of this change? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.

[source gamesindustry.biz]