Why Xbox, Nintendo, and Sony Won’t Be At E3 2023

E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) is the largest gaming-expo of the year, and Xbox, Nintendo, and Sony won’t be there. The first in-person event in four years was supposed to be the triumphant return of the show – why aren’t these interactive giants going?

IGN was first to report that Xbox, Sony, and Nintendo won’t be part of E3 2023 or have a presence on the Los Angeles Convention Center showfloor. The event is Tuesday, June 13, until Friday, June 16.

Part of the answer is in a January 25, 2023 post from XBOX, that the company will have their own, stand-alone showcase in LA, the same dates as E3. “As we announced previously, in order to dedicate the proper amount of time for a deep dive into Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield, a standalone show is in the works.” Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said they support E3 but did not say they would be there. This is a surprise, since they have several new games this year. XBOX has had financial issues recently, so maybe they are saving money with their own event at the nearby Microsoft Theater. They have had game events there previously.

Nintendo has also maintained a booth on E3’s showfloor for many years, even after pioneering the “Direct” format. This is an online presentation/showcase of a new game that’s available worldwide. Industry sources say Nintendo feels it has fewer major releases than usual ready to show, so they can’t justify significant event space.Here’s Direct 2023

Nintendo has traditionally been a big presence at E3 and was on the show floor at the last physical event in 2019, when PlayStation and Xbox were not. This year they are releasing the new The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before the convention.

Sony first skipped E3 in 2019 and hasn’t been part of the convention since, reportedly over disagreements with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) that organizes the convention. And a claim that E3 had lost “impact.” Playstation has their own online events here. They are releasing at least 23 games this year! Many before E3. This gets a bit tricky, because some of the developers that are published by Sony will have a booth at E3, for versions on other platforms. Eg, Activision Blizzard could be there even if their new owner Microsoft is not. Or Naughty Dog will have a booth if Sony doesn’t.

Again, part of the answer is that the ESA has brought in a new event organizer to run the expo: ReedPop, the company that organizes PAX, NYCC, and Star Wars Celebration.

E3 2023 will have June 15th and 16th as “E3 Gamer Days”, open to the general public. eventually info will be here. We do know the public event will be in a different part of the convention center from the pro side.

ReedPop, Sony and Nintendo didn’t respond to requests for comment from multiple journalists, so there may not be a definitive answer, but the factors we mentioned are major reasons.

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David Raiklen

David Raiklen wrote, directed and scored his first film at age 9. He began studying keyboard and composing at age 5. He attended, then taught at UCLA, USC and CalArts. Among his teachers are John Williams and Mel Powel.
He has worked for Fox, Disney and Sprint. David has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2004 American Music Center Award. Dr. Raiklen has composed music and sound design for theater (Death and the Maiden), dance (Russian Ballet), television (Sing Me a Story), cell phone (Spacey Movie), museums (Museum of Tolerance), concert (Violin Sonata ), and film (Appalachian Trail).
His compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the first Disney Hall. David Raiken is also host of a successful radio program, Classical Fan Club.