What's behind the decision to end video game convention E3

After more than 20 years, what was once the largest video game convention in the country is shutting down for good. Reporter Gene Park, who covers video games for the Washington Post, joins CBS News to discuss the likely factors behind the decision.

[ishtyou]

Definitely going to miss the reactions of the crowd for game reveals. The Twilight Princess reveal is a classic crowd reaction at E3.

[speedytypermananswers]

Can’t tell if this is bad or good thing. Some people who had good memories of this tradition sure are going to miss it.

[dillonblackwood]

I'll never forget xplays coverage of E3 and being excited to watch that every year as a kid. Kind of a bummer, rip G4 and E3.

[whisperware]

I'm really sad because I never had the opportunity to go to an E3 before it got closed down for good.
Used to be the superbowl for gamers. Maybe we'll get something similar back one day

[raidenout]

I've been 5 times . I used to work for a display company in so cal and would get a exhibitors badge every year . This was in the early 2000's before all the other big events. It was magic and the best part is nobody knew about it .

[EhCloserLook]

I never got to go to E3. It had been a dream of mine to attend since I was a kid. I had tickets to go in 2020. 😢

[GeinsArtAndCraftSupplies]

I'm not a logistics minded person but I feel like it is vastly underestimated how important it is to actually go out and be near other people. Watching a livestream from home just isn't the same.

[ReineDeLaSeine]

I’ll miss watching the presentations but since companies have been doing their own thing and going more digital, ending E3 was inevitable. I’m surprised it went on this long.

[XxKeNoHxX]

Man I would love to go back in time and be at E3 in the 2000’s. Lots of incredible game reveals from those years. Halo 2 e3 demo, twilight princess, the Xbox 360 reveal, etc

[andywei]

Everything is expensive, consumers can't afford to travel, game companies can't afford booths

[ronaldolamont]

He said Nintendo pulled out of E3 in 2013, but I went to E3 in 2017 and Nintendo was there!! Not sure what this guy is talking about!!

[ArabianFreedom]

I think those shows have become obsolete like video game magazines.

[urworsthacker]

So nice to see big news providing coverage of E3 for once

[deydreamer]

People in the comments talking about something they don't know about. It was never meant for the public as the event was invite-only for people in the industry until recently (2016/2017). Meaning if you didn't work in the industry, you wouldn't be able to attend. In the early 2000's when livestreaming wasn't a thing, it was a way for companies to televise their games. There is no sense now that people don't watch TV anymore, especially with the event not being open to the general public.

[erickaldana]

Man I used to get so excited for E3 now it’s coming to a close 😢 with time comes change. E3 you will be missed

[bikotheanimator]

Man, I never even had the chance to go to E3. I worked as an intern at Pixar in Summer 2019, and I worked at Deck Nine Games from December 2021 to May 2023.

[AzureRook]

It wasn’t E3 but I once attended Sony’s PlayStation Experience when they hosted it in my hometown, I’ll be sad if all these events ever go exclusively digital

[Danaman]

More and more physical social gathering spots being shut down, people are becoming more lonely and depressed.

[niloticshadow]

Wasn't expecting to see a Santa Destroy flag. Respect. No More Heroes is one of my favourite franchises ever. It's a shame how severely underrated it is. But yeah, it hurts to see E3 go. Throughout most of my childhood, my one dream was to go to E3. I recall people ushering terms like "Christmas for gamers" or "video game Christmas" and I don't think there was a more fitting description for it.

Despite these digital-only events being more organised, well presented and less cringey, they just simply don't hold a candle to these more sociable and engaging events. It's just not the same watching a major announcement unfold and not being able to feel the vibrant energy of an enthusiastic audience in the background. But on the other hand, it doesn't really matter all that much to me when the quality of AAA games as a whole has been dwindling throughout the years, making these events less enticing to tune into anyway.

Gamescom and Summer Game Fest are the last two major events of its kind and they get the job done. But the announcements in general for the last couple of years just don't appeal to me and many others. E3 wouldn't have made any difference if they were still around in that regard.

[Donut]

It ended because it stopped being about the gamers, it became a platform for celebrities and companies to put themselves on a pedestal while ignoring what customers actually wanted