INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
E3 2019 saw thousands of people flock to the LA Convention Center
The world's biggest gaming event, E3, has been cancelled over fears surrounding the spread of coronavirus.The event, due to take place
9-11 June in Los Angeles, had been highly anticipated, ahead of PlayStation and Xbox console launches later this year.Organisers said it had
been cancelled "after careful consultation" over "the health and safety of everyone in our industry".And they were "exploring options" for
an "online experience" in June."This might lead to some permanent change to events like E3," said Piers Harding-Roll, from Ampere
Analysis.Such major expos "were already struggling to define themselves in the rapidly changing landscape of games" he said
"Next year, E3 may well be quite different."The hype train derailedAnalysis by Marc Cieslak, gaming reporterGot a new game to tell people
Got a new console to flog? E3 is the first stop the hype train calls at
Over the course of its life, E3 has morphed from a trade-only event that helped retailers to figure how many physical copies of a game they
wanted to buy, into a circus of organised chaos
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
The Monster Hunter photo booth in 2019 attracted plenty of attention
In recent years, the public has been allowed in, hoping to catch a glimpse of (or spend hours queuing to play) a pre-release game demo
Multi-million dollar press conferences became the norm
But industry observers have suggested that E3 has struggled to remain relevant in the last few years.Opening up to the public was part of an
attempt to regain some former glory
But the harsh reality is that E3 is an expensive show to exhibit at, costing many millions of dollars for those that do.Some big brands
would rather create their own events, promoting only their own products - a trend that doesn't look like it's going away any time
soon.Sony, which is launching its Playstation 5 console in time for the Christmas season, had already decided not to attend, for the second
year in a row.Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Gamers play together on the show floor at E3 2019
Nintendo has also shifted to making its announcements in a global online live-stream - but, like many developers, it has maintained a
presence at E3 for hands-on demonstrations.Those are open to the public - and often involve game controllers being passed from person to
person as thousands mingle on the show floor.Microsoft's Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, tweeted that while the company had planned on
appearing at E3, it would now hold a digital event
Latest casualtyDozens of major technology events have been cancelled in recent weeks as the virus has spread around the world and public
health officials have warned people against gathering in large numbers.The Game Developers Conference, SXSW, Mobile World Congress, and
Google and Facebook's major conferences are among the casualties.Major events that have yet to be cancelled include:Bafta Games Awards:
The British Academy awards ceremony, on 2 April, in London WWDC: Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, on 3-7 June, in San Jose,
CaliforniaNAB: The annual broadcaster and media trade show, on 18-22 April, in Las Vegas, Other events, such as the Ted talks series, have
been postponed or shifted online.'Upload demos'The gaming media was left frustrated with organisers after the personal information of more
than 2,000 journalists was published on E3's website last year
Media playback is unsupported on your deviceMedia captionE3 2019 round-up: Keanu, Xbox and moreAnd, on Wednesday, gaming journalist Laura
Kate Dale tweeted: "With last year's E3 scaring away press many publishers [are] likely to learn this year how cost-effective
live-streamed events can be
"I wouldn't be shocked if we look back at 2020 as the year E3 died."Meanwhile, Brian Crecente, a former games journalist turned consultant,
said: "Why not have E3 without the E3?" "All of the big companies stream their press conferences anyway
"They could just do that without an audience and then upload demos."
