Reports indicate that Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo are all absent from E3 2023

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An unconventional approach.

The first physical E3 in four years may be without some of the industry’s biggest hitters, with reports suggesting that Sony, Xbox and Nintendo will all be absent from Los Angeles.

sources nearby IGN have revealed that Microsoft’s presentation will be limited to one presentation at a time – one that the Xbox CEO has Phil Spencer ambiguously stated would take place “at a time when it will hopefully be favorable for the press and even consumers going to the E3 event” – not having a booth on the show floor itself.

IGN’s sources further indicated that neither Nintendo nor Sony would be present. You may recall that Sony was previously absent from E3 2019 (the first time since the show launched in 1995), as their continued success initially made their attendance somewhat dubious.

Although Nintendo continued to present a physical booth at the convention, the efficiency of the “Direct” presentation format had paid off in a similar way. Whether both companies intend to combine E3 with a digital showcase is not yet known at this point.

E3 2023 will be the first to be helmed by Reedpop, a heavyweight on the convention scene with an impressive portfolio spanning PAX, EGX and New York Comic-Con. Reedpop issued a statement to IGN, which said in part, “Since ReedPop took over the contract to host E3 six months ago, we’ve been diligently working with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new breed of E3 develop that supports their goals and needs.

“This process has taken time due to the tremendous number of stakeholders who have contributed, although we appreciate that we could have been more transparent on questions for which we were still finalizing responses. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings the global gaming industry together. We believe we have created a new format for the event that meets the needs of both the industry and its fans and we look forward to building and expanding it in the years to come.”

This doesn’t make the attendance status of the aforementioned companies any clearer, but if the reports are to be believed, ReedPop will no doubt be working hard to fill the sizable gap their absence would create.