Is Sony right to miss out on E3 for the second year in a row? The Japanese giant announced overnight that it won't be attending E3 2020, saying that the Los Angeles event simply isn't the right venue for PlayStation 5. The company's statement comes across as somewhat prickly, but it's been reasonably clear for a while now that there's some kind of beef between Sony and the ESA -- the organisation behind E3.
But still, does PlayStation even need E3 at this point? It's a topic that's going to be heavily debated over the next few months, especially since Microsoft has now confirmed its own attendance at this year's convention. What's more, we all know that PS5 and Xbox Series X are set to launch in late 2020. E3 has long played host to hardware reveals, but again, does Sony need to be there?
In many ways, E3 2019 proved that no, attending E3 isn't a necessity. Sony decided not to show up at last year's event and it did the firm no discernible harm. In fact, PlayStation still managed to steal most of the headlines despite missing out on the event itself. After all, Microsoft's press conference was packed with titles that were coming to PS4 as well as Xbox One -- there was no escaping Sony's influence.
Having said all that, E3 2020 could be a different story. As mentioned, we're on the cusp of a new console generation, and off the back of a good showing, Microsoft may find some momentum. Could Sony end up regretting its decision to avoid the event entirely? Only time will tell, but it's worth speculating given the importance of first impressions in this industry.
It's not like Sony's going to sit and do nothing until the PS5 launches, though, is it? The company will undoubtedly have its own plans already in motion, with many -- ourselves included -- expecting the PlayStation-maker to host a PS5 reveal event fairly soon. Beyond that, Sony has its State of Play platform and "hundreds" of smaller consumer venues that it's looking to attend. In short, we reckon it's far too early to count Sony out based on its E3 absence alone.
But as always, we want to know what you think. Is Sony right to skip E3 2020? Vote in our polls, and then give us an honest opinion in the comments section below.
Comments 38
I expect it's on full v reveal before e3, and the system to be at e3, and preorders to open the day of e3 like the ps4 did
This isn't back in the day when Sony famously announced '$299' at E3 for the PS1.
Sony has most likely weighed the value of pouring resources into E3 2020 for months and just see they can have a bigger impact by hosting their own events in the lead-up to the PS5 launch.
They already know they're generating more hype than the competition just by the little snippets of info they've given out so far.
Sony and PlayStation will be fine without E3.
Finally, an article about E3.
I think Sony could at least have setup up some space for PS5 demos - assuming that the PS5 will be fully revealed by then/Sony isn't planning to do it's own PS5 reveal the week of E3.
Then again, doing it's own reveal the week of E3 but not AT E3 would be a pretty obvious swipe at the event as a whole.
Companies don't need E3 anymore - the internet has allowed them to speak directly to their customers without needing to go through the media and without their message getting lost amongst all the other news.
That doesn't mean that companies can't use E3 if it suits them but its a choice. When E3 started, it was a way to let the media know what products they had coming up so that they could spread that through their Magazines etc. A way to pitch some ideas to investors - not that Sony or MS need investors to make their games - so why do Sony need to be at E3?
Other than the aspect that 'others' will be there, Sony can control when they want to show off games, hardware etc, when and where they will allow people 'hands-on' and if its 'just' Sony, only Sony fans will get hands-on...
By having their own event, the focus is purely on them - not waiting to see if they can follow everyone that came before and comparing with the others. Their last E3 wasn't exactly smooth running either.
E3 is an institution but its also got to work for those who wish to attend. Its not compulsory and if Sony believes they can better without attending, then that's what they should do. MS may feel its in their interest to be at E3 as a US brand with ties to more than just the Xbox console. Its probably why they are attending. Its what works best for the company and not what's best for E3.
Knowing Sony who likes to do things their way because they are big in the console market, sometimes behaving like assholes as they did with crossplay. I'm not surprised they wouldn't hesitate to skip E3 (an understandable decision!).
Also there might be another reason we don't know about, like cost negotiation going wrong with ESA, or simple a CEO getting upset. It is not uncommon to see 2 giants behaving like toddlers like Google and Amazon, or Apple and everyone else.
@Rhaoulos Choosing to not attend a convention is not being an "asshole". They're not ethically bound to attend an event just because people expect it.
It's understandable for Sony to pull out of E3 considering the information that came to light about ESA over the years. They don't know how to move this show forward.
Prob just cause I'm getting older, but (until the last couple of years) I still looked forward to and enjoyed E3 stuff. It's true, it's not nearly as important or valuable these days though.
@get2sammyb I didn't mean it like that. The asshole part was for doing things differently in some cases. My comment was very clear in my head but I modified it and it made no sense.
I understand why they wouldn't attend E3. Most announcements are made via videos like state of play, and if they don't get anything out of it, they are right not to be at E3.
Nintendo has skipped E3 for several years
Sony should make their own event to launch ps5 like apple make their own iphone launch event. Besides people just watch the e3 conference on youtube, rather than go to e3, sony can cut the middle man and post their games announcement on youtube.
If it were a regular E3 then it wouldn’t matter too much, but this isn’t a regular E3. By not being at the show at all, Sony isn’t just missing out on hype or headlines - people are gonna get to actually play the Xbox Series X, see the games in action, spend time on the system for themselves. Sony is going to miss out on all of that, which is even worse since Series X won’t have any exclusives to really take advantage of the hardware while Sony will.
That being said, Nintendo has had E3 demos at Best Buy for the general public for years, so maybe Sony will do something similar.
E3 has become unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We get gaming news year round and the internet is readily accessible 24/7. Not that I’d not like to see what Sony has in store but I always get the info online anyway. Sony’s last E3 is the only one I’ve ever watched and I was thoroughly unimpressed.
Personally, I couldn't care less. Wherever Sony chooses to reveal their stuff, be it E3 or S3 or E2 or whatever... Makes no difference to me. Does it matter where the video I'm watching was recorded/streamed? Who cares? As long as we get news and announcements in a timely fashion, what's the big deal?
Also, is this like the seventh article today about Sony not going to E3? Seem a little too many to me
My view is that Sony could pay a fortune to attend, go to E3, and then share the headlines with the Xbox and all the trolling and raging that comes with who won some imaginary trophy. They risk the public missing out on learning about some of their key innovations and developments for next gen.
Alternatively, they could host their own event. Probably at a Sony owned venue for lower cost. Control their timings and release information when and how they are ready to do so. They can dominate the headlines and ensure the news covers all of the individual bits they want the media to focus on.
Its a no-brainer to be honest
It's impossible to say whether it's a bad decision or not until we know what Sony is doing to make up for its absence at E3. If they have nothing to replace their E3 conference then it's a horrible thing for them to skip the event. Hopefully that isn't the case though.
@Rhaoulos Well, if they want to announce the system beforehand, it's best to show games as well. Because a console reveal alone would be quite boring (and then you'd have people commenting on how arrogant they are thinking that they can get away with not showing any games ).
Doing E3 as well means a repeat of the software, which is pointless (arrogant Sony showing the same games again ). And they surely want to reveal the PS5 before E3, not at E3, because this way they can allow third parties to safely talk about the upcoming console. So yeah, while a bummer, it makes sense I think.
I'm sure they'll have their own E3-worthy presentation at some other point in the year. I don't really care on what day that is TBH. I'm not going to E3 anyway.
For it's not whether theyr right or wrong. Doesn't matter. I prefer not everything together. It was too much forcing people to a sleepless marathon. It was time things changed with the event a sort of competition with the press giving the Mark's. Go away
Whats the point of having the best conference because the media says so but having the show floor fall in oblivion?. Move on. It's not about showing off and go full advertisement show. It needs to be about informing on the reality rather than smoke and mirrors.
E3, not E3. It doesn't make a real difference for me.
Just make a press conference to show PS5 and then make SoPs for new info and trailers.
So, there are a couple things that go into this.
1. It's 2020. It is incredibly easy to disseminate information to your entire audience without difficulty. All eyes are on people's favourite brands every day of the year, and to have one week dedicated to it is simply unnecessary.
2. PlayStation is a large enough brand that it can attract eye balls and media mobs to any event it holds or participates in, wherever and whenever it occurs, at the drop of the hat. Blizzard was in the same boat, years and years ago, before they created Blizzcon. When you have this kind of brand power, why would you share the stage with anyone or provide another means for someone else to make money off your brand? It doesn't make any sense.
Screw E3.
E3 was NEVER for the public. Until it was.
And that's why E3 has sucked ever since.
My impression is that E3 might be still relevant because of tradition. It's part of game history as the most important event every year, so it's totally a controversial topic this whole skipping thing.
Sony is doing for a reason. If they're doing the right move, time will tell but, communication and networking evolved so much since 95 and there're other ways to engage your audience.
I really don't care how or where they're going to reveal. I'm curious about WHAT they're going to show us.
Possibly could work out well for Sony, depending on what they do instead. However, I would have still personally preferred them to do a big E3 conference.
Personally, I am disappointed at the news Sony are skipping the event again.
I am someone who books a couple of days leave to stay up and enjoy the conferences and get into a good game over a long weekend.
I think it stings more because Sony really did a fabulous job at E3 this generation with 2015 through 2017 being especially enjoyable, so their absence is all the more noticeable. I felt sure they would be back this year as a result of having a new console (and hopefully some exclusive games) to promote.
Their messaging last year was that they had nothing new to show and didn't want to over expose games they had already shown. That cannot be the case this year, so it must be as a result of the rumoured falling out with the ESA, which makes their absence all the more frustrating to me.
@wiiware or like Sony did with the ps4?
Sony is saving money.
I've always enjoyed E3. It the biggest gaming event and something
to look forward to each year. Sony's absence sucks. If they put on their own conference/State of Play during that week then that's fine (albeit possibly less exciting given their SoP record) but if they're just not participating at all... I can only think that it'll make them less relevant during a period where everyone will be talking about the other big games and platforms.
@Octane true, they would need to be before every dev at E3 for them to announce anything they want. I'm not bothered at all about Sony not being at E3, they will do their own thing which I will discover over the internet (probably on push square), so it won't change much for me.
And yes, games are the reason to buy a new generation of consoles. The PS5 might not be the most powerful console and I don't like symmetrical controllers. If they don't have any exclusives, I might as well upgrade my PC and go back to PC gaming.
I wish everyone would come together for one trade show.
Fracturing it into numerous live streams or announcements across all the major companies just makes it confusing and somewhat anti consumer.
E3 is just a live stream to most people. Many don't even see it live. They end up seeing it at a later time on YouTube or from content creators. As long as Sony creates a on stage event live or filmed its the same thing.
@SirRealDeal Meanwhile there is PAX. Open to public, Sony are there and indies get better coverage and popularised by people actually playing the games rather than just press journalists and call of duty and battlefield streamers/youtubers who don't care.
@Cutmastavictory I mean not only for launching new console, but games announcement too, rather than wasting a lot of money to go to e3, just use that money to make really great psx every years, a fan celebration of everything playstation.
People seem to be very on board with their decision, and if it's true that Sony has beef with ESA, then I can understand their decision. But remember E3 2013? When Sony presented their $399 price point mere hours (or was it a day?) after Microsoft underwhelmed with Kinect and $499? This was probably THE defining moment in the pre-release phase console war the cemented the narrative and influenced the start of the generation. Sure, Sony can't count on something like this happening again, but just there mere opportunity to emphatically show themselves as the better choice at the same event can be worth it surely?
I think it's a mistake. Because while yes while it is easier now than ever to talk to your audience there is still no denying that E3 is when the audience is most switched on and ready to consume that information. Any other year sure give it a miss if you feel you must but when you're launching a new console E3 in 2020 still has its place.
The only thing I can think would make more sense for Sony is to host an event for the PS5, in a Playstation Experience style, about a week AFTER E3. If you do it before all that information gets swallowed up by E3 but if you do it after people will talk about the PS5 all through E3 knowing that all will be revealed very soon.
E3 in 2020 is still just about relevant and that is because us consumers still expect it to be and as long as we do that then E3 will live on in some way.
So unless Sony still capitalize on E3 in some form with the timing of their reveal or subsequent reveals then I think they will regret it. Otherwise I think this is once again Sony getting big head syndrome just like they did with the PS2 to PS3. Microsoft will be ready to pounce and Sony will not have it so easy this time. Which is the part people forget from the last time around, Microsoft basically handed Sony this generation through appalling vision and misreading of what consumers wanted on MS's side. All that has changed, Microsoft have spent the last 3 years building the brand up again and building the foundations for this generation. Game Pass is better than PSNow, Studio acquisitions sensible and their Cloud gaming service likely to supersede Sony's current offering. Sony should be quite wary.
Seeing everyone is talking about the PS5 BECAUSE Sony are skipping E3, I see it to be a sound business strategy.
The only thing I question is if this will damage Sony’s relationship with 3rd parties like Activision and Ubisoft, which we’ll find out at Microsoft’s and Sony’s conferences.
With the PS4 selling over 100 million, Sony know that when they start dropping PS5 news bombs the worlds media will report on it. In fact Sony won't go to E3 and the PS5 will still probably be the most talked about console. Same as PS4 was last year.
Third party will 100% have PS5 games at E3 so Sony will have some kind of event or stream before then. PS4 reveal event was Feb 2013. First teased end of Jan 2013.
I deeply respect this community and so have been very interested to see what people say about it. As a college professor, I am gutted. I have been looking forward to E3 for years (beginning of summer) and I guess I would prefer a 'Christmas morning' over random moments
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