Summer Game Fest
Image: Summer Game Fest

The summer months have long been the time for gaming's biggest publishers to strut their stuff in public, but with E3 basically dead and buried, things aren't what they used to be. Over the last couple of years, we've seen third party publishers like Square Enix and Capcom host their own events — and it's fair to say that some have left a lot to be desired.

But this year could be a lot different. According to gaming hype master Geoff Keighley (as reported by VGC), third parties will probably be looking to peddle their wares at bigger shows. Keighley suggests that events like his own Summer Game Fest will be more appealing to publishers whose plans may have been impacted by the pandemic.

Keighley also says what we've all been thinking — that it's really difficult for individual publishers to put on engaging showcases when they only have their own catalogue to draw from. "There were a lot of shows last year where everyone was disappointed when they weren’t really press conferences, right? Like Take-Two, Capcom, Square Enix and things like that," he explains.

"I think [they] have learned that if you’re going to do a press conference, you kind of need to have 30 minutes-plus of stuff, and sometimes they only have one or two great games to show, which may not be enough to do a full event around,” Keighly continues.

And it's true, isn't it? We've witnessed numerous events in recent years that have bordered on being pointless with regards to meaningful announcements. Of course, this has us wondering about Sony's rumoured showcase, which could apparently happen in June. Something like that would be the perfect place for third party publishers to turn up.

[source videogameschronicle.com]