Hideo Kojima, Doug Bowser, and more of the games industry reacts to E3 cancellation: "The end of E3 is sad news"
Dec. 13, 2023After 28 years, the annual gaming conference is over
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E3 is officially over, and prominent figures in the gaming industry have started sharing tributes to the annual gaming event.
One of the most recognized people to react to the news is the Nintendo of America president, Doug Bowser. After sharing the ESA’s statement on Twitter, Bowser writes: “For over two decades E3 has had an incredible impact on the gaming industry. It’s hard to overstate the number of unforgettable moments it gave all of us. What a run!”
Death Stranding director and head of Kojima Productions,Hideo Kojima, also took the time to share his memories with the event, writing: “The end of E3 is sad news; we exhibited [Metal Gear Solid] for the first time in Atlanta in 1997. I have participated every year since then.”
Kojima then referenced Metal Gear Solid 2’s presentation in 2000, adding: “Without E3, Japanese creators and titles would not have made it to the world as much as they have. It was easy to connect with people from all over the world by attending parties and conferences. I have nothing but gratitude. Thank you E3!”
Finally, Michael Douse, director of publishing atBaldur’s Gate 3developer Larian Studios, also shared their thoughts about the end of E3. “It’s not that I’ll miss E3 itself (people stopped going because it was a giant economic sinkhole),” the developer writes, “but it was the best thing at getting everyone together to show & celebrate games. It was tactile and tangible. It felt official in an otherwise ‘wing it’ kinda industry.”
It’ll definitely feel different without having E3 to look forward to every summer, but there are certainly a lot of other showcases and events to look forward to around the same time. There’s no denying that Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest has basically taken over from E3, as well as the regular Xbox Games Showcases, and all the Nintendo Directs we get scattered throughout the year.
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After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I’m also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.
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