The End of E3?

[UPDATE: Joystiq is reporting that the head of the ESA has decided to keep E3 around despite the fact that the major players in the expo are moving out. They’re going for a more “intimate” experience, or so they say… whatever that means. Even though E3 will still be around, it remains to be seen if it’ll just be there to hobble on one foot or if it will be as good as it once was.]

[UPDATE 2: Also in the news is that the “new” E3 will be pushed back two months to July rather than May in order to give the companies more of a chance to prepare their holiday lineup. I think this is good… considering that it will happen during the traditional summer slump when nothing comes out. If we cannot get games; we might as well get news about games.]

A bombshell was dropped in Los Angeles today, and it’s still got the pundits reeling. No, it isn’t an act of terrorism; it’s just the highly speculated death of E3.

According to a lot of media sources, major publishers (read: The Big Three, although that probably includes other larger companies as well) have come to the conclusion that the millions of dollars being spent on renting convention space, constructing booths, and sending employees to man said booths for a week is too expensive for the return, namely gathering the hype of hundreds and thousands of E3 goers… and inevitably the gaming universe at large. Instead, there’s talk about focusing on the smaller shows, such as GDC among others as well as publisher-specific venues (that could be open to the public).

The official announcement of E3’s permanent closure has yet to come, but analysts are expecting some form of announcement either Monday or Tuesday. There is the possibility that E3 will live on–if only just in name–carried by the weight of smaller developers who are willing to come, but at that point the event becomes something quite different than the E3 we all know and love.

Joystiq is reporting a few plusses and minuses about the news, and they’re analysis on this is worth the read. Simply put, never again will people like us be reading and writing information 24/7 about what has just been announced just an hour ago (e.g., less stress!), but at the same time it’s as if Gamers’ Christmas has just been taken away (e.g., no presents).

Be that as it may, I’m expecting many things to come directly over the online components of the “next-generation” consoles. Microsoft dumped HUGE amounts of content over Xbox Live on the 360 this year, and with the WiiConnect24 service with Nintendo and the vaporware blatant idea theft speculative online component of the PS3… well, we’ll probably get the goods delivered directly to our living rooms anyways.

Expect this to get updated and bumped when the announcement comes in.