E3 is almost like a Super Bowl as the previous poster stated. And sometimes your team just isn't ready on the big day. Sometimes great teams head into the matchup with only half their starters. Sometimes they get crappy weather for their playstyle. But at the end of the day, you have to show up and you have to compete. It's the biggest game of your year, even if it isn't your best. And the humiliation is epic when it comes.

But now these companies don't have to put all their cards on the table. They don't have to suit up half their team and hope it gets them through the day. For us it takes away that spectacle, as much for the wins as for the cringe. Who doesn't have fond memories of E3 '08 when Nintendo bombed with WiiMusic? It's kind of a no-brainer for these companies not to have to be trotted out in front of us when they don't have things quite right. Serve up the goods directly to consumers when you're ready with a Direct or a Showcase, pop in at a few exhibition matches like PAX or GDC where you aren't expected to show the next holy grail of gaming and let the internet do most of the heavy lifting for your products.

It's certainly a loss for gamers. But, as a Nintendo fan, I much prefer the smaller showcases where less is on the line. Their potential for amazing reveals is sometimes just as high, but the expectations to see everything is much lower.

Its a shame, i loved those hype conferences...

The whole way through your wonderful analogy, all I could think of was Wii Music. So when you name-dropped it, I literally lol'ed. That was good stuff. 

Remember when Skyward Sword was unveiled, and Miyamoto himself came out and couldn't get the Wiimote to work, and he started desperately waggling it around, perfectly mimicking what all of us hardcore Wii gamers had had to routinely endure? Man, that was so embarrassing. It was like watching a nerdy kid give an oral presentation in front of a classroom full of cynical high schoolers. You just felt like covering your eyes through the whole thing lol.

I think Nintendo ended up blaming the mishap on wifi interference lol. 

Not even. It's just a celebrity schmooze-fest.

Most of the good stuff is revealed by the publishers at their own events.

The last few E3s most publishers had just terrible showcases except for these 3. Without them it's pointless.

Welp, I'll take this as a rumor still but forced to consider that E3 glory days are definitely past us since the pandemic happened really.

Also, for these companies, co trolling a consistent and non-confusing message is prolly best for them in the long term so I'm not surprised seeing them all going there seperate ways. Nonetheless, E3 is a much celebratory time, like Christmas, where the gaming community was almost the center of the internet attention for a week. Without it, that time might now feel like any others which is just plain sad.

As last year, I wonder how this will affect Nintendo pacing with the presentation of their Directs cuz last year, they effectively skipped it appart from the XC3 direct we had. Wonder if it'll be a new norm where Nintendo will only feel the need to showcase us their games announcements only twice a year.

This could amp the antics of each individual Direct because it's obvious they could become more packed as a result but also excruciating because gamers would actually need to be patient even more than before.

I am glad I got to attend E3 when it was still relevant. I will cherish those memories...