In a recent podcast interview with VGC, Summer Game Fest host and producer Geoff Keighley responded to claims that his program was responsible for the death of E3. Previously, E3 was considered one of the biggest industry events. The annual expo halted during COVID-19 and now seems to be defunct for quite some time after several publishers pulled out for 2023 and E3 was officially canceled. Keighley believes that E3 killed E3 and that SGF had nothing to do with it.
“I think E3 sort of killed itself in a way,” Keighley said. “I understand why people say [SGF killed E3], but I think if anything, we created Summer Game Fest, and I built Summer Game Fest because I saw the wheels falling off the wagon of E3.”
Back in 2020, Keighley created Summer Game Fest after E3 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which was responsible for E3, had considered an online show but ultimately canceled. After E3 was canceled in 2021 and 2022, Summer Game Fest seemed to grow rapidly in popularity.
SGF was a live-streamed gaming showcase that did not require in-person attendance, which made it convenient during the pandemic and its lockdowns. It was also much more accessible to the public and industry professionals.
“E3 was part of my life since I was a 15 year-old kid,” Keighly said, “[From] the first E3 in 1995, I went to every show. I loved it and it defined my summer.”
Continuing, Keighly added that E3 “was so exciting to me, and it was heartbreaking to see that start to fall apart. I think they had a relevancy problem, and then they also had a participation problem over the final years.”
E3 was not officially canceled for 2024, but at the rate things are going, it seems like E3 is less and less likely to become a reality in the future. Many game publishers that used to define E3 have begun their own showcases and events. This weekend, Microsoft is hosting its Xbox Games Showcase. In June, Ubisoft will also host a showcase event where games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage are set to be discussed.
“I think the question is, if we didn’t do Summer Game Fest what would happen?” Keighley said. “I think things would have just kind of really splintered apart this summer.”
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Zainah Yousef
Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.
