I was going through an awful lot of personal life ‘stuff’ when the announcement regarding E3’s death was made, so it didn’t truly register or make an impact until my head cleared somewhat.

For those of you who don’t know, E3 was an annual trade show for the video games industry, where many of the year’s biggest and most excitements would be made.

Held in sunny Los Angeles, E3 – short for Electronic Entertainment Expo – ran from 1995 to 2019, with the final event being a virtual E3, held online in 2021.

I was fortunate enough to attend E3 once, way back in 2005. It was an incredibly exciting event to be a part of; it felt truly special to be privy to announcements in person, try out upcoming games or meet celebrities.

I managed to get an Ultimate Spider-Man poster signed by Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis, for one thing. I stood an arm’s length away from horror writer Clive Barker, there to promote his upcoming FPS (Clive Barker’s Jericho). I ended up standing next to Simpsons creator Matt Groening on the Capcom stand, as he checked out the beautifully animated Okami, while his son wandered the show nearby.

There was so much to take in, so much to do; I played PSP Lumines on the coach with a complete stranger, tried out Jaws Unleashed (which seemed exciting, but unfinished – and sadly released in a similar state!), got to stay in a hotel on Sunset Boulevard owned by Justin Timberlake, saw Tom Savini in the street and even sat a few rows in front of Hideo Kojima at a screening of Sin City.

It was a truly special few days (I mean, look how many names I got to drop there!) in and beyond the show – though I never got the opportunity to go again, I always appreciated seeing the news and watching out for what emerged from the event.

The industry feels a little emptier now that there’s no longer an E3. Sure, the big platform holders and publishers all hold their own events throughout the year now, but it’s not the same.

The buzz seems to have gone; everything seems more fragmented.

Smaller.

It’s a big loss, in my opinion; just as we lost ECTS in the UK many, many years ago – an event I attended many times, being a smaller show in the vein, but not quite on the scope, of E3 – it feels like the industry is consolidating in ways that make things more tribal and less about bringing the entire gaming community together.

Also, where do we go now to get awkward, unintentionally hilarious moments like the ‘crowd goes mild’ Peggle 2 announcement, eh?