CNet had an interview out last week with Sony’s Shawn Layden discussing a number of aspects of the company’s business plans that, while potentially of interest to many of our readers, doesn’t cover a lot of the games we cover here. But Layden does bring up several interesting points of discussion about E3, as he states that the company’s choice to skip the event this year is motivated at its core by E3 no longer really serving its initial purpose. It no longer provides a useful avenue for communicating big reveals or for communicating with retailers, especially in the internet era. In Layden’s own words:
So the trade show became a trade show without a lot of trade activity. The world has changed, but E3 hasn’t necessarily changed with it.
Obviously, Sony isn’t the first big company to step away from the show, which has been making changes by allowing fans in to tour the show floor and other format shifts. But I think this is a useful discussion to have and something to consider. Is E3 functionally a zombie now? Is it still something useful that needs to change its overall format? Heck, are trade shows in general still something we should use? Let’s go to the polls about it!
Leaderboard: Do you think E3 has lost its relevance?
- Yes, I'd like to see it gone altogether (21%, 39 Votes)
- Yes, I'd like to see it pivot to a different format (10%, 18 Votes)
- Yes, I'd like to see it moved to earlier in the year (1%, 1 Votes)
- No, but its relevance is diminished significantly (23%, 43 Votes)
- No, but companies are getting big enough to bypass it (8%, 15 Votes)
- No, leaving it behind is a bad idea (9%, 16 Votes)
- Frankly there are other trade shows I'd rather see go away (0%, 0 Votes)
- Frankly, I don't want any trade shows like this (7%, 13 Votes)
- I like pie and seeing totals without expressing opinions (18%, 33 Votes)
- Your poll answers cannot encompass the nuance of my opinions and I will explain in the comments (4%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 186
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