Confirmed: Sony Is Skipping E3 2020

Rumors have been spreading for some time and now it is official: Sony will skip E3 for the second year in a row. In previous years, Sony had used the Electronic Entertainment Expo as a platform to unveil details of its next consoles. Even the first PlayStation’s price and release date were announced at E3 in 1995. But now Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has a different point of view on which events they should attend.

A Sony spokesperson released the following statement:

“After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.

We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.”

According to games journalist Jason Schreier, the problem is tension between Sony and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).

https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1216755397446504449

Meanwhile, the ESA decided to respond to Sony’s statement with the following, which Forbes is deriding as “nonsensical” and a “garbled mess”:

“E3 is a signature event celebrating the video game industry and showcasing the people, brands, and innovations redefining entertainment loved by billions of people around the world. E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike. Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.”

What are your expectations from E3? Who do you want to see and what games are you waiting for? Tell us in the comments below!