For those hardcore gamers out there, there are very few events that are quite as important as E3 when it comes to figuring out the games that you will be enjoying in the year ahead. But with the absence of the event in 2020, there are many how the new online format open to the public will fair when compared to the original event in LA. In this article, we will be providing you with insight into the impact of the pandemic on the gaming industry and what this new online E3 will look like.
The Cancellation of E3 in 2020
The year of 2020 was a challenge for so many with many of us spending extended periods inside because of lockdown measures, but as the pandemic continued to sweep across the globe, several major sporting events and productions began to be cancelled. As a result of these cancellations, the gaming universe saw the cancellation of gaming biggest conference. With Thousands of people attending E3 in Los Angeles every year, the cancellation of the event as a result of the rising cases in California left a huge hole in the gaming calendar.
The Pandemic On the Gaming Industry
Much like several other industries at the beginning of the pandemic, Coronavirus made developing games and building consoles challenging. With many teams now working from home and delays imminent as a result of empty offices, the pandemic presented several challenges when it comes to developers. With many games such as Cyberpunk being pushed back by a few more months, the effects of the pandemic were certainly felt by both the gamers themselves but the developers and leading companies.
Despite the restrictions and difficulty for developers in the early stage of the pandemic, the gaming industry became more popular as a result of many spending an extended period inside. With many people reaching for consoles such as the Nintendo Switch as well as the PS5 and Xbox One X there has been a huge increase in the number of people playing games all year round. With a 63% increase in the number of games sold throughout 2020 as well as Steam recording an all-time high of 20 million online concurrent users in March of 2020, this has been a huge increase from the previous year.
The Switch To Mobile Gaming
Along with the increased number of gamers as a result of the pandemic, the industry has also seen a huge shift towards mobile gaming. With the introduction of the collaboration between Samsung and Xbox with their Game Pass integration, the switch to mobile gaming has increased tenfold. This has been a huge turning point for App developers as well as online slots and casinos as it has opened up the world of online gaming to a brand-new audience. With the average screen time increasing and a recent Ofcom study found many of us spending up to 40% of our day streaming content and looking at our mobile devices, this is certainly a rapidly expanding market for new ga mes to emerge. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen several indie games such as Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, Among Us And Hades, all rapidly increase in popularity, this is due to the need for multiplayer games presenting a new way for many to continue having fun with their friends whilst sticking to covid rules and isolating.
E3 In 2021
With so much of the gaming industry already online, it comes as no surprise to many that E3 is joining the long list of online events taking place in 2021. With the huge success of virtual events for Samsung and Apple phone releases as well as other virtual launch events taking place from other leading manufacturers such as Microsoft and Sony, the announcement of a virtual E3 could not have come at a better time. But what can we expect? Unlike previous events where you had to be invited to attend, this virtual E3 is one for gamers around the world. With no paywall’s insight and some of the leading game’s producers in the world in attendance, this is set to be an event that you will not want to miss.
Regardless of whether you are new to the world of games because of the pandemic, or you have been playing games for several years now, we are sure that 2021 will be able to provide you with everything you need from gaming all in one place. Will you be attending E3 this year?
