What Went Wrong With E3?

The Electronic Entertainment Expo. Video Game Christmas. The Annual Gamer Cringe-Fest Jamboree. Whatever you call it, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with E3, if you have even a passing interest in those funny interactive pixels. Since its inception in 1995, it quickly rose to become the biggest gaming event of the year, for industry insiders and regular fans alike. No matter what changed, E3’s existence has been the one reliable constant, never in doubt - a fundamental, unbreakable law of the universe, like gravity, time, or Peter Molyneux’s compulsive lies. But one day, we collectively woke up, and realised it had been missing for four years. Let’s find out who stole our Video Game Christmas, and why… What Went Wrong With E3?
VO: Ben Potter (@Confused_Dude)
Script: James Jenkins (@Jenx_137)
Video Editor: James Jenkins (@Jenx_137)
#E3 #SummerGameFest #WhatWentWrong
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[@eternalfailure4081]

Although E3 was much loved by the games public as a whole, every story I've heard from anyone who actually went (mostly from the press but also companies and public) was how awful it was to actually be there. Nobody involved ever wanted to be there, it was just a huge obligation. As soon as the pandemic made someone say "wait.. why did we do this again?" Everyone came to their senses.

[@rhinox9292]

For a long time it was the best way to show future games and hardware, but as times changed it was no longer needed thanks to things like Sony State of Play Nintendo Directs. But I imagine as a trade show it would be better for the viewer than someone there: long hours on your feet, covering a bunch of products you don’t care about for extended periods, interviewing people who don’t want to be there.

[@Tampafan33]

Nah thats a lie i had great times there

[@RetroYoungen]

I was part of the gaming press at E3 from 2011-2016, and honestly... yeah, it was exhausting. For us, it's like a standard FUN gaming convention, mixed with marketing meetings and homework to finish. It's not a three-day event, it's FIVE days: get ready, go to meetings, travel home and blitz through more articles to publish. It was a fun thing and I don't regret a thing, but I'm happy to not have 3 hours a night for a week. 😕

[@carlrygwelski586]

I think streaming popularity changed the game, not "why did we ever do this"

[@Jacen436987]

@@rhinox9292 game devs, especially AAA game devs should've been forced to attend E3 instead of splitting off into their own shows. they practically demand we buy their games. E3 is the least they can give us in return

[@pollardiniho]

That intro hit me in the feels 😢 Miss the days of rushing home from school to watch two hours of Microsoft convincing us we needed smartscreen, Sony passing a game between 2 people and it being the best thing ever and controllers dying right in the middle of a on stage demo

[@noahknight4039]

Embarrassment like that is why the big dogs started dropping out. Why pay for a full E3 event and possibly have a bone head moment when you can just stream trailers and gameplay reveals online in one 45 min video?

[@DrawciaGleam02]

"controllers dying right in the middle of a on stage demo" Which E3 was that???

[@pollardiniho]

@@DrawciaGleam02 Which one wasn't it 😂 Uncharted 4 I think is probably the most famous one

[@AKUNJIG]

Facts. I remember sprinting home to turn on IGN to see the Conferences.

[@Ikcatcher]

I guess the pandemic basically convinced everyone that E3 was no longer needed when everyone could just host their own presentations

[@Jacen436987]

such a small minded concept.

[@jish55]

Less convinced and more confirmed what was slowly happening anyway (before the pandemic, Sony was starting to go the same route as Nintendo and wasn't even planning on attending E3 anymore).

[@nightday2030]

As sad as it is, we can't deny it that if you can house your own conference or video presentation in-house online for a much more cheaper price, flexible scheduling, with no time limit or quota, compared to an expensive stage conference where you have to share the spotlight with other studio then of course I would choose the former.

[@cadendicky1855]

Nintendo knew this very well.

[@CatdickBojangles]

I used to sit and watch G4s live coverage for hours. God those were the days. The Halo 2 release date is still and all time moment for me.

[@AKUNJIG]

Twilight Princess & Kingdom Hearts III for me.

[@kramarkml]

That was the peak of gaming and gaming culture for me

[@MrBeardsley]

I love this series for two reasons. One, I find learning about flops and failures far more interesting than big successes (it’s why I also love Worst Games and Matt McMuscles’ What Happened series). Two, I get to listen to Ben narrate for 20 minutes.

[@InfectiousGroovePodcast]

The original G4TV and game show coverage was a magical combo for me.

[@brandongabriel1693]

oh my god remember this channel it was gold

[@InfectiousGroovePodcast]

@@brandongabriel1693 absolutely. I used to watch all of their trade show coverage and a ton of Attack of the Show.

[@brandongabriel1693]

@@InfectiousGroovePodcast if i remember correctly they did have a episode where they would go to a love hotel

[@kermitthepog7063]

Love these video essays Ben, keep them coming!

[@RantingThespian]

Yes! More videos like THIS ONE and less lists, please!

[@JustinBailey91]

Fewer lists*

[@jdrahonovsky]

Don't listen to them^^ more lists. MOAAAR

[@MrBeardsley]

They put out a lot of lists because they’re relatively quick and easy to make. Shows like WGE, Weirdest Games, Main Menu and What Went Wrong With take awhile to produce and edit, so if they only focused on those shows they’d only wind up putting out at most three or four videos a month. KZbin’s algorithms are more likely to push channels that upload content on a frequent basis, so the lists are basically filler to keep the channel visible.

[@GodOfWarConnoisseur]

Shut up

[@tylarjackson7928]

​@@MrBeardsley Exactly. I mostly ignore the lists and watch what I'm interested in. Lists pay the bills, unique shows create longtime fanboys (and fangirls)

[@AKUNJIG]

I remember buying Playstation Magazine at an Airport highlighting E3 in 2004 learning that this exists. It was a dream for me to go there, now it won't happen. 😢

[@bartekkubicaku-bitsa9802]

Great video 👍Some time ago I asked this question and all the conundrums have been cleared up. I think that if e3 were to return, it would have to completely reinvent itself or go back to its roots altogether. Good luck with that.

[@ChronoUchiha]

The social media era killed E3. Back in the 90s, and early 00's gamers could only get the scoop on new gaming innovations through this conference. As time went on however, the ease of access of Twitter and other social apps made access to game news that much more simple. Game developers found it cheaper to just put out a tweet than to invest in booths and venue fees. It's a shame because I really did look forward to the E3 shows, but at this point it's pretty much dead.

[@Finfection]

Apparently Gamespot or IGN didn't exist before social media, huh?

[@uncut_cowboy]

I'm really impressed with you guys, your publication continues putting out higher and higher quality videos.

[@12thMandalorian]

"What Went Wrong...." is my favourite TripleJump video series! Thank you for putting out such good content

[@Talk_and_Reaction]

to me E3 is a great thing . I love looking forward to any accidental funny presentations , it was part of the charm . yes I like the the online shows and such . but nothing will ever compare to the live presentations

[@12thMandalorian]

These are Triple Jumps BEST type of videos, long deep dives on anything and everything gaming!!!

[@fafafriendly]

Your posts are always witty and amazing!!!!😁👍🏼

[@rahooley7985]

love a good deep dive! keep it up guys!

[@FainaruFarewell]

This is my favourite series you do!

[@medenilla12]

Living in LA when E3 is in town, it creates a buzz of excitement, yet it brings a lot of traffic as well.

[@TeamSoraPresents]

Ever since I first discovered E3 (around 04-06 or something, idk) I had dreamed of presenting my own game at the show... [sigh] Looks like that's never happening.

[@christophergrayson1959]

Love this video essay type of content, BAP

[@brucedlx]

I love this what went wrong series please keep doing more

[@Seouldrift7]

Hope it isn't over. Miss G4 in the 00's.

[@blackcountrysmoggie]

That was really good work. Thanks

[@fenrichvega6166]

I like these kind of videos. The lists are cool too but ya should do more of these more often

[@TheNextBiggieThingTR]

4:07 quality scott steiner reference

[@this_isnt_patrick]

Loving these

[@FainaruFarewell]

4:09 Nice Scott Steiner reference

[@putowtin]

fabulous video, love these essay vids :D

[@jakesmith6233]

I've been wondering what Ben Potter was doing after leaving WhatCulture.Good to see he's doing well!

[@otakubullfrog1665]

As much as I would have loved to have somehow attended E3 back in the late nineties or 2000s when it was this giant, seemingly magical event I could only read about in gaming magazines, I don't think that an E3 held in 2023 would have been that, nor do I expect that any future events that may try to cash-in on its name will be. The older I get, the more I've come to accept that many things could only really work in the time and circumstances under which they happened and that it's probably better to explore what could only be done now rather than to try and recreate them.

[@razumijinatreides4691]

Excellent video guys!

[@camrsr5463]

7:37...dude in the red flannel looks like a younger version of my buddy Aaron. love you buddy. hope you are well.

[@zaktheghost3289]

Its sad E3 is gone. now we have gamescom, summer games fest, Playstation Showcase, and Nintendo Direct. I miss when everything was just one show kept things streamlined.

[@NoctLightCloud]

thank you for this video!

[@Ariurotl]

AAA companies also don't like to lose so they'd rather host their own stuff where they're winners every time and are never challenged. Compare that to the old practice of yearly debates as to who "won" E3.

[@OneRandomVictory]

I don't even watch the presentations half the time cause I'll just get all the trailers posted in my feed within an hour anyways.

[@FeiFongWang]

E3 was a million times more fun then these stale and sterilized "digital showcases" we have now... how does Nintendo make some of the most fun games but their showcases seem like they're trying to appeal to forty-year-old yacht purchasers.

[@marks2807]

Because their share holders are 40+ year old yacht purchasers. That is who these showcases are actually made for.

[@Kuzey457]

I get that it's more practical to do everything online and personalized. But it's just a shame in-person events are dying all around. One of the ways communities could gather together, bond, and physically feel all this new tech and stuff. Just another piece of humanity dying unfortunately.

[@titowrestling]

E3 was another victim of technology, but I have always heard it was expensive for companies to attend and a hassle waiting in lines for attendees.

[@gavin4342]

La Parka sighting = Instant like

[@cbennett_12]

Twitch definitely helped, because I remember trying to watch the first few Nintendo Directs on uStream (unrelated to Ubisoft, somehow) and it was an absolute pain. If they had stuck with them and not moved to Twitch (and KZbin Live never took off), maybe the in-person E3 showcases would have lasted

[@VonDiesel3768]

I really thought after talking about the snark levels, he was gonna say “they paved paradise and put up a snarking lot”

[@ExelArts]

Getting rid of booth babes and not letting The general public in was the start of the problem

[@Josh.JustJosh.]

I LOVE this “What Went Wrong” series

[@joncarter3761]

E3 got replaced by Summer Games Fest, publisher solo streams and thinking they're too big to be replaced.

[@billybollockhead5628]

The reality also, is that sometimes being at e3 your game can stand out - but realistically, you'll be lost among all the other games on show.

[@murdocnl]

Love listening to Ben

[@freddiejohnson6137]

In the days where you can do online presentation not only to the public but others in the industry the whole point to E3 becomes moot and the publishers done it for those reasons. They also can announce games and hardware all year around easier now and don't have to wait for these trade shows to be able to do it.

[@Alucard-A-La-Carte]

That time they doxxed the games press and their apology consisted of a bashful "I'm a bad widdle boy" was a low-point...

[@thomasferraro479]

Steiner Math reference lol, I caught it

[@lcrawfo2]

You get a like for the Scott Steiner reference at 4:07

[@ElRigs83]

Back in 07 I went to the public version called E for All. I played some games grabbed the free 5 hour energy and went to sightseeing in LA

[@geoffgero6081]

I remember watching E3 05 with baited breath. I was so excited to see the Nintendo Revolution and the PS3. Feels like a different world, and I didn't even realize E3 hasn't happened for real since 2019.

[@fenrichvega6166]

Also let's not forget that tiny extra point that probably helped lead developers out the door of E3. The time when everyone's personal contact info was leaked on the E3 website for 2 hours before anyone did anything. Phone numbers,home address etc

[@DVGBlur]

And alas my dream to attend an E3 is possibly gonna die

[@TheOminousbeanbag]

I work in trade shows and those numbers are pretty standard. You should see what CES or NAB booths cost, probably a lot of the reason they went out on their own.

[@TheOminousbeanbag]

Also a 22kft/sq booth is huge lol. The 25kft/sq booth I just did had 9 big ass construction vehicles, a bunch of offices, and a lounge.

[@denisvarga2794]

To be fair, i was ready to watch E3 this month... I COMPLETELY forgot it dont exist anymore.... Kinda sad, but not really... Was kinda cool ritual in my life, stay up at night every year for 3 days, sleeping for couple hours, then watching microsoft presentation, then sleeping for a little-bit more, then watching something from Ubisoft... Then doing the same for Nintendo... etc.... Was cool to do, even tho i was at home, it made me feel kinda included in the expo... When i became older i now understand how dumb it was, and watched the last 2 of them on youtube when i had a normal night sleep, but still... Cool times...

[@adrid.senpai7587]

E3 was great. I remember having "watch parties" at my friends house being stoked to watch our favorite developers and hope for the new announcement on our favorite video game series.

[@exocolt15]

I love how he be taking shots at everyone 😂😂😂

[@HWOD]

I'm happy I was able to go to one

[@cryptopapi4737]

15:13 Is that Hollie? I miss Playstation Access now. Time to change channels :)

[@bharathsankaranarayanan]

As an Indian gaming fan, I've always admired the allure of E3. Fortunately, I was able to attend the 2018 E3, before everything changed!

[@bananaempijama]

Corporations took over in a business model way

[@SlapNuts4Life]

8:48 I swear that guy standing in the back looks almost exactly like Henry Rollins😂😳

[@garuelx8627]

Well for starters, those areas of California are currently living in The Purge. Not the most business friendly places atm...

[@DJsleng06]

Also "booth babes". Getting rid of the booth babes is the real reason why E3 is now defunct.

[@juans8356]

what went wrong? nothing, the internet became the new mainstream way to get instant access and leaks for e3 would show up 2 months prior to the events.

[@xBloodXGusherx]

This would have been SEGA's chance to come back and steal the market.

[@jordanhazelwood2546]

Hooray! It's a W4 about E3!

[@manuelthecolombianvyonder2544]

I wish I was born before 1965, so I can attend all of the E3s that were held in the Los Angeles Convention Center without any major money issues before the infamous COVID-19 pandemic happened!

[@joshuaDstarks]

The internet happened, and social media made it to where companies didn’t have to blow millions just to show a trailer. We’ve all moved on from this circus.

[@rouvencocker]

E3 like blockbuster and dine in pizzahut, best things lost in my lifetime that my daughter will understand. 😢

[@jackbates2223]

If those 3 are the worst things youve lost in your life time then youve lived a sad life

[@rouvencocker]

@@jackbates2223 your moms sad. 🤪

[@homeaccount5943]

I really miss E3.

[@bensonsj98]

*My body is ready.*

[@johneaton3690]

Company's pay $5M-$10M USD for a 30 second ad during the Super Bowl. $1.5M for a booth at the planets largest consumer electronics conference for 3 days? That to me sounds like a good business investment, >

[@KyudoKun]

My body is ready!

[@benjohnson1761]

And now it's gone. Forever 🙁

[@maximillianmarcosebastian880]

As they said, “GGWP.”

[@mikekyto]

I miss the E3 :(

[@hermit3043]

It was over when they got rid of booth babes.

[@flouserschird]

What went wrong? Livestreams happened.

[@kalasatwater2224]

They hype was always greater than the actual event

[@Gridlok]

A 20 minute video to say what can be said in 2 words: The Internet.

[@_SYDGAMING_]

Ngl im gonna miss e3

[@maximillianmarcosebastian880]

18:50-18:55 - Annnd in late 2023 they pulled the plug. GGWP for E3.

[@lewisgrant7622]

What went wrong. They became irrelevant because these game companies realised they could just stream their own events

[@derek-64]

No mention of pretty, scantily clad booth babes? Dude, c'mon. A moment of silence for the booth babes. ⚘️

[@nameuser4406]

That show was a bonus to the good games that were out. No good games, just ways to take your money.

[@84bombsjetpack23]

Never understood why games have to be announced during game shows or events. Even the Nintendo Direct seems unnecessary. They could just announce things whenever, instead of waiting for a Direct.

[@AbdFattah]

4:14 I love how everything bad that happens is 2020 is Animal Crossing's fault

[@alexisnaranjo]

They started to let in the public. That's where it went wrong. Forcing it to get bigger venue and fees, became a nuisance instead of a showcase for industry

[@seroujghazarian6343]

Also E3 was in May the first years few that weren't callled 1997. And then in July in 2007 and 8. And then back to June like in 1997 starting 2009.

[@jckorn9148]

The only things that actually benefit from these massive conventions aren't the venders themselves. It's the convention centers, hotels, airline companies. It's a gigantic waste of time and pain in the ass.

[@chacalacalacaxd6538]

Pain

[@questcore636]

i think what really crippled E3 was the downfall of the gaming industry, having too many bad game releases in a oversaturated gaming market, another factor is social media, we get trailer videos, we get twitter ads, we get twitch endorsements, there is no more need for E3 exclusives

[@ichangedmyusernamebecausei2551]

Man it’s such bs e3 is practically gone now. It was the perfect way for me to start my summer. Seeing new games get announced and showcased all in one place where gamers can meet up with other gamers and explore and enjoy the event. Now the big 3 console companies and other gaming companies do their virtual showcases just to save money and time which I understand as a business student. But still e3 was like a holy event for gamers.

[@Halcon_Sierreno]

The end of an era.

[@JYZProductions]

it's just like NAMM for musical instruments. It's not needed any more. The reach social media has given brands. Or this case game developers. You don't need E3. It's like someone in 2023 sitting around watching MTV waiting for their favorite music video(s) to pop up on their screen. Why? Go watch it on here. Want to watch it 50 times in a row? Go for it!

[@TaLiiWaG]

Not everything has to be necessary for it to have high value to people. E3 was an event. Every gamer looked forward to it. I know I'm alone here compared to my last statement. But I've never watched an individual company "direct."

[@lirpa5]

The gaming industry without a huge, bombastic, tentpole event like E3 is like the music industry with no Coachella or Grammys, the film industry with no Cannes or Oscars. The Gaming industry has nothing like that now. Some puny little Nintendo direct aint gonna fill that hole.

[@kokotheclown2588]

Tbf the Oscars are having a slow slow death

[@Finfection]

The Game Awards