Geoff Keighley Says Sayonara to E3

Yet today, he told The Washington Post that he “doesn’t feel comfortable participating” in the Coliseum show or E3 more broadly.Julie Muncy Julie Muncy Angela Watercutter “The show does need to evolve, but move in more of a digital and global direction,” Keighley said of E3 in an email to WIRED, adding that this summer will be the first time in 25 years that he has not participated in the event.In Los Angeles every June, companies like Nintendo, Epic Games, Bandai Namco, and Twitch build elaborate (and expensive) E3 booths to entice media. He played a critical role in developing E3 Coliseum, a platform reintroduced three years ago that brought fans together for important conversations with industry luminaries and leaders in celebration of video games.” The ESA says they hope to collaborate with Keighley in the future.Keighley’s no-show announcement is yet another ding against E3, which has been plagued by controversy for over a year. (Keighley said he read the pitch deck “like everyone else online,” not commenting further on the role it played in his decision.) Today, the ESA confirmed its new emphasis on live events, experiential zones, special guest gamers and celebrities in a press release, describing E3 as "reimagined."This morning, hours before Keighley’s announcement, E3 leaked its own website just a day before its planned launch.Keighley says he doesn’t yet know what E3’s full vision is for this year’s show, and had to move before the ESA could share it with him.