Reedpop Abandonment Leaves E3 Dangling on the Gallows

A rupture in the partnership between ESA and Reedpop has strummed more death notes for E3.  The abandonment of the project by both parties has added more arrows to the ailing program.

Several months after plans for a revamped E3 fell through, the Entertainment Software Association terminated its agreement with ReedPop. Along with the cancellation comes more bad news. The Los Angeles Convention Center will not host E3 in 2024.

A revamped E3 was planned for 2023 with additional ways for consumers to participate. It was slow to gain traction with major gaming companies despite ESA and ReedPop’s partnership.

This announcement will not quell the question of what the future holds for E3. ReedPop is out and more changes look to be coming.

In a statement to reporters, Reedpop said that the program fell short of providing a renovated vision to gaming companies.

“It simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry”.

Another difference in vision between the former partners. While Reedpop considers the E3 an insufficient program, ESA believes the company has the potential to become the answer to modern game developers. ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said:

“While the reach of E3 remains unmatched in our industry, we are continuing to explore how we can evolve it to best serve the video game industry and are evaluating every aspect of the event, from format to location. We are committed to our role as a convenor for the industry and look forward to sharing news about E3 in the coming months”.

Even as both companies go their separate ways, E3 is not completely dead. However, such negative news will not help it to revive any time soon. What is clear and certain is that Reedpop has left the show.