Nothing from Sony (So Far)
E3 2021 didn’t feel like E3 for a number of reasons. First and foremost, we weren’t at the Staples Center in Los Angeles catching up with developers and other members of the industry, mingling with fans and, on a more personal level, spending time with my colleagues I so very rarely see. But it wasn’t just the digital disappointment that the ESA served up this year (more on that in a moment) that made this year’s show feel very ‘un-E3’, but the lack of one of the big players, too.
Now, before you come at me all angry that, “actually, Sony hasn’t been there since 2018,” last year they held a ‘Future of Gaming‘ event on June 11, helping to fill the gap with a digital showcase akin to what other publishers did last year in the absence of the trade show altogether. The year before, they held two State of Plays sandwiched either side of the typical ‘E3 season’ in May and September respectively.
But as E3 2021 begins to wind down today, there’s been no sign of Sony at all. Granted, they may just be opting to do their own thing when they’re ready, so they don’t have to share the spotlight with every other publisher. But E3 felt very odd without them for yet another year.
I’m confident we’ll get another State of Play in the coming months, but the typical week or two of E3 announcements is such a special time in the industry, and it’d be great to have Sony rejoin the party during those weeks in future years.
