The president of the Entertainment Software Association explains the challenges of holding E3 as a digital event

Entertainment Software Association , commonly known by its acronym ESA, is the organizer of E3, one of the most important events in the video game industry. The fair was canceled last year, for the first time in its twenty-five year history, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a decision that was shocking for the industry, since it was one of the first events to announce its cancellation: the decision It was taken on March 11, 2020.
A year later, E3 is celebrated again, but instead of going back to its usual place, the LA Convention Center, it will be an entirely digital event, with all the events streaming : presentations from Nintendo, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Microsoft… event is held from June 12 to 15 on an online platform and with the collaboration of Twitch and YouTube.
According to Stanley Pierre-Louis, the president of the Entertainment Software Association , the move to the digital version has made things a little easier: “there will be no fear of missing something, because we will all be in this together”.
However, there are many challenges to be faced in adjusting to this format after a year of video calls and conferences in the age of Zoom fatigue. Pierre-Louis acknowledges that much of the excitement at E3 has to do with being able to network on-site, as well as the whispers of attendees when a big announcement is made at the convention center.
“It’s exciting to even see people seeing things,” says Pierre-Louis. “If you’re watching a concert live, there’s a certain thrill in seeing the crowd as part of that concert, which you don’t get if you just watch it on Zoom, right? So how do you create excitement in a digital environment? Part of it comes from variety, part of it comes from having several different types of programming.”
The president of the Entertainment Software Association also stresses the importance of pacing: “You can’t just make an ad, another ad, another ad in a digital show,” he says. Perhaps that’s why this year features three presenters for the first time: Greg Miller, Jacki Jing and Alex “ Goldenboy ” Mendez . According to Pierre-Louis, his role will not be “just to present, but also to comment on what they are seeing to reflect part of the conversations that are taking place in the video game community.”