The coronavirus has become a global epidemic, and the video games industry, too, has been hit pretty hard. This is the time of the year where major conferences are usually held, one right after another, but they’ve almost all been sidelined in some form or fashion. PAX East’s overall attendance of publishers and developers was far smaller than usual, and it’s likely the annual GDC has been basically canceled. The cornerstone event of the industry, E3, is still on schedule though- at least for now.
In a statement from the ESA to Vice Games, they say that, as of now, there’s still plans to keep to the schedule. They say the show will continue to aim for coming this June, despite the various concerns about the current outbreak. Of course, June is still a bit down the road, so these plans could change.
“Everyone is watching the situation very closely,” said the ESA. “We will continue to be vigilant, as our first priority is the health, wellness and safety of all of our exhibitors and attendees. Given what we know at this time, we are moving ahead full speed with E3 2020 planning. Exhibit and registration sales are on track for an exciting show in June.”
E3 this year is taking a new direction as more and more major players skip the once monumental conference. It seems the ESA is determined to show us this new and “revitalized” E3 despite what’s happening, at least for the time being.
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