Yahoo Finance Sony is skipping E3 again in 2020
It's focusing on a 'year of celebration.'
Last year Sony pulled a no-show at E3, and the company has announced it will sit out the 2020 event too. In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, the folks behind PlayStation explained that "After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.
"We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans."
In 2018 Sony tried out a "different approach" for its E3 press conference while diving into games like Death Stranding, but it appears that even the prospect of launching its PlayStation 5 later this year won't bring it back to the show in an official sense. Of course, as we observed last year, Sony's presence still loomed large over the E3 show floor via sales and third party unveilings, and it seems likely the same thing will happen in 2020. For its part, Microsoft took the wraps off of Xbox Series X at The Game Awards, and it remains to be seen how much focus it will put on E3 as opposed to its own fan-centric events.
Update (8:37 PM ET): The ESA (the organization behind E3 has responded with a statement of its own, via a spokesperson.
E3 is a signature event celebrating the video game industry and showcasing the people, brands, and innovations redefining entertainment loved by billions of people around the world. E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike. Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.
Update 2: Xbox boss Phil Spencer is also answering any questions about Microsoft's plans for this summer. He tweeted that "Our team is hard at work on E3, we look forward to sharing with all who love to play what's ahead for us."
Our team is hard at work on E3, we look forward to sharing with all who love to play what's ahead for us. Our artform has consistently been propelled by the cross-section of creativity and technical progress. 2020 is a milestone year in that journey for Team Xbox. #XboxE3 #E32020
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 14, 2020
