SuperData: E3 is not needed by big publishers

The gaming industry has repeatedly discussed how much E3 is needed. But this year, the world was able to see in practice that the big players are coping on their own, SuperData reports.

For example, Sony held a presentation of the PlayStation 5 on official channels on YouTube and Twitch, and it was watched by 2 times more viewers than the Xbox conference at E3 2019.

The Ubisoft Forward 2020 digital conference was watched by an average of 250 thousand more people than last year at the E3 show. However, this hype is partly due to two things: a free computer copy of Watch Dogs 2 for every viewer and the announcement of Far Cry 6.

But there are still small developers and publishers of indie games that are much less well-known. E3 for them is a way to attract the attention of as large an audience as possible, and streams here will not become an equivalent substitute.

Fans of companies such as Sony, Ubisoft or Blizzard will not miss the announcements in any case, because these publishers are well-known – they are talked about a lot, and it is not so important to the audience where exactly to watch the presentations. But indie games try not to miss the chance to show themselves at large-scale events, as the big names of major publishers attract a lot of viewers there.

Therefore, when this year’s PC Gaming Show was held by itself, and not as part of E3, it was watched by half as many people as in 2019. This is due to the fact that only developers and publishers of medium-sized indie games participated there.

According to SuperData, indie studios, instead of participating in the PC Gaming Show, Guerrilla Collective or Future Games Show, should think about digital shows from well-known publishers. For example, the indie game Bugsnax from Young Horses agreed to participate in the presentation of the PlayStation 5 and caused a stir.

As a result, the cancellation of E3 this year hurt only indie projects, major publishers found a way out in their online events.

Also on the topic:

• How will gaming companies replace E3 2020?The organizer of The Game Awards refused to participate and produce E3
• PlayStation Won’t be Coming to E3 2020
• Is there any news?