For the first time ever there will be no PlayStation conference at E3 next year, in a clear sign that the PlayStation 5 is imminent.
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The Electronic Entertainment Expo in L.A. is usually the most important date on the calendar for video games, and its been that way for 24 years. But as much as gamers enjoy all the razzamatazz and new announcements most publishers resent the effort and money that goes into putting on a good show.
But while that may be a factor in Sonys surprise decision the more obvious conclusion is that theyre getting ready to announce the PlayStation 5, but wont quite be ready to do so by next June.
As the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage the community, said Sony in a statement. PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019. We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019 and cant wait to share our plans with you.
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The slightly ambiguous wording led some to wonder if Sony will put on its own event at a similar time but not actually at E3, as EA has done in recent years. But a spokesman told American mag Game Informer that, We will not activate or hold a press conference around E3.
Although the news initially seems surprising, Sony has been withdrawing from a number of public events recently, with no major presence at Paris Games Week and no PSX event planned for December.
Their E3 showing this year was disappointing too, with a tediously drawn out event that focused only on a few games and featured far less new announcements than usual.
Sony owes much of the PlayStation 4s success to its critically-acclaimed suite of first party games, many of which were announced years before they came out.
But as they reach the end of the generation theyve started catching up with themselves and increasingly have nothing new to show.
Sony Americas Shawn Layden recently explained the lack of a PSX event this year by saying that, Now that we have Spider-Man out the door, were looking down into 2019 to games like Dreams and Days Gone. But we wouldnt have enough to bring people all together in some location in North America to have that event. We dont want to set expectations really high and then not deliver on it.
It seems likely that the same logic is behind the no-show at E3, and so theres a good chance theyll be back for subsequent years.
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The real story here though is that the reason they arent announcing more games is that anything after Ghost Of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II, and Death Stranding is likely to be on a next generation PlayStation 5 console. Indeed, many theorise that some of these titles may in fact be cross-generational and appear on both consoles.
If Sonys not at E3 that implies the PlayStation 5 still wont have been revealed by then, which in turn suggests its more likely to be released in 2020 than 2019. Although thats assuming Sony isnt completely ignoring all the usual channels for revealing new hardware.
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As for Microsoft, theyve been very quick to confirm that they will be at E3 – with Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirming as much in response to a tweet from E3 organisers.
That could be taken as meaning that the next generation Xbox will be announced before or at E3, but well just have to wait until next June to know for sure…
Update: Nintendo has also confirmed itll be at E3 2019, at least in terms of their stand at the show – as usual their announcements will likely all be done via a Nintendo Direct.
E3 is an outstanding opportunity for us to share new games and experiences with fans and business partners from across the globe, said Nintendo of America boss Fils-Aime. Every year, we discuss what will be the best way for us to take advantage of the next E3 show in order to bring smiles to peoples faces.
A lot to share with fans at E3 2019. Always a high point of the year to witness the industrys creativity and the energy of the community. https://t.co/Uug2TUpxwI
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) November 15, 2018
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