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E3 has canceled its 2023 return, crushing the excitement of many for what could’ve been gaming’s greatest comeback. Once the gaming industry’s biggest news showcase, the event has unfortunately struggled to adapt in the post-COVID entertainment economy. In the last four years, E3 had attempted to adapt by hosting online presentations. Sadly, with that, developers realized they could host their own online presentations, any time they chose and without event restrictions. Many developers have had success doing so; Sony is even rumored to be hosting their 2023 showcase on June 8th, shortly before E3 would’ve taken place this year. 

To put the nail in the coffin, earlier this year Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony confirmed they’d be skipping the show. Later Ubisoft joined them as well, though they had initially promised to attend should this year’s show still occur. While we understand the difficult decision E3 organizers made, we certainly hope E3 may one day return in its full glory, with changes made to make it just as spectacular a show as it used to be in its heyday.

Indie Wins Big

Everybody loves the underdog, and this year’s BAFTA Awards proved that adage correct. Vampire Survivors won this year’s award for “Best Game,” beating out GOTY-giants Elden Ring and Marvel Snap. Present to accept the award was its entire development team, with gaming leadership like Phil Spencer congratulating them online. This goes to show that a AAA game studio isn’t needed to win such a prestigious award.

Congrats to the amazing team @poncle_games on such a great achievement. Fantastic game and awesome to see the industry recognition. @poncle_soft @poncle_vampire

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) March 30, 2023

Mobile Making Money Moves

A recent report has stated that paid competitive gaming (PCG) has become the fastest growing portion of the gaming sector. According to Newzoo and Mobile Premier League’s report, The USA was PCG’s top market, responsible for 42% of its revenue. Skill-based mobile gamers were found to be more engaged, dedicating more play-time per week and having more gaming apps installed than traditional players. Their report also revealed that many players that uninstall PCGs shortly after downloading return after a 6-12 months hiatus. Remarkably, they predict that by next year, the number of mobile gamers will rise to over half the world’s population. Is it possible we’ll soon see mobile gaming become the world’s #1 source of entertainment?

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