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July 30, 2006 - According to a report at Next-Generation, E3 2006 may have been the last Electronic Entertainment Expo ever, at least as we know it.
While no official announcement from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) -- the foundation that organizes E3 -- has been made as of yet, the buzz around the videogame industry this weekend is that E3 is no more.
The reasons for the change are mostly economic. As Next-Generation reports, "the larger exhibitors have jointly decided that the costs of the event do not justify the returns, generally measured in media exposure." Larger companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision, and Midway have long organized their own individual gamer days for the press to see and play their upcoming titles. E3 is often much more hectic and overwhelming than individual events, so it looks like the larger publishers are questioning the value of displaying their wares on the jam-packed floors of the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC).
There are rumblings that the trade show may go on in a different form. The new show would be vastly reduced in scope and scale, and move from its current location at the massive LACC to a smaller venue.
An official press announcement with more details is expected to hit the wire tomorrow. IGN will bring you more on this surprising story as we hear it.
