Phil Spencer Wants E3 2023 To Be 'Successful', But Apparently Xbox Won't Be Part Of It

As revealed last year, E3 is making its grand return in the form of E3 2023 in Los Angeles this summer, but it's been suggested that Xbox won't be taking part in the event, with no plans for a "formal presence" on the show floor.

According to sources at IGN, all three of Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo won't be involved in E3 2023. In a statement, E3 host ReedPop mentioned it was continuing to work "tirelessly" to create a show that "brings together the global gaming industry".

Full disclosure: Pure Xbox and its Hookshot Media sister sites are partnered with ReedPop.

"E3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we've worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs."

"This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years."

"As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike."

Last week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer mentioned in an interview with IGN that Microsoft wanted to "make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful", explaining that plans for Xbox's summer showcase are being arranged in order to be "convenient for press and even consumers that are going to the E3 event".

Here's a bit more of what he had to say:

"E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming. I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things...getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we've had. I definitely want that to continue."

"Xbox is on the board of the ESA, and I think a successful and healthy ESA is critical to what we're trying to go do. So we place our showcase, like we always have done, at a time where hopefully it's convenient for press and even consumers that are going to the E3 event, and that's what we're trying to do now. We will continue to work with ESA in terms of their plans. As I said, we're on the board, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful."

Despite Spencer's comments, then, it still sounds like Xbox will be skipping E3 2023 in a formal capacity, with plans instead to host a separate event in Los Angeles around the same time. Hopefully we'll find out more in the near future!

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[source ign.com]