Sony And PlayStation Will Not Be At E3 2020

In a not entirely unsurprising announcement, Sony have gone on record to say they will not be attending E3 2020, marking the second year in a row that they have failed to attend.

Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, their spokesperson had this to say;

[su_quote cite=”Gamesindustry.biz”]After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.

We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.[/su_quote]

Sony have been quick to reassure fans that this is not because of a lack of any meaningful games to showcase, as was the case last year, however, we feel this is a misstep for the gaming giant.

Admittedly, E3 has come under fire for turning into a huge advertising campaign aimed at satiating fans, rather than an industry-focussed trade event like in the past, but surely that is the point of it? Take to the stage, and showcase the new games you have in the pipeline.

Considering Sony has yet to officially reveal the PS5 in all its glory, we can only presume Sony has something special planned for the big reveal. It could be that they are waiting for Microsoft to reveal the Xbox Series X first so they can capitalise on any perceived mistakes. Will they wait for Microsoft to announce pricing to see how well it’s received, and raise the price or attempt to undercut the Xbox?

Knowing that Microsoft will almost certainly use E3 as the platform to launch the Xbox gives Sony some flexibility in their announcement. The question is, will they try to beat Microsoft to the punch with an earlier reveal or wait until after E3 to attempt to upstage them afterwards. Only time will tell, but it’s certainly an interesting turn of events.