Geoff Keighley will not produce E3 Coliseum or participate in the event this year
Geoff Keighley has announced he will not produce E3 Coliseum this year, and it will be the first time in 25 years he has not participated in E3.
According to an official statement, he will instead support the industry in "other ways and at other events in the future."
In a statement provided to GI.biz, Keighley said he that "given what has been publicly communicated about plans for E3 2020," he doesn't feel comfortable participating in the show.
"This certainly wasn't an easy decision to make, but I think it's the right one for me -- and I wanted fans to know before tickets go on sale," he said.
Despite recent years, Keighley feels E3 is in the middle of a transition and thinks there's a way forward should it become more "digital, global, and inclusive in its approach to connecting gamers and celebrating the industry."
"We're at an interesting inflection point between physical and digital events, and certainly E3 is in the middle of a transition -- evolving from what was traditionally an industry trade show," he said.
"As someone who attended E3 for more than two and a half decades, there are of course a lot of emotions. But when you look at it objectively, E3 is really just an idea about uniting the industry and fans to celebrate the medium on a global scale. The future of E3 will be determined based on how effective the brand is at delivering against that goal."
The ESA announced last month it was teaming up with the online shop and creative production agency iam8bit to help reinvigorate the annual show and “shake things up.”
In the past few years, companies have decided to host their own presentations and community gatherings this year, Sony is once again skipping the show.
Additionally, the ESA is also trying win back the trust of media after personal details from the media, influencers, and analysts were leaked.