You know what’s enjoyable? Prizes are given forth. Everyone enjoys receiving prizes. They are, for the most part, an opportunity to be really enthusiastic about something and to recognize accomplishments. They can also spark heated discussions over whether the correct awards were given out or whether a different nominee should have received them. They’re also an opportunity to broadcast trailers for new games in video games, which adds to the excitement. But what if the entire awards show was dedicated to new releases?
The Entertainment Software Association will put this concept to the test during this year’s digital-only E3. The ESA announced in a press release that it would present an awards show during the event to honor some of the most anticipated new titles. Editors from sites like Gamespot and IGN will be deciding on the prizes.
This is an intriguing proposal from the ESA in order to possibly pique E3’s interest. The truth is that developer interest in the event has been declining for several years. Large studios like Sony and EA are opting out of having a physical presence at E3, with EA organizing their own event around E3 time because they believe they can better present themselves that way. It’s difficult to persuade developers to pay for floor space to show off their games or organize a huge press conference in the digital age when they can easily do so with a series of trailers, similar to how Nintendo handles its Directs.
However, being the most anticipated game of E3 has always had a certain allure. When games are released, they often include box art badges noting how many “E3 Awards” they have received, and the buzz surrounding a game can lead to top-tier marketing from publishers. For example, the excitement around No Man’s Sky following its E3 video was a big part of why it became such a well-marketed game for Sony.
This awards presentation might be an excellent opportunity to highlight those moments and persuade creators to continue utilizing E3 as a springboard to greater prominence. Anyone who does this, however, may incur a financial penalty. Fan interest leads to expectations, and expectations lead to enthusiasm. It can be difficult to live up to those expectations, especially since E3 trailers are rarely representative of the final product. Developers attend these gatherings to show off games that aren’t even close to being finished. This means they could change a lot before release, but it also means that a lot of the time the code that’s in these trailers is dummy code, existing only for the event itself. It’s a heavy ask to tell a game developer to devote a month of work on their game to create a product that is going to accomplish nothing more than marketing.
All that said, an awards show is an interesting idea to create more excitement around E3. Celebrating games is never a bad thing and at the end of the day that’s what this is, an opportunity to celebrate some fun looking video games.
