Journalist and presenter Geoff Keighley has said to expect fewer third-party digital showcases this summer, as companies instead opt to include content in events like his Summer Game Fest show.
Last year companies such as Capcom and Square Enix received a somewhat negative critical response to their own digital events, which fans felt contained fewer announcements than anticipated.
Speaking during a Twitter Spaces audio session this weekend, Keighley said consumers should expect less third-party conferences this year, as those publishers with less content instead opt to participate in Summer Game Fest and “first-party conferences” such as the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase.
“There were a lot of shows last year where everyone was disappointed when they weren’t really press conferences, right? Like Take-Two, Capcom, Square Enix and things like that,” he said.
Live in IMAX! Summer Game Fest & The Game Awards
“I think [they] have learned that if you’re going to do a press conference, you kind of need to have 30 minutes-plus of stuff, and sometimes they only have one or two great games to show, which may not be enough to do a full event around.”
Keighley added: “So I think that’s going to be a bit of a shift. I have a pretty good sense of what’s coming in the next month, and I think people will be hyped about games in general.
“There is still a lack of games coming out right now, this kind of is the Covid gap year I think… with a lot of games being delayed because they were started during the pandemic. We’re still hoping for a lot of things to come out”.
As previously announced, Summer Game Fest will kick off with “a live cross-industry showcase” on Thursday, June 9 at 11am PT / 2pm ET / 7pm BST.
It promises to showcase “what’s next in gaming with huge new game announcements, world premieres, special guests, and much more”.
During the Twitter chat, Keighley revealed that “15-plus” guests will appear during the show, and confirmed that this year’s event will see members of the media go hands-on with some of the games featured.
“I don’t think people are going to get necessarily everything that they want in June, like they never do, but I hope people have fun,” he said.
“It’s just going to be different, and that’s what I keep telling people: this is not replacing E3, it’s a different sort of vibe and sense of things. I don’t make the games, so I just sit here and pray that there’s going to be some cool stuff to show to people.”
