Sony is dropping out of E3 2019.
The people behind one of the big-three of consoles opting not to show up for one of video gaming's biggest trade shows is a huge blow to the Entertainment Software Association's annual event. Considering the outsized presence of Sony at the show in years past, it goes without saying that E3 will have a fairly decent hole in its convention.
“As the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage the community,” Sony said in a statement about their decision. “PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019. We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019 and can’t wait to share our plans with you.”
Sony is far from the only big name to opt out of the trade show in recent years. Electronic Arts has moved away from the show in favor of its own separate press event in the week before E3.
Kotaku's Jason Schreier speculates that the move is part of Sony's build-up to their next-gen console. He believes that the timing of the announcement means that Sony will unveil PlayStation 5 in the near future with a release date in 2020. The console maker and entertainment company recently revealed the full lineup of pre-loaded games for its upcoming PlayStation Classic console.
