Sony won’t attend E3 this year

For the second year in a row, Sony won’t be participating in E3, a Sony Interactive Entertainment representative told GamesIndustry.biz.

The yearly gaming industry event where the world’s biggest publishers show off the next big thing in video games has changed a lot over the past few years. Sony doesn’t seem to agree with the direction it’s heading in, however.

“After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020,” a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson said. “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.”

Some of gaming’s biggest announcements ever have taken place at E3 in the past, but it seems like E3 has struggled with an identity crisis. Some publishers want to see E3 become more fan-centric, while others want it to remain an industry-exclusive event.

In certain past years, E3 had been closed to the public entirely. In others, it allowed fans to cruise the show floor. Recently, the ESA has tried for a combination of both.

“We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe,” Sony said. “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.”

The PlayStation 5 could be revealed as early as next month at an event hosted by Sony, according to rumors.