Sony has announced that for the second year in a row, it will be skipping the annual E3 video game expo this year, months before the launch of its upcoming PlayStation 5 console this holiday season.
Sony to skip E3 2020
E3, short for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is one of the largest video game conventions in the world, and is held every June in Los Angeles. The annual event has long-served as the stage for all the big announcements for the coming months and years, with the likes of Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA and Ubisoft all presenting their biggest upcoming hardware and software at the event.
In a statement to Polygon, a Sony spokesperson said: "After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020... we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year."
"We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe," the spokesperson quickly added, explaining that the company's main focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favourite 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," said the spokesperson.
Sony plans to hold its own PlayStation 5 event?
All eyes will be on Sony and Microsoft as next-gen consoles gear up for their Holiday 2020 launch, and Sony pulling out of E3 2020 will pave the way for Microsoft to steal the limelight. Then again, there are reports claiming that Sony wouldn't let that happen and would instead just hold a standalone PlayStation-centric event to announce PS5 info, reveal new games, and flex the upcoming console.
Sony has two major events scheduled for February. The first being the Taipei International Games Show from Feb.6 through Feb. 9, where Sony is participating. Then there's the month-long Experience PlayStation live event in New York City, which is being held from Jan. 14 to Feb. 16. However, we have no reason to believe that Sony will be revealed at any of these events.
So then when will Sony hold the PlayStation 5 event, you ask? Rumour has it that the PS5 event will take place somewhere between the aforementioned events, on Feb 12, 2020, where the tech giant will not only unveil the upcoming console but also show off PlayStation exclusives and sure fire massive hits like "The Last of Us 2" and "Ghost of Tsushima."
It seems like Sony is choosing to save their best announcements for their own events, rather than having to share the headlines with their rivals.
