Hiya!

Well, apparently, even though the entire world is falling into a sense of normalcy nowadays, not everyone is still willing to go all in. I can understand that. After the craziness of the past several years, I get the need for some people and organizations to be a little cautious and not rush into cramming hundreds of people in cramped quarters these days. While events like conventions have slowly been popping back up, the video game’s biggest event, E3, is still cancelled this year. So, it looks like the biggest week for the latest and greatest gaming announcements will not be happening in 2022.

Oh, who am I kidding? It’s still on! In all honesty, I am super hyped for “Not E3” this year!

In fact, it’s already started with Sony’s most recent State of Play. I was planning to write about this topic prior to June but I thought it would be too premature to say anything about it in May. Well, color me foolish! It turns out I was totally wrong because Sony really started out “Not E3” with a very strong opening salvo during their State of Play. They revealed a couple of heavy hitters from Capcom’s end, specifically a trailer for Resident Evil 4 Remake and a brief glimpse of gameplay for the upcoming Street Fighter 6. There were also a few more announcements, like Spider-Man getting remastered for PC, a new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI and a couple of new games like Eternights and Rollerdome as well as upcoming content for Resident Evil: Village and Horizon: Forbidden West. I’m personally excited for Stray. I’m not exactly a cat person but the gameplay does look intriguing! This was a really big State of Play for Sony this year and, even though they probably weren’t going to be part of E3 again, they still had a very strong showing for “Not E3” this year.

Sony’s State of Play is just the tip of the “Not E3” iceberg as we still have gotten to the “Not E3” showcase proper. Just like last year when E3 cancelled, leave it to Geoff Keighley to take up the slack once again with the Summer Game Fest and I’m looking forward to it. Last year’s Summer Game Fest was a blast as there were a few announcements which really blew my mind. I mean, that was the event show which gave gamers their very first glimpse of what the long awaited Elden Ring would look like. I’m betting Geoff Keighley, with his multitude of connections in the gaming world, he’s bound to have something up his sleeve for this year’s Summer Game Fest. I wouldn’t be surprised if he reveals the next big Hideo Kojima game or something big like, say, Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2. Well, here’s hoping for the latter, anyway.

While Summer Game Fest may be focused on the more mainstream and AAA titles of the gaming world, it’s nice that Geoff Keighley hasn’t forgotten the little guys of the industry as, right after his big show, the Day of the Devs showcase, which focuses more on indie games, will also be happening this year. While I’ll be honest and I’ve never really taken a second look at most indie games until they get really popular, it’s nice to see them get some big coverage as it is right after Summer Game Fest. You might as well tune in for that since you’ve just watched a lot of previews for really hype (and expensive games).

Microsoft doesn’t seem to be going anywhere this year as, once again, they’re the only big console making a showing to “Not E3” again. Sony already did it’s thing with their State of Play and Nintendo seems to be playing it coy as they have yet to announce if they’ll have anything for “Not E3” this year. Microsoft does seem poised to have one of this year’s biggest shows. After all, they just purchased Activition Blizzard, which includes the gaming giant’s humungous collection of properties, all poised to shock gamers with surprising reveals. There’s also the chance of Bethesda winning “Not E3” for Microsoft if they show a trailer and actual gameplay for Starfield. It’s probably one of the most anticipated games ever so all they have to do is show us a little more of Starfield, maybe even a confirmed launch date, for fans to go all bonkers over it.

Even gaming websites and streaming services are getting into the “Not E3” spirit of things as IGN, Games Radar and Netflix are also returning this year with their own shows. The least interesting one, for me anyway, is Netflix’s Geeked Week. While it is gaming adjacent as it gives the streaming service the opportunity to preview shows like Arcane and Castlevania, they don’t really show any real games. It’s a fun little diversion but just feels like an overly drawn out commercial regarding what Netflix will have to offer. It still might be worth a watch because it is a way to see what they have in store for subscribers in the near future.

IGN Expo and Games Radar’s Future Games Show might not be as big as the other shows mentioned as they are gaming news websites so they’ll probably covering a lot of the stuff we already saw in the other shows. However, there are still a good chance for some exclusives because, as far as I know, IGN managed to snag the rights to show of the next Sonic game. I can’t really say where else a Sonic game would fit in the other shows so you never know what surprises these guys may have in store.

I haven’t even mentioned the other shows I don’t really care about! There are going to be things like the Wholesome Direct, Tribeca Games Spotlight, Limited Run Games, UploadVR Showcase, Guerrilla Collective and, forgive me, the PC Gaming Show. Look, I’m sorry but I don’t have a burly gaming PC rig and I don’t see myself getting one anytime soon. So, instead of looking at PC games in envy with how stunning the graphics can look, I’ll simply bypass all the heartache and not watch the PC Gaming Show at all.

There are still also the shows which haven’t been announced yet. I’ve said how Nintendo hasn’t made any announcement if and when their next Nintendo Direct will be happening. EA and Ubisoft also usually have a thing during the regular E3 so I’m not sure if they’ll have anything for “Not E3” in 2022. Even Square Enix, who should have a couple of stuff to reveal because Final Fantasy XVI is on the horizon now and they probably have something to show for Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2. None of these companies have announced for “Not E3” this year but that can definitely change in the next couple of days.

Even with all of that, the thing I’m most excited for is, strangely enough, Devolver Digital’s show. Yes, they just recently enough they’ll be putting on another show this year and I am pumped for whatever they have in store for us this year. Devolver Digital always manages to put on the most entertaining events each year, E3 or Not E3. It’s just so hilarious how Devolver Digital, a game publishing company, loves to poke at game industry trends and popular trends in general. I can’t wait to see the Devolver Digital NFT, which is probably what they’re going to make fun of this time around. I can’t wait!

All of this does make me wonder if E3 will ever return. I mean, “Not E3” has been taking up the slack. While I do miss the excitement and the concept of gamers from all over the world swarming to a single location to look at all of the upcoming game trailers, announcements and reveals as well as listening to a live crowd applaud at the really exciting ones, it does seem like E3 isn’t needed. I’m still hoping it’ll make a return sometime in the future. Right now, though, bring on “Not E3” for 2022, baby!

Byee!

What do you think of E3 not being a thing again this year? Better yet, who do you think will win “Not E3” in 2022? Let me know in the comments section below!