E3 Coliseum to give players an inside look at highly anticipated games

By Gabe Gurwin May 4, 2017

Inside the E3 show floor

In years past, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, has been a relatively closed-door affair, limiting attendance to industry folk and the press, but with this year’s event being open to the public, fans now have the opportunity to get an inside look at their most anticipated games. The Entertainment Software Association is going all-in on the concept with the E3 Coliseum, presenting it as a stage for publishers and developers to show off their latest games, interact with fans, and even take questions from both attendees and those watching around the world.

Taking place at The Novo in Los Angeles on June 13 and 14, the E3 Coliseum is “a spectacular main stage that brings video game fans closer to their favorite games and creators,” according to the ESA. Developers will offer behind-the-scenes looks at their latest games and multiple publishers — including Activision, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Sony, and Microsoft, to name a few — will be hosting their own panels so that fans can ask questions about upcoming releases.

The E3 Coliseum will be open to anyone who already has a ticket to E3, but online viewers will also be able to take part via Facebook. The official E3 page will offer an inside look at some of the panels and will also give viewers a chance to submit their own questions.

“We are working around the clock to produce programming that will give fans unprecedented access to the biggest games and news from E3 and celebrate this industry’s importance to entertainment culture,” said producer Geoff Keighley in a press release. Keighley is also responsible for The Game Awards, a yearly show that has been greeted with a positive reception as a replacement to Spike’s original “VGA” ceremonies.

E3 will take place in Los Angeles from Tuesday, June 13 through June 15, though press conferences will begin that Sunday, June 11. Electronic Arts will also be holding its separate “EA Play” event on June 10.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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Here’s what E3 2023 could look like without Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft

Playstation character wall at E3 2018

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This is according to a report from IGN citing multiple sources, who claimed the companies won’t be a part of the show or make appearances on the floor at the Los Angeles Convention Center in any way. Their absence from this year’s E3, especially Nintendo’s, may come as a shock to the gaming community, but it's not such a surprise when looking at the past few iterations of E3. Even before the pandemic locked everyone down in 2020, Sony and Xbox had been hosting their own E3-style livestreams, so it was more likely they would do it again this year anyway. Nintendo, on the other hand, managed to show off its upcoming games via Nintendo Direct streams and at its booth, console kiosks and all.

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The official artwork confirming Summer Game Fest's return on June 8, 2023.

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Unlike past years, Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff 2023 will feature a live audience, like Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards. It will take place in the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park, with tickets going on sale in early 2023. It will still be livestreamed across platforms like YouTube and Twitch, though. It's currently unknown who's participating, how long Summer Game Fest will run afterward, or if it will feature a Summer Game Fest Play Days-like element for fans. Still, Keighley says all of that info will be revealed ahead of the event next year, teasing what people can expect.
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Geoff Keighley made it clear that he wants Summer Game Fest and E3 to coexist for a while. "We've had extensive conversations with ReedPop about E3," he said in an interview with Epic Games Store. "I think it'll kind of fit together and flow kind of from what we're doing into what they're doing and stuff. E3, to me, is this kind of master brand that represents gaming news in June."
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