The ESA has shared a light outline of what changes it has in store for E3 2020, telling those keeping an eye on the show that it is listening to feedback and that they’ll “be happy to know that we’re not producing E3 2020 in a vacuum.”
Those changes include a partnership with iam8bit intended to “shake things up” and plans to implement more unique experiences on the show floor.
“We will be showcasing E3 to the world through new streaming and digital programming while creating gatherings on the show floor that let people do what they love the most… play and celebrate games,” explains the ESA in a brief post. “We’ll have surprise guests, amazing stage experiences, access to insiders and experiential zones that delight the senses. It will be incredibly inclusive, celebrating all aspects of our industry.”
If all that sounds more than a little familiar, it may be because the concept is similar to what was pitched in a leaked pitch deck (obtained by GameDaily) that outlined the addition of influencer appearances, experience hubs, and a “queuentertainment” initiative geared at keeping the masses engaged while standing in expo floor lines. It’s a larger push that continues the gradual move towards a more consumer-inclusive event made over the last few years after having previously angled itself toward industry types and media.
Part of those changes also look to involve the security of its media registration process, an area that was discovered to be severely lacking after personal information for thousands of media attendees was leaked last year via an easily accessible spreadsheet.
“You should also know that we’ve upgraded our media registration process, which received a lot of attention this past summer,” reads part of the ESA’s post. “Earning back your trust and support is our top priority.”
In the spirit of that, the ESA says it will no longer store personal information on its website, and will require only ‘the minimum information necessary” for media registration moving forward. It also notes that that an outside cybersecurity firm was brought in to overhaul the website itself with updated data management processes and other security measures.