The ESA Has Announced That E3 Is Officially Dead
Written by Wesley LeBlanc
The Entertainment Software Association has announced that its long-running Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is officially dead, as reported by The Washington Post. The last in-person E3 conference happened in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and other complications prevented it from coming back in full form since. Despite struggles, the ESA attempted to bring E3 back in various ways.
It was canceled in 2020 as a result of the pandemic; the 2021 E3 was an all-digital event; the 2022 show was canceled, and this year's attempt with PAX organizer ReedPop was canned, too.
— E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023
"After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association has decided to bring E3 to a close," ESA president and CEO Stanely Pierre-Louis told The Washington Post. "We know the entire industry, players and creators alike have a lot of passion for E3. We share the passion. We know it's difficult to say goodbye to such a beloved event, but it's the right thing to do given the new opportunities our industry has to reach fans and partners."
Pierre-Louis told The Washington Post that E3's closure means video games and the surrounding business "has blossomed in different ways," noting that any of the major game companies can create their own individual showcases. He's likely alluding to the format popularized by Nintendo with its Nintendo Directs, which other publishers like Xbox and PlayStation utilize now. "That's exciting for our industry, and it means it's an opportunity for them to explore how to engage new audiences in different ways."
For a recap of the history of E3, read The Washington Post's full story here. For a look at the event's recent cancellation, read our E3 breakdown here.
[Source: The Washington Post]
What is your favorite E3 memory? Let us know in the comments below!
Every Creature Confirmed for Monster Hunter Wilds So Far
Written by Dillon SibillaDoctor Who: Things 60th Anniversary Did Better Than 50th Anniversary
Written by David George MortenDragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - How to Get Large Monsters
Written by Taylor PittmanGenshin Impact Leak Teases 4.4 Spiral Abyss Enemies
Written by Berat ÖzkanGod of War Ragnarok’s DLC Will Bring New Trophies
Written by Parth BagariaPokemon Fan Creates Adorable Terrariums Based On the Game Boy Advance
Written by Dane EnerioMore...
Update: Fntastic Says It Will Allow All Players To Refund The Day Before
Written by Wesley LeBlanc
Update, 12/12/23:
Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, announced yesterday that it was shutting down. It said at the time that servers for the game, which launched last week on December 7, would remain operational but that the future of The Day Before is unknown. Now, less than 24 hours later, The Day Before is no longer available for purchase on Steam (although you can still visit the page).
Plus, anyone who purchased the game is eligible for a refund, according to Fntastic.
"Answer to those who ask for a refund," a Fntastic tweet reads. "[We and publisher Mytona are] currently working with Steam to allow refunds for any player who chooses to request one, regardless of the game time. Fntastic received $0 and will receive nothing from The Day Before sales."
Notably, Steam allows users to refund games if they've played it for less than two hours and it hasn't been more than 14 days since the purchase date. Mytona, however, is offering refunds to anyone who purchased The Day Before.
Mytona also posted the following statement on Twitter:
"To all The Day Before players: As the investor of The Day Before, we would like to provide some updates on the current situation around the game. We are sorry for the fact that the game didn't meet expectations of the majority of the players. Today we will work with Steam to open up refunds for any players who choose to make a refund. We're in contact with Fntastic regarding the future of the game."
— Mytona (@mytona_official) December 11, 2023
The original story continues below...
Original story, 12/11/23:
Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, is shutting down. It announced the closure today with a statement that arrives just four days after the The Day Before launched into Early Access on December 7.
The studio says servers for The Day Before will remain operational, but it also says at this moment, the future of the game (and its 2021 release, Propnight) are unknown. Fntastic opened in 2015 – its first game was The Wild Eight, released in 2017.
Here is Fntastic's statement on its closing, in full:
"Today, we announce the closure of Fntastic studio. Unfortunately, The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue. All income received is being used to pay off debts to our partners. We invested all our efforts, resources, and man-hours into the development of The Day Before, which was our first huge game. We really wanted to release new patches to reveal the full potential of the game, but unfortunately, we don't have the funding to continue the work.
"It's important to note that we didn't take any money from the public during the development of The Day Before; there were no pre-orders or crowdfunding campaigns. We worked tirelessly for five years, pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into the game. At the moment, the future of The Day Before and Propnight is unknown, but the servers will remain operational. We apologize if we didn't meet your expectations. We did everything within our power, but unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities. Creating games is an incredibly challenging endeavor."
Official statement. #fntastic #thedaybefore #propnight pic.twitter.com/AKcRHeIaIW
— Fntastic (@FntasticHQ) December 11, 2023
The statement also lists its schedule of releases over the years, as you can see above.
The Day Before launched into Early Access last week, on December 7. As reported by IGN, the game peaked at 38,104 concurrent users at launch on Steam but today, that number is down to 4,197 players, according to SteamDB. In those four days, The Day Before also received enough negative reviews from players to place it into the 10 worst-reviewed games on Steam.
Over the years, The Day Before has been the subject of controversy, ranging from requests for volunteer work, various delays, broken promises, and more. Oddly, Fntastic has scrubbed its entire YouTube channel, leaving the following note as its channel's description: "We're grateful to everyone who supported us during these difficult years. It's been a fantastic journey over the past eight years."
Have you played any of The Day Before? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!