This is…interesting. E3 isn’t even cold yet and just two months after the death of the world’s biggest gaming event, IGN is ready to take over as the new go-to gathering of the year for gamers. It feels a little quick but, as someone who mourned the loss of E3, I’ll give it a chance. Let’s see what IGN has for us.
In a press release, IGN has announced IGN Live, a new in-person fan event to celebrate both games and entertainment. The event, which will kick off this summer in June, will “unite the best of gaming and entertainment with creators, developers, licensors, publishers, journalists, and enthusiasts from around the world to experience beloved brands and franchises in new and meaningful ways.”
Yael Prough, President of IGN Entertainment, said in a statement that “IGN Live is aligned with IGN’s mission and history. For nearly three decades, we have fueled fandoms that drive the most diverse and beloved games and entertainment into the zeitgeist.”
“Fans and partners have voiced their demand for a physical space where the community can come together in person to celebrate the industry’s most exciting innovations. L.A. was an obvious choice. It is home to some of the world’s top gaming and entertainment talent and creators. We are already experiencing the enthusiasm from publishers, partners and leadership in Los Angeles who look forward to delivering a world-class experience to the IGN community in DTLA at IGN Live 2024.”
So, what can you expect from the event? IGN says that attendees will get access to “world-class talent, parties, networking opportunities, and unique attractions from a curated list of leading exhibitors across gaming and entertainment.” The company will be hosting live versions of its shows, hosting game tournaments, holding panels, and — of course — showcasing some first looks at new games, television shows, and movies.
If you’re unable to attend the event in person, the company says it will be streaming the entire event on its website, YouTube, connected TV services, and all of the company’s social media profiles. IGN says that Live will be its first in-person companion as part of the company’s Summer of Gaming event. Actual event dates, cost, and location in Los Angeles are “coming soon.”
If you want to sign up to learn more about the event, you can do so on the IGN Live webpage.
The announcement of IGN Live comes just two months after we all learned that E3, after serving for two decades as gaming’s biggest in-person event for developers, vendors, and gamers, was officially dead for good. The death of E3 followed the proliferation of companies like Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo hosting their own events. Speaking of which, Xbox is hosting a special episode of its podcast this Thursday to reveal what the future of the platform looks like after the Activision Blizzard acquisition.
IGN Live will still have some competition from other events that aren’t brand-specific. Geoff Keighley, who had helped the ESA with the E3, now runs both Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards. It will also need to compete with Gamescom — which is now the largest gaming conference in the world.
Good! Bring on the gaming event competition! As someone who never made it in person to E3, it would be great to get the opportunity to travel to a gaming event without having to go international to Gamescom. We’ll see once the details for IGN Live come out. It can’t be long to wait, especially since we’re only four months away from the event kicking off.
