E3 traditions are wonderful things, be it leaks we know will happen, the massive wall art on the side of the Figueroa Hotel and more, there are plenty to like. This however is one tradition I hope breaks after this year as PlayStation have announced that they are again, skipping E3, they have released a statement about their decision to not attend, it is below.

"After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020," said a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson. "We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.

"We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans."

Honestly, this sucks and the reasons offered are utterly shit. The problem is that they will have been given information about what the show will be, from the ESA and it does not bode well for E3 as a whole.

Skipping E3 due to lack of content is something other publishers, looking at you Nintendo during the Wii U era, should do, but to not attend, in a year you are launching a big console, that is just odd. The ESA released a follow up statement, which is even more confusing.

“E3 is a signature event celebrating the video game industry and showcasing the people, brands and innovations redefining entertainment loved by billions of people around the world. E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike. Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.”

So there we go, PlayStation will be a no show again, but they have not ruled out any event that might take place near E3, like EA do with their own EA Play.

Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox has tweeted that the team will be hard at work on bringing the best content to E3 2020