E3 2019 attendance was lower than that of 2018. While this year’s show saw many notable reveals including that of Cyberpunk 2077, Battletoads, and tons of adorable memes like the Ghost Recon dog and Ikumi Nakamura, the 2019 edition of the Electronic Entertainment Expo just couldn’t manage the same number of attendees as 2018. Thankfully, it’s not all bad news when it comes to the numbers.
In total, the E3 2019 attendance came up to an impressive 66,100 people as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. While this is still 3,000 fewer attendees as compared to 2018, it still represents higher numbers than 2016 or any of the years before. In short, this is simply a minor dip.
“E3 is where the video game industry’s biggest brands and biggest fans converge to shape the future. E3’s energy and excitement were felt in the halls, on the floors, and press conferences,” said ESA’s CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. “We broke records, saw incredible innovations, and had breathtaking moments that entertained the world. Congratulations to our creative and innovative exhibitors, members, and partners who made such a fantastic E3 possible.”
Aside from fewer attendees, there were several shakeups on the developer side of things. Big publishers like Electronic Arts, Activision, and Sony sat out this year’s conference, a factor that may have contributed to the lower E3 2019 attendance.
200 exhibitors were a part of this year’s show, a number that is pretty much in line with previous years. However, a quarter of these exhibitors were first-timers, a potential signal that a portion of last year’s exhibitors elected to not make a return for the 2019 show.
We can’t say for certain why E3 2019 attendance was lower as compared to last year. The absence of Sony and the unlikely announcement of firm details on either the Xbox Two or PS5 may have made people less excited about the show overall.
