The Entertainment Software Association has announced that E3 2022 will once again be an online-only event, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the primary reasoning for the decision. In a statement to VentureBeat the ESA said, “Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022. We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.” Meanwhile, Geoff Keighley vehicle Summer Game Fest, which emerged in 2020 as a way to fill the void left behind the completely cancelled E3 from that year, has confirmed that it will return this summer. Because we didn’t have enough of Geoff presenting and giving forewords to literally ever single game announcement and trailer in the universe over the past 18-24 months. pic.twitter.com/5MLaSCESlH — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) January 6, 2022 The concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic remain very real, especially as new and more transmissible variants seem to be popping up all the time, but it’s still surprising that the ESA hadn’t waited until a bit closer to the time to see how the virus is impacting every day life. The CES 2022 tech trade show has gone ahead in Las Vegas this week, which was probably a really bad idea given the Omicron variant’s spread around the globe, but the summer months have seen countries feel able to lift lockdowns and bullishness surrounding vaccination programmes has helped to avoid the strictest lockdowns in many countries. Again, it’s probably the right call, but feels odd to be coming six months in advance. That is if the pandemic is the actual reason for cancelling the physical event. Analyst Mike Futter took to Twitter to counter this claim by saying that the ESA had already abandoned their dates for the LA Convention Centre back in November. This is spin. I heard from sources in mid-November, before Omicron's emergence at the end of that month that the ESA had abandoned their dates for the LACC. https://t.co/2oIbkNDFBx — Mike Futter (@Futterish) January 6, 2022 He continued to say that publishers have all seen the benefits of marketing directly to customers with their own streams, instead of paying for expensive show floor space for a select few. That was already evident prior to the current situation, as one by one Nintendo, EA, Activision and Sony started to step away from E3 and start marching to their own tune. I’m sure we can expect that E3 will try to put itself at the centre of this summer’s bonanza of streams and game announcements, but COVID-19 or not, it feels like the trade show’s goose is getting cooked… and Geoff’s getting the first serving. Source: VentureBeat, Mike Futter
The ESA has confirmed E3 2022 won't be held in person in a statement issued this evening. Citing the "ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees", the show will not be something both journalists and the public can physically attend this year. Interestingly, though, the statement doesn't mention whether E3 will be presented digitally for a second year running.
While it may be a safe assumption the ESA does have something planned for the summer months, it hasn't come out and confirmed anything at the time of writing. When GamesBeat asked a follow-up question on the possibility of an online event, the company replied that it is "excited about the possibilities of an online event". Again, no confirmation.
Tabletop role-playing games currently exist in an interesting space. The shipping bottlenecks and material shortages that plagued publishers throughout the last year continue,...
From large corporations to mom and pop shops, businesses across the world are embracing NFTs. Visit BitPay to learn how your organization can leverage NFTs to connect with customers.
Powerball has kicked off 2022 in grand fashion. Two lucky players claimed last night’s jackpot, worth $632.6 million. The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which operates Powerball, said two tickets sold in California and Wisconsin each matched all six numbers during last night’s January 5 draw. The winning numbers were 6, 14, 25, 33, 46, and […]
Ashley Youdan, CEO of Hot Drops (www.myhotdrops.com), the first inclusive adult NFT marketplace disrupting how creators and fans connect with next-gen content.
NiftyAgenda, the premier global conference series connecting blockchain and cryptocurrency investors with startups since 2014.
NFT Creators, Innovators, Buyers, and Media are invited to attend.
WHAT:
A press conference and demo from Hot Drops, discussing their ban from CES and their innovative, inclusive marketplace at the NiftyAgenda Launch Party.
WHERE/WHEN:
January 6, 2022 5pm - 11pm
Former celebrity estates in Las Vegas, 10 minutes from The Strip
NiftyAgenda tickets are available for $299 and include the meet-and-greet segment, NFT gallery showcase, and Think:X concert. CES accredited media will be allowed in at no cost upon independent verification of credentials.
WHY:
Hot Drops has been banned from exhibiting from CES®, where it applied to have a large presence in the first-year NFT pavilion area inside CSpace, the media and entertainment forum at the conference, as well as Eureka Park, the startup pavilion. Hot Drops is the only application denied of ten Transform Ventures portfolio companies exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES®).
For more information, please contact contact@coinagenda.com.
ABOUT NIFTYAGENDA
NiftyAgenda brings together NFT creators, innovators, buyers and media. NiftyAgenda is the newest conference from CoinAgenda, which has been producing high-end crypto investor events globally since 2014.
ABOUT HOT DROPS
Hot Drops (www.myhotdrops.com) is an inclusive NFT marketplace disrupting how creators and fans connect with next-gen content, exclusive, limited-edition digital collectibles, community, and loyalty rewards. Through collaborations with diverse influencers, artists, clothing brands, high fashion photographers, directors and more, Hot Drops aims to destigmatize, bridging the gap between what has previously been considered "mainstream" and "adult,” while bringing NFT collections of value and utility. When launched in early Q1 2022, Hot Drops' technology will offer safer, more compliant content using smart contracts, age authenticated accounts to purchase or view content and will require manual approval processes for established creators to prevent minors from accessing or monetizing on the platform. With 12 of its first creators onboard having an Instagram following of 30 million, Hot Drops will also feature a gamification aspect, rewarding loyal fans and communities for their purchases with exclusive content and experiences.
Disclaimer: Consumer Electronics Show”, "CES,” “CES®” and “International CES®” are registered trademarks of the Consumer Electronics Association. NiftyAgenda at CES 2022 is not affiliated with or endorsed by CES or the Consumer Electronics Association.
Cryptocurrency casino and sports betting site “Stake” is ready to tackle sports betting in the UK. The company is expanding its marketing presence through a partnership with soccer club Swindon Town FC in order to gain traction. Stake received approval to set up shop in the UK last month. That led to a partnership with […]
MGM Resorts is overhauling its leadership of four of the company’s casino properties outside of Las Vegas. The casino operator this week announced that Melonie Johnson will return to MGM National Harbor outside DC in Maryland after a roughly year and a half leading Borgata in Atlantic City. Travis Lunn, a longtime MGM executive, will […]
