Now that E3 2020 has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns, publishers and developers are devising alternatives to routine appearances at the hugely popular gaming conference. One such developer and publisher includes Ubisoft, who is considering a digital alternative to the company's usual E3 presentation.
The publisher behind such series as Ghost Recon, Assassin's Creed, and The Division is currently considering a "digital experience" given the cancelation of the E3 event. This was suggested in a tweet that illustrated Ubisoft's consideration of health concerns and acknowledgment of E3's importance in the gaming community.
The tweet with Ubisoft's PSA can be seen below.
It wouldn't come as much of a surprise if more and more companies continued to announce similar intentions. This technically already has begun, with Microsoft's Phil Spencer set to host a digital Xbox event given E3 2020's cancelation. While there is no guarantee, other usual attendees of E3 may well start announcing the brainstorming of streaming presentations.
Further, Ubisoft's announcement of a possible digital event, in particular, is somewhat in line with recent announcements and reports. As a new VR Prince of Persia game and Xbox Series X and PS5 version of Rainbow Six Siege were both announced, there is little doubt that the company would want to show these in action given appropriate conditions. Moreover, there are at least five games in development for the Xbox Series X and PS5, including Watch Dogs Legion, Rainbow Six: Quarantine, and Gods & Monsters. If these are in demonstrable conditions, then Ubisoft would unquestionably want to show off the games' concepts.
All in all, E3 2020's cancelation may be for the best given the immense public health concerns at the moment. It will surely be missed by many this year, though the digital alternatives being considered by publishers and developers may shift E3 permanently. In other words, E3 may go from a large gaming conference/convention to a multitude of grand digital presentations. We have yet to see what they entail, but Ubisoft may be offering a precursor of what's to come in its announcement.