Prisoner’s Dilemma Strikes E3 2018 & Beyond
The classic prisoner’s dilemma has finally found its way into what used to be the most exciting time of year for video games. As Venture Beat indicated in their article linked above, more and more video game companies are trying to get the jump on their competition by making their own huge groundbreaking announcements…right before everyone has gathered to do it at once to gain maximum publicity and buzz for the industry as a whole.
These companies are betting they’ll obtain a larger individual boost while leaving their competitors behind, rather than taking the safe but shared group announcements route. With more and more companies noticing this tactic, they will feel forced to join in or risk losing out, thus further damaging the original convention. It’s quite the dilemma.
As technology and more specifically, communities and engagement on the internet continue to grow, it’s likely that industry conventions with such a large consumer focus like E3 will further wilt away. At this point in time it is simply too easy to reach out to the consumer directly without having to simultaneously promote competing brands. Nintendo already does this with their Nintendo Directs throughout the year, and it seems that the industry has taken notice. It will be interesting to see if this phenomenon spreads to conventions that are not generally associated with having strong online communities, or if companies will continue to play it safe with the traditional option.