3-Day EA Play Announced, Replacing E3 2016 Events

E3 is gonna look a lot different (and have a ton fewer sports titles) without the gigantic EA booth right out the gate.

January typically isn’t the best time to make your E3 announcements. There are a ton of conferences and events in the months ahead prior to it, include PAX South, GDC and more. That said, EA had to get their news out at this time because it’s not about E3. Electronic Arts has announced EA Play, which will replace their long-standing E3 booth presence within the Staples Center grounds.

EA Play will run from June 12th to the 14th at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California, and will provide players with hands-on time with upcoming game demos. Competitive events, special guest appearances, exclusive merchandise and more have been teased, with a London event taking place on June 12th only, at The Mermaid. A press conference akin to their E3 pressers of the past will go live at Club Nokia @ LA Live on June 12, 1 PM PT, starting off the trip to E3 a lot earlier than many had planned. A live stream will coincide with the live show.

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The fact that one of the biggest game publishers in the world, EA, is splitting off from E3 2016 (outside some sporadic media bookings) and sharing their gaming message on their terms is quite telling. It suggests that they don’t need to be beholden to the physical restrictions of the Staples Center, that enough fans of theirs will play FIFA, NHL, Madden and their upcoming action, RPG and mobile games outside of E3. EA Play will certainly have media in attendance, but should other companies take notice, we could have a vastly different E3 week in future years. This will especially be the case if more companies follow a Nintendo route and give information directly to their fans.

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