E3, Fading Catnip for Video Gamers, Tries a New Approach - The New York Times

Time for a new E3 game plan

"The forces that E3 contends with are evident in the numbers. Sales of physical games — discs in boxes — are declining. This year, mobile gaming revenue will overtake that of PC games for the first time, according to a report from Newzoo, a game research company.

With digital distribution of games on the rise, “the importance of retail has weakened,” said Itzik Ben-Bassat, former executive vice president for global publishing at Blizzard Entertainment. Blizzard publishes World of Warcraft, one of the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

“As the market structure has shifted, E3’s importance has been in constant decline,” said Mr. Ben-Bassat, who now runs Gong, a trending news site and app."

E3, Fading Catnip for Video Gamers, Tries a New Approach - The New York Times