Awards and hundreds of demos: The future of Summer Game Fest

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Geoff Keighley may not want to create the next E3–he’s explicitly said that–but for many viewing the Summer Game Fest from outside the sphere of its creation, that’s exactly what he is doing.

The third annual Summer Game Fest kicks off June 9 and runs through June 12. It will be a celebration of all things video games and while it may not take up the physical space of the historic E3 Expo, it will certainly approach soaking up just as much mindshare over the course of those four days.

Perhaps more importantly, though, are the E3 roles that SGF is and isn’t filling–at least not yet.

Keighley has been vocal about his reluctance to create a big physical show that asks developers and some fans to travel from all parts of the world to gather in California for a week. But he says the digital-first Summer Game Fest will eventually sprout physical components. We’re seeing the first of that this year with the ability to watch the kick-off show at theaters around Canada, the U.S., and the UK.

Another very important role E3 served was being a sort of traffic cop to publishers and studios big and small, ensuring that everyone got their moment in the sun. 

“We’re following everyone and trying to coordinate, which requires everyone being cooperative and supportive, which they have been,” Keighley said. “That’s been fun, to go talk to people and say, ‘Hey, what are you doing? When do you want to do it? That sounds like a good day.’ We try and work with people and let them own their news and their cycle, because that’s important to these folks as well. So we’re not trying to change anything, we’re just trying to coordinate and talk about it and see how we can fit the puzzle together.”

One element currently missing from the Summer Game Fest, but which seemed to play an important role for publishers at E3, is an award for best of show.

To read the rest of this story, which first ran on May 19, 2022, visit the Epic Games Store.