News Opinion

The E3 2021 Portal Is A Joke

E3 2021 is already kicking off, but there’s a huge issue for all those in the press that will also affect public attendees if they choose to use it. I’m talking about the portal that press have been using, the same one that public users will be accessing in a few days. The portal itself is the new hub that attendees can use, allowing you to feel like you’re at the physical event. It’s interesting in the way that it removes the need for the physical event, but it’s also terrible on a number of levels. I’m going to take you through why this system is such a joke right now.

The first thing that I want to say is that you should avoid this portal at all costs. The only advantage you’ll have is maybe a couple of exclusive images from developers and publishers. The truth is that most of these companies are putting demos for their games out, and the press will cover all the news before you read it. If you sign up, you’re putting your data in the hands of organisers who lost it all last year. Press are still reeling from that breach of security, with many email addresses and personal details shared around the web. The press portal this year has a friend searching feature that does exactly the same thing. Don’t sign up if you want to keep your data secure.

Secondly, from what I’ve seen, most companies aren’t updating their details. This means that there are no images or videos for upcoming games, and the whole system is completely useless. The reality is that all the stuff you’ll see will be part of an E3 presentation at some point. Instead of signing up to the portal and scanning for details, your time would be better spent watching every E3 2021 stream and learning all the information at the same time as everyone else.

I love the games industry, but after last year, I can’t support E3 anymore. There’s no advantage to attending this year, so wait until 2022 when we might be able to go in person and have a great time together.