Tech
E3 2023 cancelled: Gaming’s biggest trade event and bastion of internet memes is no longer
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E3, gaming’s biggest trade event, has been cancelled.
Once the obvious home for the industry’s biggest players to make major annual announcements, the show has been heavily disrupted since the COVID pandemic and usurped by other initiatives.
The likes of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have become used to hosting their own livestreams instead, showing off their new games throughout the year rather than coalescing around a marquee event.
But this year was supposed to be E3’s grand comeback – with a multi-day, in-person conference in Los Angeles scheduled for June for the first time since 2019.
The writing had seemed to be on the wall for some months, though, with PlayStation maker Sony, Nintendo, and Assassin’s Creed developer Ubisoft among the companies to have said they wouldn’t be going.
E3 organisers Reedpop and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) have now announced its cancellation.
Kyle Marsden-Kish, of Reedpop, said: “This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3.
“We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome.”
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At its peak, E3 was a mouth-watering proposition for gamers who could look forward to a whole week of surprising reveals and updates about their favourite consoles and franchises.
Fans would tune in from all over the world to watch news conferences from the likes of Microsoft’s Xbox division and Elder Scrolls and Fallout studio Bethesda, which included live demos of games in development.
Some fans even took time off work, while younger viewers stayed up late on school nights to hear the latest.
‘You’re breathtaking’ among infamous moments
The first E3 was in 1995, where Sony announced a release date for its first PlayStation console.
Highlights from the 2019 show, which was open to the public as well as industry professionals and media, included John Wick star Keanu Reeves promoting the then upcoming Cyberpunk 2077.
“You’re breathtaking. You’re all breathtaking,” he told an adoring audience.
Previous shows had seen a Microsoft executive roll up his sleeve to show off a Grand Theft Auto tattoo by way of announcing the next game’s arrival on Xbox; Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared on stage to promote a special Beatles’ edition of the Rock Band series; and Nintendo’s former US boss Reggie Fils-Aime uttering “my body is ready” while showing off Wii Fit, words that would become a staple of internet memedom.
Other famous attendees have included Elon Musk, Steven Spielberg, Tony Hawk, and the late Pele.
What’s next?
Reedpop and the ESA have said they still plan to work together on future events.
In the meantime, June will still likely prove an exciting time for gaming announcements – Summer Games Fest, an online-only showcase that began in lockdown in 2020, will return and publishers like Sony are expected to hold their own digital news events.
Tech
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter – Part 2
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@juanhall: I gotta say, this was the most interesting bike in this post….love that Intense is experimenting with gearboxes…I can see it have a huge effect on DH bikes….thank god there’s still people pushing things. Now, they need to make an Enduro bike with the Pinion MGU!
Tech
Important updates regarding the Bob-Birnie Arena
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The City of Pointe-Claire would like to inform you that the Bob-Birnie arena will be closed for its annual maintenance as of Monday, April 29. The Annex rink will reopen to the public on Monday, May 13, and the arena’s Main rink will be accessible as of Monday, June 3.
Public skating will resume on May 13, and the summer public activities programming will begin on June 3 when both rinks have reopened to the public.
In addition to the annual maintenance of the facility, two renovation projects are also scheduled to start at the same time:
Installation of new sound systems
The City will be replacing its current sound systems in both the Main rink and Annex rink, to offer arena visitors a better overall experience, whether watching from the stands or participating in on-ice activities. This project is expected to be conducted throughout the month of May.
Renovation of locker rooms in the Main Rink
The City will also be renovating the five locker rooms located in the Main rink, to bring up to date the amenities currently available to participants. These renovations are expected to begin in early May and will be completed by mid-August.
For all information about the Bob-Birnie arena, visit the arena’s page on our website.
Tech
Surprise Apple Event Hints at First New iPads in Years – CNET
We haven’t seen a new iPad in years, but Apple seems likely to change that in just a few weeks. All signs point to the release of new iPad models in the first week of May.
This morning, I received an email invite for a virtual Apple event, scheduled for May 7 at 7 a.m. PT (10 a.m. ET). The invite, which says “Let Loose,” shows a drawing of a hand holding an Apple Pencil. Considering the iPad is the only device that uses the Pencil — that doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
Apple’s been expected to release new OLED-screened iPad Pros with newly designed Pencils and Magic Keyboard cases. New iPad Airs are also expected, including a larger-screened 12.9-inch model. Apple’s iPad Air lineup tends to be slightly redesigned versions of previous-model iPad Pros, so just look to the M2 iPad Pro lineup for a sense of what the next Airs could be. These would be the first new iPads since the iPad Pro M2 model arrived in late 2022.
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