Evaluating the Effectiveness of Not-E3 Game Shows

"Is Summer Game Fest worth participating in this year? Are other shows more suitable for our game? Should we host our own event?" These questions resurface annually as the gaming industry navigates the post-E3 landscape. The once-unified E3 event has given way to a series of smaller events scattered throughout the year, sparking mixed opinions on their effectiveness. While some appreciate the broader, longer-lasting presence of these events, others see them as disjointed and lacking focus. Regardless, their impact on the gaming community is undeniable, with gamers eagerly anticipating announcements and reveals. The primary goal of these events is to generate exposure, whether through press coverage, influencer engagement, or social media buzz. This summer was particularly eventful, with numerous shows vying for attention. Fancensus analyzed the PR and social media performance of games featured in several June events, measuring their overall 'flare score' up to 72 hours after each event. The analysis considered over 3,000 websites, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X channels, weighing each outlet's impact on a game's campaign. A perfect score of 100 would indicate dominance across all metrics and channels. The Xbox Games Showcase and Summer Game Fest had the highest total flare scores, but when accounting for the number of featured games, Summer Game Fest's performance was less impressive. The average press and social flare score per game at Summer Game Fest was 8.7 out of 100, trailing behind the platform holder shows and Ubisoft Forward. A survey of over 1,300 US and UK gamers revealed that they were more aware of and willing to watch platform holder streams, such as those from Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation. The survey also showed that consumer enthusiasm for Geoff Keighley's events, including Summer Game Fest and Gamescom Opening Night Live, was lower compared to The Game Awards. Despite this, some games featured in Summer Game Fest still generated significant buzz. The data revealed that Xbox had a strong showing, with half of the top ten games by flare score and 17 titles in the top fifty. The State of Play also performed well, with ten of its 14 featured titles making the top fifty list. Summer Game Fest, however, struggled to make a significant impact, with only 14 of its 61 games scoring among the top fifty performers. The sheer number of games featured in Summer Game Fest may have contributed to this, making it challenging for individual titles to stand out. The survey also found that gamers who watched Summer Game Fest struggled to recall more than two or three standout games, unlike those who watched the Nintendo Direct or Xbox Games Showcase. It appears that sometimes, less can be more, and the quality of games showcased is more important than the quantity. The top fifty games by flare score were dominated by AAA titles, with mid-tier and indie games accounting for only 16% and 2%, respectively. The Future Games Show and PC Gaming Show, which focus on smaller projects, saw none of their featured games score among the top fifty titles. The platform holders seemed to focus on bigger titles, leaving indie games to fall by the wayside. Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest attempted to rectify this by highlighting the success of smaller studios, but the data showed that indie titles still struggled to generate significant buzz. In fact, the average flare score for indie titles was closer to that of the Future Games Show and PC Gaming Show. This raises questions about the effectiveness of Summer Game Fest for smaller publishers and developers, who may be better off utilizing smaller shows to reach their target audience. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these events adapt and which ones emerge as the most effective platforms for game promotion.