June is upon us, which can only mean one thing: It’s time for E3. We’ll soon be inundated with countless game announcements, trailers, and demos, including what’s sure to be some nice surprises–assuming they don’t all get leaked first. But what does E3 itself stand for?
E3 is a ubiquitous term for the industry’s biggest gaming event, but it’s merely a shorthand for its full name: the Electronic Entertainment Expo. E3 has been around for more than two decades now, dating back to 1995. It’s evolved significantly over the years, and in the mid-2000s actually changed its name and format pretty dramatically. The E3 Media and Business Summit was held in 2007 and 2008 as a more stripped-down show that limited the number of attendees.
More recently, E3 has expanded to even open its doors partially to the public. It’s still primarily an industry- and media-focused event, but game publishers are increasingly interested in using the money and effort it pumps into its E3 showings to go directly to fans. Recent years have also seen the event unofficially extended; while E3 itself lasts only three days, it’s closer to a week-long affair thanks to the press conferences that come before it and EA Play, which takes place on the Saturday before E3.
You can check out the video above for a more in-depth look at the history of E3. If you’re more interested in what’s going on this year, we’ve rounded up all of the key information about E3 2018. That includes a press conference schedule, rumors, and games confirmed at the show. There’s still sure to be a lot we don’t know about, so stay tuned to GameSpot for complete coverage.