Activision surprised everyone when it made public that it will showcase the latest Call of Duty game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) from a booth other than its own.
In June, gamers will have a taste of Infinity Ward's Call of Duty at the trade show, but the interesting part is that the title will be presented in Sony's booth.
This is simply because Activision lacks its own space at E3 2016. The company joins the pack of console and PC gaming publishers that are officially uninvolved in the trade show.
One reason for this might be that both Activision and Electronic Arts reach out to gamers and business partners in more direct ways. Results from previous years show that consistent investments in world trade events do not capacitate the attention at the levels desired by the gaming companies.
However, Activision stays with the Entertainment Software Association, the organizers of E3. The publisher will use its time at the Los Angeles Convention Center for meeting media, partners and clients.
The company explains its plans in a blog post, where it underlines its enthusiasm about the next Call of Duty installment and the cooperation with PlayStation.
"We're proud to be participating in this premier video game event, but won't have an Activision booth on the show floor," the post reads.
There are a small number of reasons for Activision to appear at E3. At the event, Sony will present the latest Call of Duty alongside the much-anticipated sci-fi shooter Destiny. Activision does have a few other smaller games in tow, such as Skylanders, but they do not generate that much foot traffic.
Activision is not the only important name that will be missing from this year's E3 booths.
In January, Electronic Arts told the media that it will not have a booth at the event. However, the publisher noted that the EA Play event will take place for both fans and industry partners. Sadly, EA Play is not allowed on the E3 floor before the expo trade show debuts. Electronic Arts will probably host a media briefing at E3 to announce its future titles.
It remains to be seen whether or not EA's and Activision's retreat from the global event will set the trend for next year's E3.
