Despite criticism from publishers and developers, the Entertainment Software Association has announced that the E3 summit will continue next year.

Following last week's E3 2008, several industry figures have since spoken out on the relevance of the exhibition. Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello plainly stated he hated the conference, which has seen drastic revisions over the last few years.

"Either we need to go back to the old E3, or we'll have to have our own private events," Riccitiello told the San Francisco Chronicle.

First held in 1995, the annual show had traditionally appeared at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the third week of May. The ESA moved E3 to Santa Monica in July of 2007, restricting attendance to an invitation-only arrangement.