With just three weeks to go before the launch of the revamped E3 event, one of the game industry's bigger publishers is pulling out of exhibiting at the trade show. According to a statement from an Atari PR rep that was sent to our sister site Joystiq, "Atari has made the proactive decision to attend but not exhibit at this year's E3 event. Although we feel E3 benefits the entire games business, we are very focused around other selling and marketing initiatives for our upcoming Ghostbusters, Champions Online and other to be announced titles."

Atari is still listed as exhibiting at E3 2009 at the event's web site, both in a meeting room and in one of the larger exhibit halls at the Los Angeles Convention Center so this decision seems like something made at the last minute. When contacted by Big Download, Atari's PR rep would not comment on this sudden decision to pull out of exhibiting at the show, referring only to their official statement. They did say they did not have plans for any press events in the LA area during E3.