E3 is renowned for 2 things, the first being the huge amount of new that is broken at the event. We get to see the latest and greatest plans for everyone from the big console manufacturers to the latest geeky hardware to the top AAA titles we are going to be playing in the next few years.
The second thing E3 is famous for is the big shows that Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo put on every year to wow the world and show them everything that is coming to your favourite platform and why it is the best platform of the lot.
We normally see new hardware being announced, new exclusive agreements with games and service providers and a whole lot of flash and razzmatazz. However one of the big 3 has announced it won’t be doing much at E3 this year for the first time in nearly 20 years.
During a conference call to investors yesterday the Japanese CEO, Satoru Iwata, announced the following
First, we decided not to host a large-scale presentation targeted at everyone in the international audience where we announce new information as we did in the past.
Instead, at the E3 show this year, we are planning to host a few smaller events that are specifically focused on our software lineup for the U.S. market. There will be one closed event for American distributors, and we will hold another closed hands-on experience event, for mainly the Western gaming media. Also, I did not speak at last year’s presentation, and I am not planning to speak at these events at the E3 show this year either. Apart from these exclusive events for visitors, we are continuing to investigate ways to deliver information about our games directly to our home audience around the time of E3. We will share more information about them once they have officially been decided.
During the E3 period, we will utilize our direct communication tools, such as Nintendo Direct, to deliver information to our Japanese audience, including those who are at this financial briefing, mainly focusing on the software that we are going to launch in Japan, and we will take the same approach outside Japan for the overseas fans as well.
This is not a good sign for Nintendo and makes me think they aren’t sure of what exactly it is that they are trying to accomplish with the Wii-U. More worrying will be the reaction of their third party partners who are now going to miss out on some serious marketing opportunities at the big event that is covered by ever media outlet of note on the planet.
But if you thought Nintendo may start worrying about the direction that Iwata is taking them you are horribly mistaken. During that same conference call it was announced that Iwata is now also being promoted to be CEO of Nintendo America while keeping his position of CEO of Nintendo Japan.
I worry for Nintendo as I’d hate to see them exit the hardware industry but they really do need to do a better job of communicating what they have on offer and by skipping the largest gaming event of the year they aren’t helping themselves.
Last Updated: April 25, 2013
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 25, 2013 at 09:03
What sorcery is this?
Admiral Chief Erwin
April 25, 2013 at 09:57
Saucery?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
April 25, 2013 at 09:58
Stop it with the sauces! You making us hungry! And it’s only 10am!
umar bastra
April 25, 2013 at 09:21
Actually , I disagree … I feel they are, if very slowly, getting their focus back … I do not think it is a bad thing for them not to have a conference, in all honesty their conferences suck badly. If they are focusing on the software line up more, then by all means, this is a very good thing. I strongly feel that the Nintendo Directs that they have show they are listening and trying. They just need to put more focus on wiiU. Let’s be honest, E3 is for the elite, and yes there are many important people, but I feel they can make more waves with more people with smaller events like Direct and just a lil better Marketing.
kean
April 29, 2013 at 22:28
Nintendo IS elite though. Theyre totally leaving their fans in the dust with these cheesy ass family commercials and no E3 confrences. Its like they don’t give a shit about the real loyal fans anymore. They exchanged their real fans for sucker, non gamer, zombie family customers last gen and they don’t realize they alienated more people than they drew in. Seriously. Those stupid family, casual, non gamer costumers aren’t loyal and they’re not gonna buy your next console like the real fans would. I’ve bought ever nintendo console since
N64 and I’ve loved every one of them. The wii was awesome and different but they didn’t do it for the fans, they did it for the casual gamers and sales. Now they’re trying to earn the real fans bavk but will NEVER do it if they don’t even hold a worth while presentation at E3. To me it shows they really could care less about the fans. Their the 2nd richest company in Japan so money isn’t an issue, its them making, again, another shitty decision. They’ve been making a lot of those lately
OldVideoGamer
April 25, 2013 at 09:46
The Wii U is fail, as simple as that. When the other PCs are out later this year the Wii U will be the new DREAMCAST.
BUT, that 3DS is selling by gazooolion. I see them pumping all their energy into that little gold mine.
Like Microsoft that will be trailing SONY in the 8th gen. NEW IP NEW IP NEW IP LOTS OF GAMES and SONY are focusing more on the HARDCORE. The casuals have left to mobile gaming.
1 = SONY PC
2 = MICROSOFT PC
3 = PC PC
4 = NINTENDO HANDHELD
5 = all those other things that are trying to be hip. VALVE STEAM BOX WILL FAIL if it does not release with the Half Life trilogy pack and PORTAL 3.
THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN.
Admiral Chief Erwin
April 25, 2013 at 09:57
Methinks it will release with HL3 and P3
*crosses fingers*
kean
April 29, 2013 at 22:09
There’s 2 things wrong with your comment
A. Computers are not a console, there’s SO MANY computers and different types. You can’t really just say PC’s. Even the BEST SELLING pc is splitting the cash with several other companies who’s PC’s are all capable of the same thing.
B. The wii u hasn’t failed for good. Its dales world wide are actually not that bad, the sales are still hurting their profits and way under expectations but still aren’t catastrophically bad. Its still young and needs games, like MH3U proved when it launched on wii u and spiked the consoles sales world wide, ALL IT NEEDS IS GAMES. And ill bet you 100$ when mariokart, mario, LOZ, Metroid, and (probably one of the best game franchises of all time) super smash bros 4 comes out, wii u will be selling out the ears mouth and asshole. And not to mention a crap ton of other first parties like kirby, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, the new Wonderful 101, and Pikmin.
OVG
April 30, 2013 at 06:37
I hope you are right because I never want to see Nintendo fail and would like to add a 5th Nintendo console to my Nintendo collection. Fingers crossed. But the Dreamcast was in a far healthier state and look what happened to that 🙁
kean
April 29, 2013 at 22:18
When everythings done. Wii u has all the games it promised to release out. and the next gens coming along. I predict
1.Sony
2.nintendo
3.microsoft (cause the rumors flying around that they refuse to straighten out)
But its way too early to predict. Everyone will be wrong in some way. Sony could screw up, microsoft could actually release an amazing console, the wii u could remain with a shitty library. But I doubt it. Sonys looking awesome, wii u will have games eventually, and microsoft will probably continue to scam their costumers with expensive online member ship and god knows what else like that always online bullshit
OVG
April 30, 2013 at 06:38
Hear hear
Rohald
July 4, 2013 at 18:22
Maybe they just realized we don’t care about the E3 anymore. Now try to figure out what “we” means, but I think Nintendo foresees things better than you “media people”. Who will live, will see.