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How much does E3 really matter to Nintendo? [roundtable]
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Since I took a long break from video game journalism and discussion before E3, I've been listening to a lot of podcasts and reading impressions about the convention. Everyone seems to agree that Nintendo really blew it at E3 and has tons of ideas about what they would have done to improve both Nintendo's big presentation(s) and their presence at the show in general. It kind of amazes how angry the rants are. Maybe it's because people flew out to LA for the show but I can't imagine my blood boiling the way some people seem to have reacted. That said, I agree with some of the ideas I've heard and I thought some of them on my own, like thinking Nintendo should have started with Nintendo Land and finished with Pikmin 3 to please the "hardcore" gamers a little more or spending less time on Arkham City when it's old hat at this point. But, does it really matter? Suppose, for example, that Pikmin 3 had never been discussed before E3. Would it being unveiled and giving the viewers a more exciting surprise actually matter for Nintendo's sales in anyway? Or a common point I've heard is that Project P-100 should have been shown off during the presentation. Maybe so, but isn't it irrelevant at this point? In this day and age, we're not limited to big conferences for our news. Everyone who cared to know found out about Project P-100 literally minutes after the presentation ended. Does anyone think sales of the game or the Wii U in general are tied to whether the game was unveiled at the presentation or moments later? Another complaint is that Nintendo didn't just make mention of a big game that will coming well after launch, like they did last year with Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. This announcement to me was completely meaningless. Everyone knew that Smash Bros. was eventually coming for at least Wii U, just as we know that 3D Mario, Zelda and probably Metroid are going to be coming down the line. I honestly don't think people are holding off on buying the Wii U because Nintendo didn't officially confirm those are in the pipeline. Another complaint I've heard is that New Super Mario Bros. 2 should have been playable the whole convention instead of only being available the last day. NSMB2 is going to sell millions, guaranteed. I honestly think it won't make a lick of difference whether it was playable 3 days, 1 day, or 0 days. The game doesn't get its sales from E3 exposure. I do think that E3 plays a role in gaining exposure for the video game industry in general (although not nearly what it used to), I'm sure there's back door dealings that I'm not aware of that might have a big impact, and smaller developers certainly can get some time in the sun that they might otherwise not see. But for something as big as Nintendo I think the importance of the event has been significantly reduced, particularly in how it will affect launch interest and sales. Do you agree? URL to share (right click and copy)
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06/19/12, 04:44 Edited: 06/19/12, 04:45
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I think this particular E3 should have mattered to Nintendo more than most. With a new console launching in less than six months, they should have taken this opportunity to really get people excited, to get people talking about it, and to build hype, and in that respect I think they failed. Obviously E3 is about more than just surprising reveals, but with a new console it's especially important to get people excited ahead of time.
Before E3 began, I already knew I would be buying a Wii U, as I'm sure many of us on NW did, and I assumed I'd be buying it with Pikmin 3 and a new Mario game. I expected E3 to really get me excited for the system, and it's launch line-up, and a taste of what's to come. A game I played last year like Batman: Arkham City doesn't excite me. An over-exposed series with a game coming out on another system WITHIN THREE MONTHS of the Wii U, like New Super Mario Bros., doesn't excite me. A mini-game collection like Nintendo Land doesn't excite me. Will I buy these games? With the exception of Arkham City, probably. But considering that most people are not huge Nintendo fans who were already sold, I don't know how excited the general population is for the Wii U.
Will these things hurt the Wii U in the long run? Maybe not. But I don't see how getting people excited for your system could possibly be a bad thing, and honestly, I'm not much more excited than I was before E3, and I think that's a problem. I know Nintendo has changed their way of doing things and they're only showing games from six months out, but I think they should have shown some games from what's to come. When I buy a console I'm buying a console for the next five years, and showing only games that are coming out in November is a bit disappointing. I know Zelda and Metroid and Smash are coming, but I still wish they had shown a taste.
But to the question at hand, how much does Nintendo care about E3? Probably not that much. People get excited for E3, but people get excited for their Nintendo Direct events, and their spring and fall events, and whatever else, so Nintendo doesn't need to show off everything at E3 -- they can show things throughout the year when people aren't also focusing on Sony and MS. Is that a good decision? I don't know, but it certainly seems that's the way Nintendo is going. |
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I don't think Nintendo really cares about E3, and thats fine. Like it has been said a few times in here, a conference doesn't sell stuff. They made just as much money off of E3 as the other companies have so far.
And while the P-100 thing was confusing at the time ("why wait?"), anyone watching Spike got to see it near instantly, and obviously folks online found out about it soon after, too. Also, I think our ears kinda perked up when they said "we have a new game coming over here right now, unannounced, and never before seen or discussed." That might actually carry MORE weight in some circles than being nestled between Nintendo Land and 3DS news.
E3 might be the biggest thing of the year, but Nintendo knows what they're doing. People might get grumpy that they aren't being shown "the World," sure, but when Launch Day hits and there is a new game out there that you've been waiting for, you're going to be in line, or showing up soon enough.
Wooo, Nintendo! |
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