Analysis: Is Nintendo avoiding Sony and Microsoft at E3?

As Nintendo cancels its annual E3 presentation, Richard Hayden wonders if there’s more at work than simple cost-cutting strategies

[fairyblaster]

lol

[Root]

Sony/Microsoft: "Give us your lunch money"

Nintendo: "Please...just take it......don't touch me, I bruise easily"

I joke, I joke :)

[mochachino]

More like Sony/Microsoft: "Hey, why doesn't Nintendo ever want to play with us? Just sits there in the corner by himself ignoring everybody"

[Root]

"Yeah he's just sitting there eating that jar of glue" lol

[acidbrn]

E3 is on it's way out, and has been losing its place in the gaming industry for the last couple years to events such as PAX. Being closed to the public limits the core audience, the ones who buy the games, from being able to go hands on. At the end of the day it's not the industry folks who are buying the bulk of the games, whiich are why events like PAX are overshadowing E3. So why should Nintendo bother with E3 anymore if it's no longer working for them?

If E3 opens their doors to the public Nintendo will come back in full force, until then their Nintendo Direct videos, and their city tours are a much better way to speak to their audience than some extravagant press showing.

[majiebeast]

This man disagrees with you and he is a insider, E3 will not die and he gives good reasons why it wont.

http://www.gametrailers.com...

[DragonKnight]

Yes, because events that cater only to a specific audience (Nintendo Direct) is MUCH better than a huge event that's publicized for the world to see (E3). So much better.

[Mustang300C2012]

Lol e3 isn't publicized to the world and no matter what event thy are at the Internet has the information everyone wants majority of the country doesn't know what E3 or Pax is.

[DragonKnight]

"Lol e3 isn't publicized to the world and no matter what event thy are at the Internet has the information everyone wants majority of the country doesn't know what E3 or Pax is."

"E3 isn't publicized to the world"
"Internet"

"Isn't publicized to the world"
"Internet"

"The world"
"Internet"

http://images.wikia.com/dra...

[Mustang300C2012]

Acidbrn,

First of all you need to educate yourself what E3 actually is. It isn't for the public or gamers it is for the media and always has been. So I don't see what opening to the public has to do with what the nature of E3 has always been. Why don't you and anyone who doesn't know go to E3s website and actually read what it is.

Nintendo not going to E3 is going to harm them any more than it hasn't harmed Sony and MS every time someone says my company I worship won E3.

[MEsoJD]

E3 is that one time where the world watches video games. Even non gamecentric media outlets cover E3.

[Shadowolf]

You are delusional if you think E3 is going anywhere. PAX overshadowing E3 is also another uninformed position. I understand the concern that E3 is a media driven event however, make no mistake about it, E3 continues to draw far more industry excitement than both PAX East and West combined. I would even throw in Comic-Con to make it fair and the sheer amount of press conference updates from manufacturers and publishers including the extraordinary media push of the hottest upcoming games in the industry and for the 3 day E3 event it generates far more attention and exposure.

No, Nintendo will not be returning to E3 in full force if the public were allowed to come to E3. Nintendo will be returning to E3 in full force when they are better equipped to do so. Nintendo is doing major software damage control by not having a E3 press conference. You know and I know that on this go-around Nintendo does not want to get overshadowed by the next-generation hype machines coming from Sony and Microsoft. Looking at the facts, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are currently outselling the Wii U more than 2 to 1 worldwide with more powerful successors on the horizon supporting robust PSN and Xbox Live infrastructures and Nintendo understand this. Perception is everything and the Big N is just playing it safe this year.

[TheDivine]

The only people who watch Nintendo directs are a small percentage of people who already own a Nintendo handheld or console. Yes it's awesome to have new bad ass games announced when you least expect it but nothing beats the build up to e3, the hype, watching a conference and seeing a bombshell or title you've wanted for a decade get announced. Nintendo Directs seem more like a way to keep the handheld/console owners engaged and in the loop. It def won't sell any consoles though, e3 will. One good e3 can make a console a hit or set off a frenzy. Not being there is either admitting they are on their own with no direct compitition, only for Nintendo fans instead of making people Nintendo fans or its just that they have nothing to show. Either way its one of the dumbest moves ever IMO. Maybe they're scared it will be boring idk.

[ScubaSteve1]

too bad e3 sucks and is not open to the public

[WildArmed]

E3 is like a sine wave. The highs are in the beginning of a new generation, then it drops. And starts again w/ the next gen.

[PopRocks359]

It could very well be. It's not like the two of them are producing brand new hardware that everyone's keeping an eye out for.

[maniacmayhem]

Nintendo isn't the only one skipping a presentation. There are many big name developers flat out not even attending E3.

Too many game shows a year, that's money out the bank for most devs.

Nintendo doesn't need a presentation, their console is out on the market now. They will let their games do the presenting for them.

[sway_z]

'Is Nintendo avoiding Sony and Microsoft at E3?'

...Like a Turkey trying to avoid Thanks Giving.

[Jek_Porkins]

Could just be cost cutting, those E3 shows can cost a ton to produce, and maybe Nintendo didn't feel like wasting that money when they can do smaller shows and Directs with the same result.

I mean Nintendo had the chance to own E3 the last two years and failed to do anything with it, we don't know how Microsoft or Sony will handle their E3, both have had suspect E3's in the past, even with console reveals, so anything is possible, but I kind of doubt Nintendo is outright avoiding them.

[GABRIEL1030]

The first E3 without Nintendo, is like a party without a cake¡

like portal ending : the cake is a lie¡

noooooo..oooooo..oooooo

[mochachino]

If I was Nintendo I wouldn't want to face the inevitable unfavourable comparison of putting next-gen looking games against current-gen looking Wii U ones... in addition to having all of the hot 3rd party game reveals NOT have a Wii U version.

It's already established that Wii U doesn't appeal to casuals so Nintendo needs to appeal to the core or just be content with Nintendo diehards, which would only get them 25-35 million console sales.

Wii U is in some trouble, they can't even really drop the price substantially because the controller has a fricking large touch screen in it.