E3 2012: Iwata and Friends Enjoy a Job Well Done

You think Non-Specific Action Figure will be available in stores? I would buy one

way to go action figure!

Great job team! We will bring financial ruin to our company and shame to our families!

I'd like a Pikmin plush like Shigeru Miyamoto had at E3.

My body is ready for Nonspecific Action Figure videogame!

The best of this it's what the photo says below it: They're indeed a real life Tri Force haha.

just imagine... if non specific action figure werent popular... this wouldnt have happened...

@Stargazer HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA So true. I really hope they didn't think they did a good job.

dont you just love company ignorance.

It's funny because it's true.

They actually did a good job...
if not impressed, wait for PS4

Hilarious, Nintendo has become self-aware of their memes.

company ignorance

The best (the only one that did a good job actually) is Non-Specific Action Figure.

Deserves its own game.

I need a non-specific action figure. It would be so awesome to wake up every morning and have him give me a thumbs up.

It might have been somewhat underwhelming this year, but that only gives it an excuse to be better next year.

Even Nintedo loves NSAF. A good sign.

@pastasauce: Nintendo has become self aware?

AARGH! We've created Skynet!

It's as if they missed all the actual comments regarding just how bad their show actually was.

N-SAF was cool though.

For being a Nintendo fan site there sure is a lot of hate.

@NintyFan Phenomenal idea. Nonspecific action figure should have his own game too. @Joshers744 we're just being honest. I don't think it was soooo awful. I just think they could have announced more things. and fit all 3 presentation into the one main one. It could have worked, we didn't need that much coverage of Paper Mario

N-SAF is the only Nintendo figure (pun not intended) who actually delivered what the fans wanted. Sad.

@Joshers744
This site has been much nicer on Nintendo than any general gaming community on the internet,

Good show. I may not be loving the holiday clump release schedule but some of the best handheld experiences N has ever put out will have happened this year from eShop to kid Icarus to paper Mario, luigis mansion and epic Mickey. so 2012 will have been worth it for 3DS owners. Next year will be the return of the console experience with WiiU I imagine.

Non Specific Action Figure for Smash Bros. 4 please!!!

@Joshers744

Sorry, I'm a fan but this E3 performance was a disgrace. It was awkward and embarrassing to watch at times. They didn't show a compelling need to own a Wii U (I could play these types of games by hooking up my GBA to my Gamecube), they didn't announce any new 3DS games, and the third-party support consists of slightly enhanced ports.

I will continue to enjoy my 3DS but I have very little faith in the Wii U. I don't think mom and dad (who own a Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Fit and haven't played it in 3 years) will care. Nor those who are playing their PS3's, 360's, and PC's. That leaves Nintendo's ever-dwindling hardcore fans, who they seem to have (once again) forgotten about at E3.

And the only reason everybody is whining is due to Zelda missing from their presentation. I love how everybody questions their relationship with Nintendo over a couple of games we already know are going to exist at some point in the future but weren't shown at the press conference. Sounds to me like a bunch of spoiled brats.

Now thats why I love Nintendo

Nintendo still did the best this year, it may not have been great, but they did as NL said "win" E3. Anyway we still have TGS

@Onett If it was over that one single reason, then yes, I would agree with you, all the haters could be considered "spoiled brats."

My expectations were quite high since Nintendo has done very little with the Wii in the past - what? - two and half years? We received Galaxy 2 and Skyward Sword. Any other first party titles worth mentioning? Maybe the Kirby titles? So what has Nintendo been working on? I, for one, thought they had been preparing a good 4 - 5 launch (or launch window) games for the release with their Wii U system. Unfortunately, it appears we are only going to get one true game. (And I purposely do not include games like Nintendo Land, Warioware, etc., which certainly serve a purpose, but are merely mini-game mash ups).

I have no intention of "disowning" Nintendo, but I am thoroughly disappointed with Nintendo's showing. We all know they can do better. Honestly, if you believe they did a great job, then that's your opinion, but as for me (and, it seems, many others) I was let down quite a bit.

So, Nintendo succeeded at many things, but they didn't win over all the dedicated gamers or fans. There was a lot of information disseminated over the course of E3, Wiiverse specifics including how Nintendo's approach is different yet viable, capabilities and name of the Wii U Gamepad. Making the term "asymmetric gameplay" a thing. A careful peppering of the idea that the Wii Remotes and Wii Fit peripherals are still valuable and supported; careful because you don't want to diminish the new Gamepad. They even created an Internet meme. That's actually really hard to do and practically invaluable.

There's little value in spoiling an early in development game from one of the major franchises at this point and quite a bit of risk whenever you announce such a thing. These games are in early development (They all take years to develop and the Wii U has only been a finalized concept for a year) and Nintendo is going to need some big guns to combat the Microsoft and Sony console reveals next year.

@JGef
I count at least two "true" games directly from Nintendo:
New Super Mario Bros. U
Pikmin 3
Which one are you discrediting as a "true game" and why?

@Onett

So how do you explain all of the luke warmness from non gaming media on wii u and they probably don't know what zelda is.

Nintendo will include a Non-Specific Action Figure with every Wii U as a way of demonstrating its NFC capabilities.

Oh god, they actually think they did a good job. ಠ_ಠ No nintendo, just no. Their conference was mediocre.

The beginning of their conference made me think that there would be some sort of AR mode for Pikmin 3. :c

I think they did a good job too. Everyone feels like they have to be "blown away" every E3 but that's not realistic.

I think Nintendo did a GOOD JOB. They gave me information about the Wii U I didn't know before, unveiled a lot of games I am looking forward to, and even connected with the audience through great jokes. Now before you jump on me about the jokes thing, let me remind you that Reggie went up on stage and said, "My Body Is Ready" because he knew we made a meme out of it. Also, this NSAF video.

As E3 is supposed to be, they gave us a lot of info about games and the Wii U. And so...good job, Nintendo.

Last E3 people didn't even understand what the Wii U was, some thought it was a new portable system.

Nintendo left no doubt as to the many promissing aspects of the system this year, including the redesigns and expanded social side of the Wii U. And that's just what they needed to do at this E3.

They did a great job.

Anyone not excited, or 'displeased' with the presentation, is lurking the wrong site, jaded, or completely oblivious to what this means to the future of gaming.

it is incredible. one of my friends send a requst at nintendo.de about the release date of ac3d and the answer was wait till the next nintendo direct. you know what this means?!

The sad part is that NSAF, who is an inanimate object, really did do the best job of all.

@aaronsullivan
well said my good man!!

I personally think though the presentation wasn't perfect it was sufficent. I personally enjoyed the Nintendo Direct announcement more than the presentation itself...

I just felt most of the presentations at E3 were toooooo scripted.... unatural... may be it's just me......

either way I'm still going to support and grab one at launch..

In the end, it wasn't perfect only mediocre. However, when you think about it, they need to leave big surprises for next year when Sony or Microsoft launches new consoles (PS4 or XBox 720) .

Non-Specific Action Figure!!!

NSAF FTW. If ROB can make it into SSB, then I'm pulling HARD for NSAF to make it
If Nintendo doesn't put him in, then I'm praying for a create a character, or, Mii mode, where he can be made. Go NSAF-man!!

This got me laughing

How do we know if microsoft or Sony will launch a new console next year. People have been saying that since 2008

@C-Olimar
real or not, I hope so.

I love this! Made my day!

Too bad more people didn't enjoy E3 as much as I did. I had a blast watching the Nintendo Direct, the press conference, the 3DS software showcase, all the E3 coverage directly from Nintendo and especially all these extras that were posted just for us fans.

Nintendo did a great job at this year's E3! Iwata kept me entertained all week long from his banana shenanigans to Non-Specific Action Figure. Not to mention all the great games shown off for Wii U, and the MiiVerse itself. Nintendo's use of social media really helped make the show feel more like a community event rather than just a show you watch on TV, and I loved it!

@smw i agree with you

I liked the Nintendo Direct. The conference just the first half and the 3DS software showcase was cool. But they showed a lot of what we already knew and wasted time talking about some little games and dance and singing games =(

If the main talk about Nintendo's E3 presentation is a doll, then something went very wrong.

I agree with Mr. Iwata, for the right reasons, not hating.

Apparently some people need to read the definition of the word “hating” so here is the definition:
1. Feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone): "the boys hate each other".
2. Have a strong aversion to (something).
I've been buying Nintendo products since the first NES. You can't hate something that you love. Apparently if I don't agree with everything Nintendo does I'm hating them. As a Nintendo fan I am upset and fustrated because:
1) Nintendo didn't show anything to get me interested for their new console. For the first time since the first NES I have no interest on buying their new console.
2) They used 10 minutes explaining how a minigame works; in giant room of gamers and press that's a terrible idea. You are not in a room full of soccer moms, they don't need an explanation of how a minigame works.
3) I know they had a short time to explain everything but ignoring the 3DS was a bad idea. They just needed 5 minutes to make a nice line-up video while the whole world is watching. Saying that “oh, sorry but we don't have time right now, comeback tomorrow” that was just weird.
4) Once again ignoring any good franchises: nothing about Zelda, Metroid, StarFox or even the new Animal Crossing.
5) Showing Batman, Mass Effect 3 and Ninja Gaiden 3 as your third party line-up for your new console is a dreadful idea. This games are already available right now for other consoles. You are sending the message that your NEXT gen console is a generation behind.
6) Even if the conference goes the wrong way, at least finish strong (public speech 101). Even if they didn't have any final product to show they just needed to show a picture of any old school franchise game in actual production to get the people excited at the end. Some fake fireworks in a minigame collection is not the best way to finish a press conference.
Again the reason that many Nintendo fans are fustrated is not because they hate Nintendo. It's because they loved Nintendo for many years; and they have their right to express their fustation as long is done with respect. If you close your eyes and convinced yourself that everything is ok you are not fixing the problem you are just ignoring it.

Emiru69 summed it beautifully.

Well, it wasn't the best presentation ever nor the suckiest one. They did a good job i guess.

@emiru69 as a Nintendo gamer since the Nes days also, you just summed it up perfectly.
Also, I hate what they are doing to the Mario franchise.It reminds me of the Indiana Jones episode of South Park

We beat him Non-Specific Action Figure!

@1wiierdguy
Thank you. I hope there not too many grammar mistakes, English is not my first language... @(^_^)@

Well maybe they think they did a good job because their 2 mediocre conferences weren't as mediocre as the Sony and Microsoft conference.

@emiru69 your english is a lot better then some of the people whose first language is english also that kind of describes how I felt too.

This entire E3 was horrible, in my opinion. Only some new gameplay of Hitman Absolution and the reveal of Scribblenauts Unlimited got me exited. Everything else was stuff I already knew or did not care about.

Thank you mamp & MeowGravy. I wanted to post a message a bit more positive here so there we go:
We have to understand that having a bad presentation and not having a good line-up are two different things. Nintendo still has time to surprise us. We still don't know what Retro is working on. Maybe the post E3 bad press plays in our favor and Nintendo decides to release the Wii U with a low price tag.
Just next month I have 3 games that I can't wait to play on Nintendo consoles: Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and the Last Story (end of July/first of August). Next months we have: Lego Batman 2, Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure, Heroes of Ruin, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, New Super Mario Bros 2, Lego Lord of the Rings, Paper Mario, Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion...
That a pretty sweet 2012/2013 if you asked me.

@emiru69 Great posts! Remember, there will also be more revealed in September at the Tokyo Game Show.

I think the part that disappointed people (it disappointed me, at least) was the lack of new games announced. All of the games were shown or hinted at last year, with the sole exception being Nintendo Land, a game that Nintendo seems so eager to push, but I don't see that winning any hardcore back. Having minigames based on old franchises is not enough.

The other only new game that I can think of is Game and Wario, which was not even shown, same with P100. At least we got to see actual gameplay of Pikmin 3, and it looks awesome. New Mario U looks a lot more polished now. ZombiU looks pretty interesting as well.

I don't need to be convinced of owning a Wii U, as I know it will have Mario, Zelda and Smash Bros and that I will eventually get it. This E3 just did not persuade me to get it at launch, though.

@aaronsullivan

I discredit Super Mario Bros. and I'll tell you why. It is glorified DLC from the last New Super Mario Bros. game. It's Mario, sure, and it will undoubtedly be enjoyable, but we're talking about a brand new system with improved capabilities, and the game looks and (for the most part) plays exactly like it did on the Wii. Not that they need to make it 3D or like the Galaxy series, but they could at the very least add a new coat of paint. Furthermore, what does this game bring to the table in innovation, fresh gameplay, or excitement? I would wager that this game is not going to convince people to buy a Wii U.

I feel not many will agree with my sentiments, and you're certainly entitled to disagree, but this is what has frustrated me with Nintendo since the Wii took off way back in '06. Nintendo is a developer chock full of talent (my favorite games of all time include Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess, and the Metroid Prime series), and unfortunately, they have made it a habit to take the cheap, easy shortcut. For the Wii alone, you had games like Wii Music, Animal Crossing: City Folk, missing franchises (No Star Fox, F-Zero, Pikmin, Wave Race, Pilotwings, or any new, meaningful franchises for that matter), Wii Play, that Mario Collection (which was just a disc of ROMs! You kiddin' me!?) and more. In my mind, a "true" game ought to be a true follow-up, like Pikmin 3 is a true successor to Pikmin 2, or how Skyward Sword was a (brilliant) follow-up to Twilight Princess. Not some recycled engine (from a system that was outdated the second it was released, no less!) with some new paint on it.

Anyone remember this article? http://wii.ign.com/articles/105/1054621p2.html
How prophetic it appears two and a half years later! Nintendo is a fabulous company and have proven time and again that they can make the best games in the world. When they choose to make games that purposely have poor graphics, ancient audio (midi as opposed to actual real instrumentation), and no innovation or fresh gameplay, I become disappointed.

@KodyWB-98:
Really good point. To be honest I while I wasn't like the press conference I don't like to read the "Nintendo is doom" articles. More than anything because I'm 31 years old and I've been reading those type of articles since the N64 so it's getting old ^_^.
Also I think Nintendo works better when they are under pressure. Many of my favorite Nintendo titles came out when Nintendo wasn't breaking sales records.

Loos like imma be gaming on my pc unless ninty show me something in the coming months

@Onett
I second that.

Non-specific action figure won E3 and should be playable in smash bros.

From the presentations that I saw, it was as though the director of the whole shindig was rushing everyone through it, or something. Nothing seemed to be fleshed out the way it should have been. Not that everything lackluster was due to this feeling, but it did contribute, in my opinion.

Other than that, it took me a little while to have everything sink in that was missing. During it all, it was almost like being at a friend's birthday party. You're excited for them, and you're wrapped up in it, and you want your turn to play, but have to wait. Only afterwards did I notice the titles not mentioned, that were known. Namely, Animal Crossing.

Even with the re-releases of already existing titles, I was stoked that I'd be able to play them on a Nintendo platform. There were quite a few titles that I hadn't heard of yet, so I was happy to hear about them, or at least intrigued. I can't place it, but for some reason the new Scribblenauts did not look too good.

One thing that made up for everything, was the flood of information following the presentation. This brings it back to the rushed feeling. Only during one-on-one interviews were some tidbits of info being handed out. I was a little more glued to those than the presentation at times.

And just like emiru69, I've been playing Nintendo games and systems since NES days. Even Virtual Boy! So, I concur with most of everyone when they say that it's not that they are mad at Nintendo, but sad that more wasn't done.

Why the double post?

@KodyWB-98 Even so, it'll be just like the 3DS vs PSVita. The 3DS launched a year earlier and developers were able to play with it more and learn how to use it, thus bringing the system great games and having it sell 15 million worldwide. The Vita (having only been out for 4 months) has to catch up to the amazing lead 3DS has over it. Not to mention the Holiday rush the 3DS already went through.

If the WiiU launches "earlier" this year and we don't hear about the 720/PS4 until next E3, the WiiU can possibly get the extra time and Holiday rush it needs to blow those two out of the water in sales and content.

"Iwata and Friends Enjoy a Job Well Done"

Well, not in the eyes of the fans! FAILURE!!

"A real life triforce" — So who's 'really' Gannondorf?

. . .and who's Zelda?

@shinesprite Reggie is Ganondorf, Miyamoto is Link, and Iwata is Zelda.