Nintendo Lifts The Lid On Its Plans For E3 2014

Didnt see that coming. but i like it

That video had me rolling. I do love it when Nintendo shows off their sillier side. Either way, I can't wait!

Reggie Fils Ai-Mech should be the new CEO. O

Noooo! Want traditional conference! This is the wrong way to build hype - have journalists whoop next to eachother and scream in glee!

With that much focus on Smash Bros, leaves me wondering how much else they've got hidden, especially for Wii U. My guess is, not a lot...

YASSSSSSS IM TRYING SOOOOO HARD NOT TO FAN GIRL IN CLASS HNFHSSTDFOOFOFOFPROFODOTTTRATYBYVG EEEEEKKKK I'm soooo happy xD

Conference would make sense if they had some big announcement to make... since they are not having a conference my guess is no big announcements

I like the traditional press conference but whatever its not the end of the world.

If you think about it, a Nintendo Direct allows them to record Japanese speaking game developers flawlessly, either in pre scripted English or Overdubbed. The other option is to have them come out on a loud live stage and stumble through their R's and L's. Plus it's cheaper.

Great job on Smash Nintendo...what about the other's, huh?!
...Still that Best Buy thing is one of the things that's going to make my summer.

WHAT ABOUT UK? It's always the best buys!!

AWWW YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's E3, they're going to have something up their sleeves. They don't need to flood us with a thousand brilliant mind blowing titles, just a well presented couple and it could do a lot for them. It's time to introduce the world to Star Fox U, F-Zero U, Metroid U, and then finish it all off with the new Zelda.

Don't like their approach, but i'm starting not to care. At this point, as long as they show us some great games for Wii U and 3DS at E3, that's all i care about. However they do that is up to them. But if we get an E3 like 2011 or 2012, where they show games we already know about and tell us almost nothing new, i'll be mad. It should be easy this year... All they have to do to make me happy for Wii U is show me Zelda U. Of course i want more than that, but even if that's all they show, at least there will be something i can cheer about.

Hoping we see Metroid appear in some form. Maybe a 3DS game? A 3DS Wario Land would be nice to see. And maybe stuff like Animal Crossing and Star Fox for Wii U? I don't care... Just as long as Wii U finally gets some great games that actually use the GamePad and isn't a mini-game collection.

Well, I might have to go to a best buy now.

Anyone else think @Mew2King will be invited to the Smash tournament?

I think, in order to push the Wii U, they need big games. Not so much Mario this year, and give us something else (not saying what) big. Maybe the Code Name S.T.E.A.M.: Strike Force Eliminating Alien Menace?

@Damo they have an e3 website btw: http://e3.nintendo.com/
although not containing much, it's crazy slick!

So I guess a "Nintendo Digital Event" is just a fancy way of saying it's a Nintendo Direct.

Last year the Direct was almost un-watchable, even on the lowest video settings and a great internet connection. I could barely keep up with what they were announcing.

Anyway, the Smash Bros Best Buy promotion is pretty cool.

You better come with it Nintendo. Iwata's job is hanging in the balance.

"The partnership between Nintendo and Best Buy continues in 2014 and will mark the first time around the world that fans have had the opportunity to get their hands on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U."

I'm going to live in Best Buy for now on

I dig it.

Nintendo does not have to do a forced, embarrassing stage show.

Hmm...may have to hit up BB...

E3 and MK8 are still so far away! Mario Golf is gonna have to get me through a very anxious period of life till then lol

I like the approach of having events during E3 that go beyond the walls of the E3 experience. I do think some sort of live presentation would be nice. Even if it was just 30 mins of Reggie hyping up Smash and Zelda U.

Hoping for FE v SMT myself. I really want some Fire Emblem console fun on my Wii U

The annoucements are what matter not how they are delivered. That said I preferred last years direct over a stage show, this is the digital age and so a digital direct sounds good to me.

Expectations raising!

Don't know why so many people are concerned about the press who get to attend e3 not getting buttered up by a sizzle reel while they sit in their theater seats. Nintendo direct is much better quality for us fans watching the event from the net anyway and delivers the same content

I don't care how they do it as long as they BRING DA GAEMZ!

Watching the other companies with their long drawn out presentations of complete suckage with dudebro nerds getting excited over absolutely nothing has worn thin nowadays

Personally, I'm glad there's no traditional conference. Nintendo execs are horrible public speakers. Look back at all old conferences. They know this. This way they can polish it and shine in the way they are comfortable with.

I will take a crappy stage show over a video again this year.

What are they doing!!! I guess there will be no announcment of the 'QoL' product at E3 so....

MK8 is AGES away (a month, but still), no interest in Mario Golf or Kirby. Guess I will continue on with my PS3. Even feels like the 3DS is starting to bomb....

So,no conference again? I may be wrong(and I hope so much that I am) but this says to me that nintendo dont have alot to reveal... The direct last year just felt like nintendo were in hiding away from the big bad corporations of sony and m$,and thats just wrong. If nintendo really tried it could trounce the competition,rather than all this cloak and dagger crap that hints at secrets but never pays of.
If nintendo have no big announcements this e3 I dont know how much longer im guna care about nintendos future

All the video shows is that Nintendo is capable of a great E3 presentation and yet they choose not to.......again! Nothing beats the E3 show Nintendo. Sometimes different isn't always better, it's just lazy!

NL stream of ND + live chat > watching press half heartedly cheer at the stage show trailer.

@Marshi 'If nintendo have no big announcements this e3 I dont know how much longer im guna care about nintendos future'

Feel the same dude, gettin tired of their slim pickings.

How about we all stop complaining and board the hype train?

Damn, I wanted a stage presentation with live crowd reactions. Watching a video alone on a computer screen isn't half as exciting.

@MAB 20 titles on each would do it.

@DestinyMan Hype is a bad thing. (Especially recently with Nintendo constantly failing to live up to it).

@Savino Why? On what levels is it wrong? I think what they are doing is very interesting and might pay off.

Treehouse live @E3 is gonna be very cool. Think about it, a real alternative to watching IGN and Gamespot's E3 floor shows.

I have a feeling that no Best Buys near Greenville are gonna participate, but man, can I hope for it.

Well, it looks like they won't be pulling off a miracle. The WiiU had one tiny chance to turn things around, and that started with the best ever showing at E3. It needed to blow Xbox and Playstation conferences out of the water to even have a hope of standing against them in the coming year. Without that, it is pretty much inevitable that the platform will crumble.

shakes head I was so annoyed by the choppy quality of last years streamed direct. I was really hoping that they would do a live stage presentation. The Treehouse Stream seems cool, though. I guess we'll see. I just think a televised press conference on SpikeTV here in the States would bring in other gamers, be they Microsoft, Sony, or PC; and not just the Nintendo loyal. With the situation they are in I would assume Nintendo would want as much exposure as they can get.

I think a Pokémon main series announcement (most likely a Gen III remake, or a direct sequel to X & Y) is very likely since Pokemon has essentially been an annual franchise since 2009...

2009 - Pokémon Platinum
2010 - Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
2011 - Pokémon Black and White
2012 - Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
2013 - Pokémon X and Y

I am so stoked that they are having another Best Buy E3 event!!! I went to it last year and it was amazing! I will definitely be going to this year's event. May go ahead and take time off of work, the week of E3. =) Playable Smash Bros!!! w00t!!!

@DestinyMan
Amen! Can't wait for e3!

This worries me. No press conferences meaning NO BIG NEWS... or really.... not much news at all. We'll get a 30-40 minute video on games that may or may not come... or games where they will show and then never talk about them ever again and tell us release dates that are several months earlier than they really are.

Huh, normally they show off their E3 stuff a bit later. This could get interesting.

I don't care if its a traditional show or nintendo direct!
but it better be epic. I know we are seeing Zelda wii U. Its better be Outstanding... But I want MORE NINTENDO WII U FIRST PARTY NEWS.
Otherwise you can kiss your job good bye IWATA. All we have is smash bros for the 6 month following the mario kart release... This is a Joke.... So plz surprise me

Looks like Nintendo has plans to drop major bombs along the way. Got MW.mostezcoted about they're E3 with one stroke.

Would much rather a traditional press conference. That's the pinnacle of what E3 is about...

This seems like another case of Nintendo telling us what we want rather than actually giving us what we want.

This was an unexpected suprise.
Their E3 plans sounds interesting. With all the hype from Smash Bros, I can't imagine the lines at Best Buy.
I'd perfer that they live streaming the video, and hopefully they'll chose to stream through YouTube instead of USTREAM, that lags a lot while YouTube went practically smooth throughout.
Plus, reading live comments is a lot more engaging to me than hearing clapping and cheering from press, disrupting the flow of a live presentation in some cases.

This sounds even more social and connected closer to the fans than last year. This'll be amazing!

I disagree that they should be doing a traditional press conference. If anything, another bad e3 conference would do more harm than to them than not going at all. The journalists of the last few e3 shows have blindly lapped up everything Sony have said but they crucified Nintendo for their 2012 e3 and they crucified MS for e3 2013. Will 2014 be the year they turn on Sony for not having enough exclusive games? I doubt it.

The fact is they probably don't have too much to reveal beyond improved footage of stuff from last year and other things that we knew were coming like Art Academy, a Wii U Zapper and Wii U Baseball. If they could throw in 3-5 completely unannounced things for Wii U and combined it with everything from last year's NDs it would be beyond my wildest expectations. I think as long as they deliver on that Zelda U reveal promise they will not disappoint me.

I am interested to see what Sony and MS can bring to the table, will it just be this holidays' multiplats with the odd exclusive. I can see the biggest fight being Sony and MS trying to get 3rd parties to stand with them on stage. I bet EA screw one of them over

I find it interesting that so many people prefer a traditional press event, but no one can articulate why. If the announcements are great, the format shouldn't matter.

Look at Apple, they stopped attending all trade shows, and now every announcement is headline news.

The Nintendo Direct videos are more polished and have been very entertaining, and they appeal to a wider audience.

@sillygostly Black and White was released in 2010 in japan, so...

Also 3D games take more resources and time to develop.

What games will we be able to play with the Reggie Fils-a-mech peripheral?

A little upset at Nintendo for not doing a live conference...again. As long they make some good surprises,I'll let it slide.

Also, journalists reacting? LOL this ain't 2005.

I'm all for this, ready for SmashFest!

@Melkac Seriously! It's like everyone expects to see the crying Zelda fans again.

I'm perfectly fine with the video format. It's cleaner, better prepared, more streamlined. The best part is how YouTube-friendly the whole thing is for people who can't watch the stream live. No fumbling through set changes, no worries with technical difficulties ("I think your cell phones are disrupting my motion-sensing Wiimote" - Shigeru Miyamoto). Just a clean, well presented hype train.

This is going to be good. Hope they deliver the goods.

As long I get my Zelda U and X fix, they can use smoke signals and carrier pidgeons for all I care for their presentation.

Also Reggie Fils Ai-Mech for Smash Bros!

@justinluey

my reasoning on why a press conference is important for a simple reason. A Press Conference speaks that "our products are important" They are important enough for them to go out in live person and show them off the a large audience and that they are excited to show them off right in peoples eyes. What they are doing now with the directs... it is almost like they don't want to do deal with people, don't really care so much and that it feels less exciting and not important enough to get up and show it off. It is like a car sales men that won't meet the person he is trying to sell a car to.

Was Reggie Fils Ai-Mech a clue to Metroid at E3?

Frack traditional conferences. Who the hell wants to sit and watch a bunch of talking suits introducing eachother, talking up their products, and live stage demos? Get over it people. Conferences are for sheep that worship PR personalities.

At this point it seems they don't want to sell the Wii U.
Sad we won't have the xcitement of a conference during the Zelda trailer. Iwata, I gave you a chance, but...Go back making games at Hal.

As long as they build hype, I don't care if the e3 is traditional stage or not.

Saw the video the second it was posted on youtube, and I have to say, I couldn't be happier. I just really hope one of the BestBuys in my area are doing this. E3 can't come quickly enough! My craving for more Smash can't be satisfied!

Well, this sounds more interesting than a longer Nintendo Direct...hope they approach the stream in a very different, vibrant, cool way. I'm tired of the weird Nintendo Direct videos.

Also, I love how people can never be satisfied. On a site, I thought SHOULD be full of dedicated Nintendo fans, that should be happy with such an awesome video, something the likes of rarely ever happens, people do, always have, and always will, have something to complain about. I guess the people who want to spend 24/7 playing video games just can't be satisfied, regardless. I used to be one of them, but now I'm perfectly satisfied with literally only playing 3-5 games a year. Die hard Nintendo fan here, none the less. And when it comes time for a new Smash game, I can't help but brush off the fangirlism and call people out for acting so...ridiculous on a site that should be full of nothing but Love and Respect.

@WaveBoy Yeah, I can see it now. The Activision stage is set... The crowd goes silent... Call of Duty: Space Marine Dudebrofest Warfare 4... WOOOOOOO!!!

@Savino I don't think so. It's not that bad.

@PvtOttobot - Thanks for the E3 link.

"Play Nintendo" would be a nice name for a PS+ type service on Wii U. "Nintendo eSelects" would be better but I'll take what I can get.

Digital Event is a nice step up from Direct. Since only so many people actually get to go to E3 and the rest watch from home anyway I think I've made my peace w/ this after grumbling about it last year.

And as @ferthepoet said - you don't need a stage show w/o any big announcements. Though I would limit that to hardware and hopefully we get some big game announcements. I guess no 3DU upgrade this year then.

Best part - SSB Wii U is playable at E3 and Best Buy, so it has to be ready soon right? Winter 2014 be damned? You should be able to go from playable demo to finished game in 6 months (Nov 10), right?

@ikki5

Agreed.

It's like playing the Super Bowl in an empty stadium, and having the audience at home watching the game on their laptops.

It's much more exciting watching a live press conference from home, and feeling the energy and excitement that is coming from the crowd in attendance.

@ikki5 I appreciate your response and respect your opinion, but I'm not sure that was ever true, and if it was, that time is over. Connecting with your audience (fans) directly online is a viable, if not preferable way to demonstrate your excitement about a product.

Kickstarter is a great example of this. The Pebble smart watch is more successful than any of the products from the "traditional" companies that held "press conferences" to announce their new device. The Pono player wouldn't even be on the radar if it was announced at a show like CES.

Nintendo doesn't have to choose between a "traditional" event and the "direct" approach, but if they are going to, I much prefer the latter. I've been enjoying the steady stream of updates from Masahiro Sakurai about Smash Bros., and I think it's more effective than him talking (through a translator) on stage for 10 minutes.

I'm really excited about the Digital Event stream! Sounds already cooler and hopefully it will be more professionally produced than those boring Directs.

Did anyone else spot the Evangelion reference? (Mega 64 are huge fans.)
I just knew there would be one.

The Super Smash Bros. invitational tournament is an extemely smart move. If Sakurai really wants his game to be balanced, like he has said in the past, then there's no better way to do it than to invite top players like Mew2King, Mango, Hungrybox, Armanda, and many other pros to try out the game.

@KennyPowers Totally agree. The Mega Man reveal was awesome.
The FFXV/KH3 reveal still wins.

@DestinyMan coming from the guy that works at Nintendo. Just stop assuming.

"around the world"? Last time I checked, the "world" didn't consist of only North America, which is were Best Buy have their stores.

@justinluey The traditional event reminds me of how Microsoft had screwed the Xbox one announcements so Traditional doesn't always mean a good sign.

Anyways, this is a disappointment. Nintendo should have done a traditional press conference. But then again, I don't blame them not wanting to show off the disgraceful and worthless Wii U to people. I'm sure Sony and M$ will be there to please and not to dissapoint. RIP Wii U #fireiwata

@therealmario101 Comments like yours are one of the only reasons I check the comments section on this site. Aside from a few posters that are level headed the comments section here is almost as bad as ign.

I think people are still living in the past. We're never gonna see excitement along the lines of the Twilight Princess reveal at an E3 conference again. The press doesn't act like that any more. Most of the show is filled with useless dribble, awkward introductions and slow translators. And since Nintendo is not announcing a new console, why do they need a stage show?

@justinluey so, you want them to directly engage the online base? even though a press conference STILL does that though showing these to those who cannot make it to LA. Think about it this way, a Press conference is a Nintendo direct in live performance which shows a lot more than a simple person talking on recording. It is not about tradition here. it is about selling your products, showing them off and if you cant be bothered to show them in front of people, what is there really to make it all exciting and meaningful? yes, the Nintendo direct will get people excited but it is just missing a big part and connection with the people and their image. There is a reason why there are so many sales people that go and actually meet their customers to sell their products. It shows that they are excited, dedicated to their products and shows that they are willing to show them off without hiding behind a barrier. It shows confidence and determination.

So no e3 conference.......damn.

I don't mind the announcements just coming through Direct, but I do miss the sheer scale and hype that the E3 conferences had. Still, for me it's not a huge deal.

Omg...! "This new program will be live streamed during all hours of the E3 show. Fans can get settled in, open their browsers and experience the Nintendo games at E3 like never before."

I hope this means what I think it does!

I'm not yet sure how I feel about not having a traditional press conference. I don't think a simple Nintendo Direct would serve Nintendo very well, but the description says Nintendo will be building on the Direct format, which tells me this Digital Event will offer something more than a Direct would. It sounds risky to me, but at the same time, it definitely sounds like a Nintendo thing.

Everything else sounds great to me. It seems like Nintendo is really trying to offer a lot for E3 this year, which is exactly what it needs to do. I really hope the lack of a traditional press conference won't weigh down the rest of what Nintendo has on offer.

In this case, it was a good idea to forgo the stage show. A "digital event" and live streaming of the games being shown off and demos at Best Buy, Nintendo is trying to eliminate the middleman, the press.

Seriously, the press has not been nice to Nintendo, so by doing this, the content is shown directly to us so we can decide for ourselves, not a biased news source deciding for us.

Smart move, Nintendo.

Might need an Italian translation but... http://it.ign.com/news/13192/nuova-console-nintendo-all-e3-2014 'New Nintendo System'

@readyletsgo A QOL platform?

@therealmario101: I'm with you man, I'm happy with 3-5 "major" releases a year from Nintendo or someone else for my Wii U. Life is to short to play video games "24/7." I couldn't care less whether they go with a press conference or direct. Just show me some new info on a couple new games and that is cool with me.

And with this, Nintendo continues its slide into irrelevancy.

Don't kid yourselves, E3, the event, is it as far as the video game industry goes. It makes newspaper headlines and top stories all over the interent, both gaming and non-gaming sites.

Not physically showing speaks volumes for everyone who isn't a die hard Nintendo fan through and through. Last year's debacle was laughable at best and downright financially damning at worst (and Nintendo's sales post E3 reflected this).

Again, the key word here is irrelevancy. With decisions like this, Nintendo is racing right for it like it's a finish line.

@DestinyMan Most likely but its interesting to have it there in the code I guess.

@brewsky Yeah I got the link from a comment on Ign.ie there on my phone, my phone translate it but my stupid work broswer here wont auto translate, but I think people can figure it out, but thanks for doing it!!!

Will the SSBU onlu be playable at Best Buy? Because in the Netherlands, we DONT have best buy ;(

BAHAHAHAHAHA that video was epic! Thanks for the funnies Nintendo! I wish he had've said "My body is Reggie." in the robot voice! Wayyy too funny! I also think the lineup of content I will be able to watch will be insane! Sooo pumped to watch constant Nintendo games & the SSB4 tournament! Sounds soooo good! Bye bye 1 hour conference, hello hours upon hours of Nintendo awesomeness! Thanks for the upgrade Nintendo, can't wait!

@DestinyMan google indexing, yeah, that makes much more sense tbh, but still..... OMFG a new system!!! lol

@gatorboi352 You sound like you've seen the future. As long as Nintendo delivers e3-like news on the Internet, I frankly don't care if Nintendo goes "irrelevant" or not.

@DestinyMan Hmm, American funny. Went on a bit too long. It was ok, but fair play to Reggie! Not many CEO's (or whatever his title is) would do that.

My anticipation level is over 9000.

gonna be a long six weeks

Wow! Nintendo is not having a tradition conference, big F-ing deal. As long as they blow me away with new game announcements and entertaining videos, I'm all up for it!

I'm going to be camping at Bestbuy.

I didn't think their E3 Direct last year was on par with any of their conferences. On the other hand, it was their first try and a lot can definitely be improved upon. Looking forward to seeing how they construct it this year.

Hopefully it won't disappoint. I personally know it won't though. I mean.. ZeldaU. Home console Zelda's are pretty much the definition of met expectations for me.

@Azooooz Uh, did you misremember last year?

If that video was any indication of the quality of their E3 digital presentation, I'd say this is a very good idea. Let's face it, Reggie is really awkward in front of a live audience.

@therealmario101 all I have to say is "welcome to the internet", where hatedom is all the rage. If anything, that entire concept should explain why Nintendo's take on E3 is smart: too many people just love to jump on the bash-anyone bandwagon, and more so would jump all over Nintendo for a "bad" press event.

Excellent, hope I can get to a best buy demo this year.

I hope there will be a E-Shop demo for 3DS, I so badly wanna play this game!!

Honestly, what in the world are you guys expecting from this E3 direct? Metroid? Star Fox? F-Zero? Keep expectations in check. And by that I mean far below expected. What was shown last year at the Direct that actually came out in 2013? Only the mediocre 3D World. That's about it. DKC got delayed, MK8 was shown just to show that they have something coming out, and Smash Bros just to whet the appetites of the fangirls. While you Nintendo fangirls just sit down and keep on playing Art Academy and Wii Party U I'll be enjoying the real games on the XBONE and PS4.

@gatorboi352 "Did you misremember last year?" How do you know they won't improve upon last year's showing from this one?

@Superiorspider Mkay whatever you say

I Think A Press Conference Should Have Been Done Last Year, Because The Audience Would Have Marked Out Like Crazy On The Mario Kart 8 And Smash Bros/Megaman Reveal Trailer. This Year, I Think That A Digital Event Maybe Alright This Year, As Long As The Stream Runs Smoothly Enough...

No presentation then? :c

I really hope they actually do this in one of the Best Buys in WV this time. I don't want to drive hours to another state for a couple minutes if playtime.

@gatorboi352 Last year, people were on PS4/Xbox one hype train. This year is different as PS4/Xbox one hype has faded away. and Nintendo is taking advantage of it by showcasing its big titles like Super Smash Bros.

@Superiorspider
You're proving your own point wrong.. People may as well expect all of that. No one is arguing the games will be out the week after E3. Release dates and expectations don't correlate.

Its a game, just one game, ok a Nintendo game but still just a game and it is a Christmas release. I don't much like the Smash Bros games so this one is not for me. And if it was getting it I would get the 3ds version, since it is out this summer.
It is 'not' all the additional hype that Nintendo is giving Smash bros that I don't like, its the fact that the hype is to cover up the lack of other games.

Not every Nintendo fan wants to play every Nintendo game. I boughted Super Mario 3d world but did not want Donkey Kong. I will get Mario Kart 8 but not the Smash Bros. So..... so far this year that will be two Nintendo games I purchased (although strictly speaking Super Mario 3d world was a 2013 release). So just one.

At least the 3ds is just about keeping me in games.

They should have done all of the above, in addition to the conference.

I hope the Best Buy in my area is included, since it wasn't last year. In fact, I'll be happy as long as I don't have to drive for hours just to get to the Best Buy that's holding the event.

This is the way to do it.

Those stage shows always come off as awkward and fake in my opinion.

A direct lets you take control of the message in a way that doesn't rely on some presenter not flubbing their lines, or technology you had shipped in glitching at the last second.

The Smash Bros. tournament is a good idea too. It generates buzz and shows Nintendo franchises in a flagship title. Having pros play as opposed to random event drawing winners or PR people should make it more exciting.

Nothing wrong with putting emphasis on Smash...we have no idea what they are going to reveal for new games and products, and Smash does have 'cred' with the non-Nintendo gamer crowd.

I look forward to this!

@zool - "It is 'not' all the additional hype that Nintendo is giving Smash bros that I don't like, its the fact that the hype is to cover up the lack of other games."

Did you get a secret memo that tells you what games are coming out?

Seriously people...Nintendo may have a lot of games announced, or maybe they do have too few. An emphasis on Smash Bros doesn't mean either one is true. It means they want to showcase a "system" seller and take advantage of E3 to do so.

So will it air at 5pm in the UK? I'm not sure if I've got it right...

I think this shows that Nintendo hasn't learned its lesson from last E3, it doesn't really do enough to reach out to non-Nintendo fans (which they need if they want to help sell Wii U's), and it puts too much emphasis on Smash which implies a lack of new announcements. This is going to be E3 2013 all over again, I can feel it.

Me and Nintendo must be on the same wavelength as I only made a post about a SSB4 Wii U tournament at E3 a little while ago on NL.

@Action51 Well if that's what you believe.............

Its going to be like last year only with a tournament. Anybody who doesn't want a press conference doesn't like to answer questions.. Those directs are really cool though. They should have done both. In my opinion Nintendo is going to get some heat for this.

It's the Regginator!

@Azooooz "This year is different as PS4/Xbox one hype has faded away."

Ok, you keep telling yourself that.

Also, showcase Super Smash Bros? Like that hasn't been done enough already. I'm almsot sick of the updates at this point. Hell, there was a SSB Nintendo Direct BARELY A MONTH AGO

@Bolt_Strike I don't understand, do you want Nintendo to target gamers, or casuals?

@arkady77

TRANSLATION: Defend the force! Defend the force!

C'mon man, don't be so blind.

To all of you, why are you attempting to justify this move by belittling E3, like it isn't the defacto conference for the video game industry. During the event, freaking nationally syndicated Nightly News outlets cover it FFS. Stop kidding yourselves.

@gatorboi352
Where? In the US?

That's far from the only country in the world you know.. Here E3 is only mentioned in gaming focused magazines or tech focused magazines. Not saying it's a small even, but still.

@zool - Yes, I believe that we just don't know and that too many people are acting like they do.

Also...yes Smash is a big deal and they are smartly using E3 as a venue to generate hype...are they going to do a Best Buy event where you can play an early alpha build of a new Zelda game that's a year from completion?

use your head.

@19Robb92

Yeah, the US. Only the largest gaming market IN THE WORLD. Sorry man, but when you're not the top fish, then you don't take precedent. E3 is an event held in the US.

@Action51

"Also...yes Smash is a big deal and they are smartly using E3 as a venue to generate hype.."

Sooo what was that whole SSB Nintendo Direct for a few weeks ago? Stop trying to put a method to Nintendo's madness. There is none. They have no ebb and flow for what they do these days.

@ikki5 I agree that these different approaches are not mutually exclusive, and Nintendo should always consider both. I also agree that creating a spectacle (excitement) in front of live people has benefits, but I think you (and others) are exaggerating those benefits.

Nintendo is a company that is still making some great products (their games) and some good products (their hardware), but are struggling to market them.

Nintendo fans are a pretty loyal bunch, so they aren't a big problem. And Nintendo products are mostly lost on the "hardcore" gamer who only plays the latest first-person-shooter. Nintendo has to market to a wider audience so they can sell some games, and convert a small percentage of those people into loyal fans.

As far as "sales people" go, we'll have to agree to disagree. I can't remember a single time that a sales person conveyed "excitement" or "dedication". I usually avoid them altogether. I research products online, consider opinions of people who actually use the product, and buy it somewhere that I can avoid "sales people" (no offense to any sales people reading, it's just not my thing).

@Azooooz They need to be targeting gamers. It's just that a Not Nintendo Direct is not going to reach out to non-Nintendo gamers, they need to get some of the Microsoft, Sony, and PC fans interested, and a press conference is one of the best ways to do that.

@gatorboi352
I'm well aware. But you act as if that would matter for other countries. The importance of E3 over here is nowhere near as big.

I prefer the traditional press conference but... their lack of one brought us that video. Holy crap was that video awesome.

Honestly a giant Smash Bros. tourney will have all eyes on Nintendo while it happens and people will want to hear more about what they have to say. It's not like last year when there was nothing major going on really.

I think they needed a big press conference to reach a wider audience and build the "hype train". As a Nintendo fan myself, I'm more than satsfied with a big digital event... but they have my attention already anyway.

@Tryken without a doubt this would be phenomenal if they do that!

@antonvaltaz That's their biggest title this year besides Mario Kart 8. Of course they're going to brag about it. They will announce a lot (I'm sure of it) but most of the unnanouced titles will probably hit 2015 (I assume Shin Megami Tebsei X Fire Emblem is the exception by being annpunced and getting a 2015 release).

@gatorboi352 You are either exaggerating or live in a parallel universe. Trade/Industry shows are on the decline, because more and more companies are choosing to interact with customers and press directly.

And E3 is not covered by the mainstream media in any meaningful way. If a national or local "nightly news" broadcast covers E3, it is a 30-second package with: a shot of people standing in line, a sound bite from an executive, and 10 seconds of footage from the latest uncanny valley game.

I'm psyched for smash bros at best buy, but it's a really dumb idea for nintendo to skip out of a traditional press conference again. Even if they just showed upcoming 3ds games at a traditional conference would be good. You can't create the same reaction or hype with a nintendo direct as you can with a press conference.

The best buy exposure will go a long way imo recently I witnessed a kid see a Mario kart 8 poster in a front display at a gamestop and he was like what's that ? And his father responded oh that's Mario Kart they kid reply I want that it looks so cool and his dad said but you have a 360 . Moments later he convinced his dad to buy a wii u and pre order mk8 lol

There was the theme of Legend of Zelda playing at the end of the trailer in that prohibited room. Now I'm going nuts thinking that they will show the new Zelda...

But I REALLY, BADLY, SERIOUSLY need a new Metroid.

Would be cool if they offered some E3 games on display to have a limited-time demo for our systems. Maybe have them up for the duration of E3 then they automatically delete themselves once the show is over.

Yep, just goes to show that the Gamecube era was the best. IT had press conferences! I don't like where Nintendo is headed...

@Superiorspider That "mediocre" 3D World earned a LOT of GOTY nomminations and DKC is the best platformer of this year so far. Mario Kart will probably be the most acclaimed game of this year alongside Smash Bros and probably Bayonetta. If you think about it, not only Nintendo has the best and most exclusives, but it also has more 1080p 60fps games confirmed than the PS4 and XBONE.
But excuse me! You're a fanboy. You don't think and don't even deserve to be called a gamer. Get out of here.

@antonvaltaz I wouldn't rely on that. I don't know if we can say there will be a ton of games, but so long as the other games we HAVE heard about aren't delayed to 2015 there will be a lot of information of a few games. Bayonetta 2 and X being two prime examples of games we have yet to hear much about, but last we heard are to come out this year. Same for Hyrule Warriors. Also if Aonuma lives up to his word a few months ago we will finally get at least something on Zelda U. What it could be who knows. Could be anywhere from some details to a trailer.

To comment on a minor point on that video, this is another piece of evidence that the American not have truly given up royalty. The idea that having dinner with the President of the United States is a great honour and would be worth passing up to host a Smash Brothers Torment is an aspect of American royalty. It may come as a surprise to Americans, but most people who live in countries other than the US could not recognize their Prime Minister's or President's spouse. Ex Presidents of the United States are treated better than most of the royalty in Europe.

Also I would like to add I enjoyed the Gerudo Valley theme and the end of the video.

this was actually funny and i liked it .

@arkady77

what would be the biggest Market than? I'm guessing europe.

You can often read about how they are "stuck in the past", "should go with the times" and things like that, but when they try to interact directly with the audience through the internet and events it is considered to be better to be "conservative" and have a press conference, just like the other two.

@shingi_70

I think he is trying to imply that China could potentially become the largest market, while ignoring the fact that currently, yes, the US is the largest market for video gaming. All it takes is a simple look at console/software sales numbers to show this to be true.

In nintendo i trust

@arkady77

'Asia-pacific'?! Please!!

Can you provide the sales numbers to back this up?

HYPE x99999999999999999999999999999999

@arkady77

Could you provide me the 7th generation console sales numbers for Guam, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brunei and Indonesia please? I'm fascinated by your assertion that this region is the largest gaming market (ignoring the fact you are comparing the sales from a single country, USA, to an entire geographic region encompassing half the earth) and haven't produced any evidence to support it.

@SahashraLA "It is irrelevant."

The only thing flirting with irrelevancy at this point is Nintendo and their current practices.

Nintendo is not announcing any new hardware at this E3, so a big press conference will be counterproductive. But honestly, I really liked the Nintendo Direct and Developer Direct approach from last year. So I'm excited!

@KennyPowers I think Arkady is just a 13 year old kid or something maybe a troll. Just ignore him if he bothers you, but he doesn't bother me so I will generally respond to him.
@arkady77 Business major from one of the best public business colleges in the country here. Guess what: America is the largest market. Sure, Japan may have a more population dense for video games, but it does not make as much money as the US.
Evidence:
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0316/Top-video-game-markets-in-the-world/United-States

@Yorumi, I will be in the riot, surely.

@arkady77

It's also a pacific island, and was added as a humorous way to discredit your notion that more consoles/software are sold in a region where 50% of its inhabitants are likely subsistence farmers.

Again, any numbers to back up your belief? Because a simple google search for 'Wii sales by region' or 'PS3/360 sales by region' immediately shows that USA/North America makes up well over half of global sales on it own.

@arkady77

Are you high? Are you on something?

A market is a demographic you are trying to persuade to use or purchase something you have. By definition, the US is a larger market.
@gatorboi352 lol

That video was actually pretty funny! The use of the phantom/guardian music when the real Reggie appeared made me chuckle.
It sounds like they are committing much more to this e3 than the last one!

@arkady77 US is clearly the biggest market look at the sales, numbers don't lie.

I think it's pretty clear the main reason to not have the E3 presentation on stage is Nintendo doesn't think it has enough "wow" to impress an auditorium full of the gaming press for it to be worth it (if they thought they could guarantee a good crowd reaction doing it on stage would be good for publicity), but as someone viewing it on stream, I couldn't really care less which format they are using.

I am very surprised Nintendo is having tournament Smash players have a Smash Wii U tournament as a promotion, given the negative opinion Sakurai has expressed on playing Smash competitively in the past (which is why Glory Mode existing surprised me, now all we need are open lobbies with no friend codes and an open chat), and Nintendo attempting to shut down the Melee tournament last year at EVO. Crazy stages are okay but I can only hope they have the foresight to play the tournament with items off, otherwise the whole game will be the players running to items and throwing them at each other and in the air for cover, because realistically that is actually the most effective use of most of the items.

So what games are going to be playable at Best Buy? Because let's face it, what everyone wants is Smash Wii U Demos so the masses can see what the game play is like 1st hand.

I'm not surprised they would only reveal stuff about a title they've spent all year talking about. I just hope they have plenty of new stuff to talk about to inspire confidence and desire. As for the presentation style. I don't know what they mean. Livestream? Video? Interactive? I didn't mind the Super Direct, and there are pros between it and the stage show. No awkward moments falling flat, but no ability to adapt and totally burn the other guy when set themselves up (Sony's done it twice now).

Super Smash Bros. getting the spotlights.
Yes.
YES.
YES.

cue project fusion ? if not this year mane next year. A console that plays fusion game and fusion handheld and wii u / 3DS. would be amazing i hope it plays wii games too.

I can;t wait for X most of all it's going to be mind blowing.

@alexsora89

I'm on my phone so I can't post a picture of the Ron Paul It's happening .gif. just use your imagination and pretend it's here.

@MAB

@arkady77

Translation: "I have no evidence to support my belief, so I'm going to insult the guys who were right and go watch footy on TV and pretend this never happened."

@kennypowers you know he's not really leaving this page. He's just pretending because he's embarassed.

@Tryken yeah I think that would do it for wiiu, what about 3ds though? Need a few things to keep momentum ticking along. Personally would love to see a sequel to chinatown wars. That would create quite a few headlines.

That video was awesome! So hyped for E3 now!

I caught this announcement video, like, seconds before I was about to turn off my computer and go to bed XD Nintendo seems very confident in the fact that they have some big reveals, so I'm totally okay with cranking my hype all the way up now XD My body is ready~~

@AlexSora89 I dunno, I'm really excited for smash and I'll be buying both versions but I don't need or want to hear more. I want to hear about other games; unannounced ones.

They can use Youtube this year, which proved to be mostly lag-free. I think we'll be fine

@mostro328 Always

@Unca_Lz I hope so. It looked really unprofessional last year. It dehypes people too when it happens and ruins the magic. Imagine them revealing a sbb4 character and the second before the reveal it froze.

Everyone's freaking out about this "Nintendo Digital Event." I think the fact that Nintendo didn't call it a "Nintendo Direct" speaks volumes. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a hybrid between a traditional press conference and a Direct.

@sillygostly That's what I was thinking too I know we'll for sure have some Pokemon spin off shown... But a remake of Ruby and Sapphire seems likely with the patterns at this point :3

Wait, what if fils Amech is playable in SSB??

I think its fantastic that they are skipping the cringe worthy live presentations.

Every year those presentations by any company, be it sony, microsoft, or whatever just get worse and worse.

Plus the whole E3 privilege is toned down this way, we all get equal access to videos and such without hyper emphasis on having crappy reporters getting the news back to us.

@Falkor it does sound like that. When I marked the event on my iPhone calendar, it covered three days for the event. I know E3 is held that long itself, but I'm thinking this event may be some kind of live feed that keeps streaming for the entire duration of E3 :3

My body is ready! i am glad to see they are doing a show floor this year. Were in for some big announcements. I also like that they are holding a tournament for th latest smash bros.

@DestinyMan ok, so because they have a few bad ones they should stop them? With this logic, they should have stopped doing the directs because there have been a number of poor directs as well.

@2Sang Hype is a bad thing totally unnecessary. (Rather have just stuff not announced until the Monday before it is going to be released. No fanfare. No disappointment when it doesn't live up to what the marketeers said it would). Like the Panasonic CEO always said you only need marketing when you have a bad product.

The video was awesome. The lack of a real E3 presentation isn't. Hopefully this E3 will be better than last year, at least. I'll have to remember to get it off.

@unrandomsam

I've seen you mention that Panasonic CEO 'quote' more than a dozen times before in support of your argument that marketing/hype isn't a good thing.

Can you even find a link where that quote is proven to exist? If the CEO 'always said' that, you should be able to easily find a written example of it, right? I've googled it before, and came up empty handed.

PS4 became the fastest selling console (ever?) on the back of hype and strong marketing. It most definitely works.

The Wii-U had neither hype nor marketing, and look how it is doing so far...

So again, please, where is that Panasonic CEO quote?

I don't really care when or where anyone presents or reveals anything - if I know it, I know it. Like I care about the circumstances... though I'm more of an exception, I suppose.

@MAB Don't forget CoD: Ghosts - Platinum Super Premium GOTY Edition (DLC only in Limited Steelbook version)!

But yeah, people will flood Activision/EA and take everything they copypasted into a next-gen (read: even more bugged) environment as the next revolution in gaming.

Is it wrong that I don't care for Smash? I've played Brawl at a friend's house, and Nintendo has a bunch of other smash games on older systems. If I want to play smash, I'll buy it on my gamecube or wii. That said, they're focusing a LOT on smash, and I'm starting to worry that's all they will have to show. I want more games, maybe some new IPs (knowing nintendo, that's not happening), not another smash game.

@HappyHappyist
Smash is coming this year to two of their systems. And it is a big franchise. And they are still have focusing on other games during the regular e3 online show. You may not like the smash but a lot of us do and nintendo knows that. That is why the push is big. E3 will be good.

This has the feel of a fan event. Fan events are great, but E3 is a press event. You need to be showing stuff off to the press to get them to write about your hardware and software, and I just can't see anyone outside Nintendo-centric websites reporting on a Smash Bros tournament at E3.

I'm still hopeful of some big announcements, but right now it does make it seem like they're relying on Smash to fill out the second half of 2014.

@Yorumi the push on smash is also to drive sells up. New games mean nothing if they just have the same base they have now. No matter what they release they are not in a place of strength now. They need the biggest game they have to drive interest up. They still have the regular show on Tuesday so game info is coming and they are going depth on the games all E3. So if you like smash like me get hype. But they are also having lots of other things and probably some surprises.

Offtopic but I got Mario Golf: World Tour today and I just wondered if I must wait for friday? can something happen if I play it early or is it safe to play it today?

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do hope they show the new Zelda game they said they will announce? My body ready!!

@WaveBoy I honestly hope that isn't how you picture people who game on Xbox or PS and btw gatorboi352 I think you should give up. These people seem to think Nintendo is untouchable or as if their still relevant to today's gamer demographic.

I love Nintendo's new approach, it's straight forward and it's for the fans.. I can't wait to see the games they have hidden.

This looks great!

@Rockmirth

You are fine. Reviewers have the game and are online now too. Nintendo doesn't care.

No! Where's X?

It,s time to meet the new Zelda right? RIGHT!?

So, no Direct or stage conference, but a "Nintendo Digital Event"? So the NDE is the next Directs?
Also, SMASH BROS. 4 AT THE BEST BUT EHICH PLAYABLE. SO GOING.

@arkady77 Please allow me to personally apologize for my fellow countrymen. It's exactly this kind of tunnel vision resulting in this case in their unfounded comments and not so funny pictures making all of us Americans look short-sighted and judgmental towards the rest of the world. A prejudice I have regularly had to deal with since living and working in Europe, and it's DEFINITELY not all of us that think like that. Some of them should probably spend some time off the continent and find out how much more there is to discover in the world. Out of curiosity I actually DID take some time to look into your claims and I came up with some info that actually supports your statements:
http://www.lai.com/en/asian-game-markets-japan-china-korea
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Video-Games-Market-Grow-From-52-Billion-2009-86-Billion-By-2014-30363.html
And here's the gist of it, for people that can't be bothered to click on links:

"For many video game developers and publishers, Asia is an automatic “must” when considering global markets. At the forefront of global expansion considerations is typically Japan and China, acclaimed video game consumption giants, with a long standing ranking as 2 of the top 3 video game markets in the world. While Korea is often perceived as a market only for online game companies due to the large number of online players, experts see mobile platforms as a strategic opportunity because of recent and expected year-on-year growth for the market. In addition, according to Newzoo, 59% of the population in Asia is between the ages of 21-35, making the region a goldmine for the video game industry. With Asia’s video game industry comprising the largest market in the world, producing more than $10 billion, this region should be high on every game developer’s list of regions to target in the localization of their games."

ON TOPIC:
At first I was disappointed because I did like them E3 presentations from the glory days of (Nintendo) gaming, but nowadays more and more companies go digital, so to me there's hardly any difference between watching a stage performance online behind my computer or watching a pre-recorded presentation. I even agree with some of you who pointed out that the presentation can be much more professional that way. On the other hand I do see the problem with them not having any appearance like the competition as well. But maybe the whole Treehouse thing and the Digital Presentation (truly hoping that this is indeed not just a new title for Nintendo Directs) will make us all smile again and perhaps some of us will be able to sleep a bit better again afterwards...

@TheRealThanos

Read your articles, and they all pertain to mobile/MMO PC gaming. They have nothing at all to do with console gaming, which is what we are talking about here, and they also lean heavily on 'potential' market increases.

As of now, looking at the sales figures for current consoles, the biggest numbers are coming from North America.

@zool
I agree, it's not like every one should love every Nintendo title that comes out, I'm not a smash bros fan too, so I expect other things too form E3.

I hope they do more then just talk about some future Nintendo titles, is it just me that thinks more must be done then showing a few games that are being released in the coming year, this is all you guys are wanting in the comments, how about a new subscription model? new free downloadable content. better UI and new software updates that resolve compatibility issues. a better market with more promotions and offers on the eShop. more software's that can help Wii U be a better Entertainment hardware. showing the possibilities of the use of the Gamepad which is the only exclusive feature the Wii U has compared to it's competitors, to the public. explaining to all those 100 mill Wii users why they should be investing in a Wii U.

@KennyPowers I said the articles supported his claims, not that they completely verified them. MMO gaming is growing and will be more prevalent on consoles as well, the numbers under article on cinemablend also state consumer and console hardware and the shift in the market in general is indeed towards the Asia-Pacific reason. I just did a quick five minute search and came up with that info.

@TheRealThanos

And one of your sources, lai.com, is a company (which I've never heard of) which appears to have had minimal (none?) success providing translating services for games. Therefore, they have a bias to present a rose tinted outlook when talking about the global game market, as they are trying to get companies to hire them.

Most of the information they source has nothing to do with video games either, and is just makes references to demographic changes and potential market growth in Asia. It makes no mention of the fact that China has pretty much banned all console game companies (so far) and is a hot bed for piracy either.

No love for the UK WHY NINTY YOU COULD HAVE DONE DIGITAL DEMOS!

@KennyPowers I have dealt with a lot of strangely named or (for Americans?) unfamiliar companies throughout the years, but that doesn't mean that they can't be seen as a reasonable source of information. I can tell you from experience (I'm a 43yo Sales & Marketing professional in the IT business) that most companies that we know or think are well known in the States are absolutely foreign in other parts of the world. Save for the very big ones of course, but the same goes for big European or Asian companies, of which I'm sure you will also be able to name at least a few.

I'm okay with this, I get the news directly instead of having to listen to all of the hipsters that call themselves gaming journalists.

I don't think it really matters how they do their presentation, but the extreme focus on smash bros. worries me. They better have the most kickass presentation in years, because this is essentially Nintendo's last chance to prove the relevancy of the Wii U. If there's a meh performance this year, nobody is going to take it seriously from here on out, aside from loyalists.

@WaveBoy Well, personally I wouldn't generalize like that but you are right when you say gamers come in all shapes and size

You know, looking over some of these comments, I gotta say one thing.

Congrats on stereotyping Sony and Microsoft owners and acting like the only thing on those consoles are dudebro FPS games. I guess I imagine all those JRPGs, Fighting games, platformers, racing, and action games that I see on the PSN.

Nah, all those systems have to offer is FPS games!

I love Nintendo as much as anyone here, but can we please stop the stupid stereotypes about the owners of the other systems? I'm sure Nintendo fanboys don't appreciate having Nintendo stuff called "Kiddie Cartoon Junk", so why do we have to boil down Playstation and Xbox owners into being nothing more that dudebro games and the systems offering nothing more than FPS games?

We're all gamers here, and I can't wait to see what everyone has to offer. Why don't we set aside the petty fanboyism and look forward to the show. Nintendo has some cool stuff to show off, and I love the focus on Smash Bros.

I'm sure Sony and Microsoft will also bring some really good stuff to the table as well.

I can't wait for E3

Very excited for E3 surprised they announced details this early but it's great because now excitement builds up until the event.

@siavm
just my unpopular opinion. I have no expectations for Nintendo to woo me this E3 because they haven't done that in a long time, so I'm not one of those awful, "They better do a good job at E3 or I'll sell my WiiU" people, because I love my WiiU, I've stuck with it since launch and games have come. Lately though, they've been focussing mostly on Smash, which is bugging me personally because It makes me think that's their last big gun. If they'd just show more games for everyone, that'd be great. Bayo 2 and X look nice, but we're not seeing that, we're only getting Smash.

@Caryslan I totally agree with you, but you did give yourself the answer there: Nintendo (-only) fans will use "dudebro" as defense against the perpetuating myth that Nintendo only has "kiddie" games to offer. It's the vicious circle thingy...
Both sides of fanboys can be excruciatingly annoying, but in Nintendo's defense: they have been here way longer and especially in the beginning it sounded like the other two camps were taunting and using "kiddie" and what not as if they were jealous of Nintendo's long standing reputation. When I was a teenager, Nintendo was THE platform to get for both first party hardcore games & multiplats, then again: you could always go for the alternative and buy a Sega system...

Like some other posters here, I'm concerned that this means a lack of game announcements (possibly at max 1 new Wii U game between MK8 and late September?) but I'd love to be proven wrong. Anyway, I've got to stop feeling negative about the far future and instead focus on what will likely be the biggest highlight of my whole year (MK8 a month tomorrow).

I'm looking forward to the Nintendo Tree house thing. Sounds like it'll be pretty cool.

yawn

@Caryslan I wholeheartedly agree. I really wish people wouldn't be so narrow-minded when looking at the game market; I own Nintendo and PlayStation products and love them both. I'm not sure why people make owning consoles a mutually exclusive proposition — play what games you like, no matter what company's box they're on. Games are games.

@DestinyMan I agree, Ninty is KNOWN for being secretive about their games. Just because they're focusing on Smash doesn't mean that's all they have to offer, it means that they don't want us to know about their other stuff yet. I think we've got some awesome announcements coming!

@2Sang

I'm just... positively surprised that, this time around, Nintendo is pushing Super Smash Bros., which should have been one of their top franchises since its very debut. It was about time they started treating it like one!

@DestinyMan #270
It's getting quite ridiculous. If they announced the games now they wouldn't even need to attend anymore, because there would be no surprises.
Announcing new things is what the expo is for.

@Luna-Harmony That would be a TERRIBLE idea! A console that would play only Nintendo games and handheld-style LEGO games in glorious 540p resolution is surely going to be a hit. Either that or the price will be through the roof (I'm talking about Five Hundred and Ninety-Nine Dollar territory!)

Ok to good for Nintendo fans....

Bad for Nintendo's press relations, overall media coverage, and long term standing within the industry.

Sounds good for the most part.

@Caryslan
You can say that again. The thing I can't quite wrap my head around about it is where the stereotype for Sony came from. I get Microsoft since the Xbox is kinda known for shooters, but Sony certainly didn't make a name on those kind of games. Heck, if anything the Playstation should be known as the basement-dweller or otaku console because of all the RPGs.

I guess its the "HD twin" thing, which is equally as annoying.

@HylianJowi
Its not just consoles. Unfortunately though theres something about gaming where people just can't understand how anyone could like something they don't. You don't see people berating others for their taste in food or anything like that.

I think a lot of it is due to people wanting to validate their investment. After plopping down half a grand or more they want to feel like they made the 'right' choice. It comes right down to tearing other down being much easier than building yourself up.

oh boy sounds bad hope it is not only smash bros and dr. peach. need to have huge feeds of gameplay without showing a group of 8 year olds high fiving in front of mom. i play wii u and my mom lives 40 miles away! at least it we can count on it being a preview of the next e3 because that is their pattern

Nintendo doesn't have too much to show. E3 is expensive and Nintendo is too cheap for that, especially when they don't have much to show. They were expecting third parties to fill in the gaps between first party releases. They weren't expecting to be the only publisher supporting the Wii U.

It is kinda too bad that they won't have a traditional conference at E3 but if this Smash tourney is broadcast live it will bring in a ton of views.

Not surprised. I doubt they have many NEW games to show. Let's just hope the ones they do have are actually good.

Surprise surprise, regi fils mech , will be announced for smas bros at e3, with its special smash being laser beam eyes. Just watch.

It's not good seeing Smash Bros. getting a big push. It seems like its the only bit of hype keeping Nintendo going nowadays. I was hoping they wouldn't be relying on SB and would instead actually focus on the new games.

I don't understand what's so good about traditional press conference. I have watched Nintendo E3 2012, and to tell you the truth, it wasn't as good as last year's pre-recorded E3. Yes, I know it's important for journalists to write headlines, but these headlines only appears in gaming and technology magazine. Not to mention, why spending more money to travel to E3 location just to see it when you can do it at your home online? Also, I find traditional e3 press conference a bit boring, and sometimes embarrassing,

I believe, in my perspective, that with this approach, Nintendo may score another great amount of views this year's e3.

It's not the traditional way to reach the press, but Nintendo's directly reaching out to the fans. On the one hand it can reaffirm the convictions of the fanbase, and on the other the press can't build up the hype to entice the uninformed masses or downplay the animosity from the Ponys and Xbots.

Last year the Best Buy event was not hosted at my local store, so I have zero hopes that it will make it this year.

Like others i'm a little disappointed in this decision by Nintendo. It makes no difference to us fans who get hyped for Directs and it will still be the same announcements just in a slightly different format but for all the people we need to start taking notice of the Wii U it's not the right way. Now is the time for the big N to follow the conventions a little bit, they aren't in a position to "be like apple" as someone suggested and shun the norms, they need to play ball and have a "comeback" E3. To shun the main stage presentation again this year just screams that they don't have enough to warrant a presentation which isn't the message they should be giving out. Plus, if it's true then what are they doing? Where are the mergers and acquisitions they mentioned, where are they spending their money to put things right? I'm working on the basis that they have a ton to reveal but focussing on the floor show implies otherwise. Also, doing the live reveal takes the responsibility of getting the streaming right out of their hands completely...

PS with regard to mergers and acquisitions how the hell did they get outbid by SEGA for atlus? That would have been a complete coup for them! With the money they have and light of SEGA non too grand financial record i would've thought outbidding them would've been easy pickings...maybe just buy sega now for a double whammy, announce that in a live E3 stage show and you've won E3 regardless...

Why say fans "around the world" can playsmash bros at best buy when Iit is only in America? There are other countries outside of America! !

@blondeandy
Opportunity cost plays a huge role in acquisitions. Maybe Nintendo thought that increasing their internal staff would better serve them(since they've been severely understaffed for years) than just making another acquisition. It could have possibly been cheaper too.

@MAN1AC I don't disagree but at this point with two.consoles to support (they need to keep expanding the 3ds library too) they need to get more people in across the board. Buying up a proven developer gets them off the ground running with WIP titles that could be ported across. In the meantime the extra internal staff can be working on more games from scratch to release down the line. They did specifically mention acquisitions and did bid for atlus so was somewhere in their plan just lacked.the balls to.go all in...

@HappyHappyist

?

Actually, we're getting more than Smash. After Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2 releases in Japan during the summer. And usually the west gets Wii U games within 60 days of the Japanese release, often sooner (just look at last year's fall releases in Japan and the west). We also get Smash Bros 3DS in the summer as well. Xenboblade 2 has been reported as a 2014 release, and I can guarantee you they'll have a release window for the game at E3. They also promised Zelda U reveal, and we know for a fact Smash Bros U is the big holiday release for the end of the year.

Also have Sonic Boom coming, Watch Dogs coming in Sept/Oct, perhaps Yoshi's Yarn (I think it will definitely be a fall release), Fatal Frame localization news (hopefully), and I'm thinking SMT x Fire Emblem will be revealed, considering it's been 18 months since they announced it. That also doesn't account for the guaranteed surprise reveals, nor does it account for pretty much ANY of the 3DS games slated for the 2nd half of this year (all we know right now is Smash in summer).

Throw in games like Fast Racing Neo, Project Cars, and whatever else is coming from 3rd parties (indie, digital, multiplat or exclusive), and it's shaping up to be a pretty busy E3.

Well this is going to be an interesting E3 for nintendo and for us.

I hope that they step up with their Best Buy promotion this time and don't just bring it to a few stores. I went to my local Best Buy on the day of E3 last year, and there was nothing there. So I looked around online a bit more and found out that the closest event location to me was 2 hours away, despite what the online "tracker" told me. Not really easy to do when I have to be driven everywhere by others and don't even know any huge Nintendo fans other than me
It's a shame that they're not doing a press conference. I feel that that may be a bad move for the press attention, but eh, at least us Nintendo fan's still will get a lot of what we want with the Direct and all the other cool events. Bet we're going to see some big reveals!

@arkady77 The apology was a bit of theatrical jest at the cost of my country men, but also partly allowed me to express some irritation. You may even have a point concerning both our countries, and truth be told I would probably have had an entirely different opinion or view had I not moved to Europe, so that has definitely broadened my perspective. And I didn't mean that you were disliking Americans, that was in general, because a lot of Europeans did an do still think that a lot of Americans are arrogant, short-sighted and think that they are better than others. (I have no experiences with Australians, so I wouldn't know what they think) Needless to say that I have made a nice circle of friends, family and colleagues here that now know otherwise, but still...
Agree with you on Nintendo not appearing on stage, but I can find some humor in memes, gifs and other images, provided they are done right and not for the sake of it. MAB has a knack of getting it right quite often. His "Quilt of Love" image on the "Satoru Iwata Speaks Of The Need To "Redefine" Nintendo's Position In The Entertainment Industry" article was golden, as far as I am concerned.

Hyped for X !!!

I really prefer this approach the best, because it's the fastest, most direct way to get the information you want. Especially for those of us who really just want to get straight to the point: the games.

Don't care about the financial reports or market strategies or stage actors pretending to have "fun". I just want to see the games. Give me a new trailer and a release date, and I'm set.

@AlexSora89 I'm psyched too that for the first time in a while, smash is getting the center stage. Hopefully it's not the only worthwhile game at e3, but that's pretty much the only one we know of as of now. Yarn Yoshi, X, Bayo, and FExSMT all look decent too, but one is bound to be released in 2015. I'm hoping yarn yoshi is closest to being finished. For some reason, it's the only other wii u game in development other than smash that's exciting to me personally and usually I think Yoshi games are mediocre in comparison to other nintendo franchises. The others I listed seem good, but not my style.

This makes me so angry.

@Peach64 Why? We don't really need the press anymore...

@Caryslan I argued the same exact thing months ago. Actually, my very first comment on this site was relating to this topic, so I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. As a gamer, I don't see how people can be so closed minded when it comes to different consoles/games. Those are the people who tend to miss out on a lot of awesome stuff because of that mentality, whether they admit it or not. I'm looking forward to E3 in all of its entirety because I just know Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will all come out swinging. Can't wait.

@Topic This is awesome. I'm a fighting game/tournament kind of guy so this is all kinds of cool to me, but I'm sure Nintendo will have some killer announcements to go with this tournament. If not, oh well, I'll still enjoy the show regardless.

UGGGGH! WHY NO PRESS CONFERENCE!? Directs are good and all, but it's foolish to skip a press conference. You want to know why games like X are under hyped? Because only the people who watch the directs know what the damn game is! No press conference shuts them outside of where everyone is watching and prevents regular people who aren't fans from learning about new games!

why you want a conference? to ignore it and say how awesome the borefests from MS and sony are? I prefer NDs and such. more to the point and fun to watch.

@JaxonH
when was the last time you heard about those games besides mk8 and smash? i recall sometime last year, but i'm not sure. The MAIN focus has been on smash and mariokart.

@HappyHappyist

Some last year at the January Direct, some again at E3, and some in the Direct just a few months ago. Bayonetta 2 got its summer release date announced just a month or two ago. And the games that we haven't heard anything since last year, that's precisely why they should be due this year. Others we have known to be 2014 releases for some time.

@JaxonH
What did we learn about Smash? several things! Sakurai is posting daily game pictures on miiverse, giving dedicated Nintendo Directs and several roster updates. What did we get for X? a trailer. What did we get from Bayo2? a trailer. What did we get from Yarn Yoshi? nothing since announcement. SMT x FE? nothing since announcement.

So if I understand correctly Nintendo will do a Direct instead of a conference, just like last year. But now you can also watch their games live being played on the showfloor! That sounds really cool!

People are complaining that Nintendo isn't doing a traditional live press conference. Yes, I bolded the words traditional and press for a reason. Here's why:

"Traditional": Press conferences are traditional, meaning they have been done for years now. The live press conference is the way of the past. People complain that Nintendo isn't willing to embrace the digital age and doesn't seem to know the internet exists.

Well, isn't Nintendo doing this whole "Nintendo Digital Event" basically saying that they are embracing the way of the future for E3? They're telling Microsoft, Sony, and the rest of the industry that their way of doing E3 is outdated, and that doing a digital event rather than a press conference is the way of the future.

"Press": The live press conference is for, you know, the PRESS. The media is already biased against Nintendo, so doing a digital event allows Nintendo to interact directly with consumers and skip the press.

Now, people have said that the E3 Direct last year only got out to Nintendo's fanbase. Shouldn't Nintendo's top priority for the Wii U be selling it to their own fanbase, something they're currently failing to do?! With Smash Bros as a lure, more people, even those outside Nintendo's fanbase, will be watching.

@IceClimbers

"Shouldn't Nintendo's top priority for the Wii U be selling it to their own fanbase, something they're currently failing to do?!"

No, because their fanbase already bought a Wii-U. They need to be selling it to everyone else who hasn't bought one yet.

I want more on X. Ugh. Im tired of waiting. :-/

@Yorumi It's more likely that they're trying to hype up the Wii U version of the game considering how late in the year it comes out at. The tournament seems to be Wii U only and will be broadcast apparently.

@KennyPowers Well he still has a point on the press aspect. It's not like they're going to get any favours by doing a live presentation.

Nintendo Wii U

"Nintendo is too traditional! They need to embrace the modern times"

Nintendo announces no press conference but a digital event

"Uggghhhh, I wanted Nintendo to have a traditional live press conference!"

Never change people, NEVER CHANGE. LMAO

@DiSTANToblivion Well you know them, not that being slightly elitist is bad, just saying that if they are looking for something that Nintendo doesn't offer then they should have known that.

As for Nintendo Direct vs Live conference: What we want to see is games, not statistics and stuff like that! The 2013 Direct delivered just that: Games and nothing else! Therefore I think Nintendo made the right decision. But the bad point is that you reach a much smaller audience of course!

So much complaining. Guys this is Nintendo and E3. They always surprise us, and most of the time exceed our expectations! We have Mario Kart 8, SSB3DS / Wii U. Already coming out this year! Plus many more. Lets all be patience and wait to see more! Hopefully Zelda U, X! , Bayonetta, and etc. Patience will get you far.

@Henmii a much smaller live audience doesn't compare to a worldwide direct to video release, just saying. It shouldn't bother Nintendo, really. What with the press scrutinizing as of late, I'd take a direct over their commentary any day of the week.

@HappyHappyist

And...?

Smash for Wii U is a big game. And Sakurai is teasing it along the way. Similar to how Pokemon was teased way before its release. Other games get announced months before they hit store shelves.

Bayonetta 2 is confirmed summer release in Japan, confirmed 2014 in west (but most likely will be shortly after Japan). Just because we're not getting teases every month means nothing. The game is coming. Most every game up there listed is 100% confirmed for a 2014 release, save Yoshi's Yarn and SMT x Fire Emblem, which of course were both speculation.

But again, games don't take much longer than a couple years to make. Considering footage was shown 18 months ago (meaning it was already well into production), and by the time this year is up it will be a full 2 years after THAT, it's a pretty safe bet Yoshi's Yarn is releasing this year. Unless dev cycle times jumped to 4-5 years for Yoshi games all of a sudden. As for SMT x Fire Emblem, there's no guarantee. However, it will be 2 full years since its announcement come the end of this year, and games only take about 3 years. So even if it doesn't release this year, they could announce a spring 2015 release date.

Point I'm making is, Nintendo doesn't hype their games like they're doing with Smash. That's the exception, not the rule. 9 times out of 10, you won't hear a peep until 3 months before release. Which is exactly what we saw with DKC, Mario Kart 8, and it's what we're seeing with Bayonetta 2, which releases in just a few months.

I'm looking forward to see what their presentation is like going forward here. Smash Bros. is the only game that has been announced that it's solidly coming out this year (and their biggest trump card), so of course they are going to be pushing that before E3 to gain hype. I wouldn't be surprised if we see some other games revealed for the later half of the year, and some other demos also popping up at Best Buy locations, but that remains to be seen. (And I can't play Smash or anything during the event anyways, since I am nowhere near a Best Buy sadly... )

Funny way to get their info out though. love the Reggie Mech.

@IceClimbers

Idk who said last year's E3 Direct only got out to the fanbase, but whoever is saying that is just plain wrong. The gaming press and press at large covered it every bit as much as prior E3 conferences. I had random dudes at my work telling me they heard about Mega Man being in Smash.

Ya know, avoiding these events for fear of bad press only perpetuates the problem. The best way to combat it is to get up and show the naysayers how wrong they are. Like it or not they need these "outdated" press events, because they're such big events everybody will have their eyes on them. This is one time where being traditional is a good thing.

@JaxonH
Thats the thing though, they don't give their other games the same sort of treatment, not even to the level of Mario or Pokemon. If they marketed them more they'd dispel the "all they have is Mario" and other such assumptions. Not to say they all need AAA levels of hype, but they even pushed MH3 harder than most of them. I recall FE: Awakening being "the most successful" game in the series, so they're more than capable.

@Zombie_Barioth

Eh, Nintendo is doing it traditional though. I mean, they're gonna be at E3. They're gonna have their booths set up. Their games are gonna get coverage all the same (especially with the streaming 24/7 channel online). So, idk, I really don't see the advantage one way or the other. It's not like they won't be at E3. They're just foregoing a 60 minute stage presentation in favor of an alternate means of presenting the information. Nowadays with Sony, MS, Ubisoft, EA, Activision, and every other publisher from here to Timbuktu doing a stage press, it gets a little monotonous I think. This is a good way to stand out. Trust me, the press still covers every ounce of Nintendo's announcements. Remember last year? Nintendo had headlines up the yin-yang.

And I agree. I think more aggressive advertising would greatly benefit them. But, it's a non-issue for me as a gamer. As long as I get the games, that's all I care about.

Didn't they show and announce Super Smash Bros. Last year?... ! weak.
ooooh owwww... a Demo? I remember back in my day they had Nintendo game demos At every Target and Fry's electronics and toys r us, they were everywhere!!!!! now it's only at a select few best buys?! WTF is happening to the world of video games? weak

@link422007,

You say a much smaller live audience, but that audience does make a lot of noise!

When you have a Live conference you open yourself to the world, while going Direct you basically slam the door shut! That's how it feels to me, they admit defeat!

@Henmii Many of those are unreliable. Besides, they're not admitting defeat, it's taking presentation a step further, to reach out to the majority that won't/can't attend E3. That's the point of Digital Events and puts the trust to the consumer themselves to decide. E3 isn't even an open convention, those are only reserved for an opinionated media that blurs the line of hard line journalism and spoon feeding editorials. That devolves the point of presenting it to someone like me who doesn't live in the USA, would not spend thousands of dollars to cross overseas, pay for lodgings, food etc. E3 is catered to big name companies, not to the average joe like you or me.

@arkady77 uh...what? Did I miss something? You claimed that "Asia Pacific" was the greatest market for video games. Others along with myself posted information making you factually wrong. You cried and called us trailer park boys (which I assume is an insult) and "left".

NL is pretty good at keeping offensive and insulting comments to a minimum and remove said comments quickly, so I honestly have no idea what you're talking about in regards to comments on this site. If anything, you're the one who resorted to the lowest common denominator by insulting @KennyPowers.

Jesus Koopa-slaying Christ, the more I read this comment section the more I'm inclined to go on a kitten-flaying rampage.

Since when E3 was about the presentation and not the Arceusdamn games? There's a reason why the 2012 E3 presentation was a bust: no games. Last year's Direct was kinda underwhelming (because SM3DW first glance was bland), but at least they cut all the irrelevant crap to gamers (like all investor-oriented talk). Nintendo's message is clear with this new format: let the games do the talk

@JaxonH
Thats true, the important thing is they're there. My main point is just against the naysayers acting like its a good thing if they miss out on one of the biggest events of the year.

I can actually emphasize with Iwata on why he'd not want to do a press event. The poor guy can't even make a speech without getting laughed at for his difficulty speaking English. A more casual presentation is much more their style I think, unfortunately big events are a necessary evil.

That video was amazing.

I thought we all agreed the gaming world media was biased against Nintendo.I honestly don't see the point in doing a live conference when Nintendo can just cut out the middle man and go straight to the source.I mean,it isn't like EVERYONE won't already report on it anyway.

All I care about is zelda u

It's pretty clear that doing a traditional E3 show for the press isn't Nintendo's intent because let's face it: the press isn't doing them a lot of favours. So yeah, using the platform to appeal to the fans does seem like a good way to use the forum if they're attending at all.

@Zombie_Barioth - When you say they're missing out on one of the big events of the year, do you really think the dull suits and amazons wearing #girlwood t-shirts towering awkwardly over nervous presenters is that important? Microsoft's stage presentation was painful and hurt their brand big time, while Sony swooped in and took full advantage of the carnage.

Nintendo had no reason to go up on the stage and have Reggie tap on a gamepad and give the same speech about the future of gaming. (love Reggie BTW, he has a sense of humor)

For everyone that complains about how Nintendo is stuck in the past, you would think that trying something new and better suited to the internet/Youtube age would be appreciated.

To say they are missing out is kinda silly too...they are hosting a huge floor area, hosting a tournament, doing a big "digital event" (direct), and having people there 24/7 to meet with press.

Now call me a blind fanboy if it makes you feel better - I'm not saying Nintendo is going to blow our minds this year. The fact is we just don't know everything they are going to reveal...however...the Smash tourney and coinciding demo at Best Buy is a great idea to build hype for a big franchise. Let's see what they announce before we declare Nintendo's E3 a failure.

I said it last year and I'll say it again. Wouldn't timed E3 demos on the eshop be a fantastic idea for those who can't go to the conference or Best Buy simply because they don't live in the USA? That would have gamers dashing for their Wii U and inviting their friends round to experience the games and spread the word of mouth on the games.

"Many of those are unreliable"

True, though there are still a lot of reviewers that praise Nintendo's games. It's not all doom and gloom.

"I thought we all agreed the gaming world media was biased against Nintendo"

Yeah, you could say that from a certain point. Especially if we are talking about all the "Nintendo should go third-party/bow for Apple" whining. But Nintendo still gets shining reviews! The press still appreciates the games. Maybe not as much as in the past, but still...

Sounds great. Live demos, news and fan events sounds like a good mix.

So E3 direct and instead of live conference we get SMASH BROS TOURNAMENT. I'm hyped

Also please let Zelda U look like WW HD. This art style is so cool and doesn't age at all. Hell gamecube version still looks good to this day. Imagine full fledged zelda ( way bigger islands, way smaller sea ). HYPE HYPE HYPE

Anyone else notice the Gerudo Valley remix at 3:53

So, no E3 conference again... but I wonder why though? Not enough big hitters to show off this year? Hmm... see how this turns out, but the Smash Bros. Invitational sounds interesting.

@Damien McFerran Mario Kart 8 has Voice Chat look at this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYTQ_71jMhQ

So pumped for E3, especially the Smash Bros. tournament.

For anyone who thinks all the Zelda music in the trailer didn't give it away: Check the bottom right at 0:36 in the trailer, on the guys desk... Yeah. Coincidence? I think not.

@IceClimbers Well said!
You sir, need to be awarded with a gold medal!

Oh yeah, they will be showing at least two Zelda games this year. Zelda U and Hyrule Warriors. Maybe that other game people keep whining about too.

Reggie Fils-A-Mech apparently has the battery life of an Evangelion... or a Sega Game Gear with new batteries.

I can understand why people dislike the approach of using a nintendo direct, but in reality; it may be a better solution for Nintendo.

For starters, being on the main show floor allows more people to see what's being shown off. This can also mean that most internet-based blunders can be avoided (to a degree) such as the buffering issues that both Battlefield 4 and Assassin's Creed 4's trailers had at the Microsoft and Ubisoft Conferences last year.

However, as many have said, the announcements are the most important factor. At this point in time, Nintendo NEEDS something exciting to get people to become more likely to purchase a Wii U. Announcing more DLC for a current game just won't cut it this time.

@Chris720 Probably because there's not much difference between presentations anymore. The press is only mad because they can't reveal stuff to the fans

Who cares? We all just watch it online anyways, it's not like we actually go or should care if its a real press conference or not. Just do you, Ninty.

For more Zelda hints, there is the Zelda strategy guide gift set on Reggie's desk.

Business is a funny old world... Just by doing something different, Nintendo has raised its profile weeks before the actual E3 event and whether one feels the fan-direct approach is cool or would prefer the traditional conference, it's pretty certain that people are saying, "I want to see what they say..." Isn't that the point of hype build-up for E3? I personally prefer Nintendo's by-pass of the traditional. I'm not sure it shows that Nintendo doesn't have big announcements... we'll have to wait and see. And I don't feel the need to have the press digest announcements and regurgitate news with their own twist (which is kind of anti-WiiU in many sectors given the predictions of doom for the platform). I like to see and make up my own mind. I'm not at all interested in SSB - it's just not my kind of game, but appreciate the efforts being made to give this game a push to all those people for whom it will be a massive game. The effectiveness of any strategy can only be evaluated retrospectively.

@JaxonH
my point was that Smash and MK8 are all we've been hearing about for a LONG time. We haven't heard from much else in a long time.

@SMEXIZELDAMAN Exactley.

Its a little disappointing but I can understand Nintendo wanting to save millions of dollars by not going all out with fanfare. I mean itwas different when they were making money hand over fist with the Wii and could afford it.

As long as we still get the info and media that's all that really matters

@Bizzyb - Why do people repeat these memes when the information is right there in the article?

Nintendo is doing anything but cutting back. Do you think those stage shows are more expensive then a well edited video?
...or their big floor display?
...or hosting an on-line tournament?

This idea that Nintendo is not "going all out" might have been true last year, but even then they had a huge floor area full of booths, representatives, swag, people in costumes, etc...

This is proof that console war astroturfing is effective. Misinformation and false memes are generated faster then the time it takes to read an article that debunks them.

I like it when Nintendo does goofy videos so I can't complain too much about this trailer, but honestly I think Mega 64's stuff is generally stupid. It just has a cheap feel to it.

@Action51
Like I said my main point was against those saying it'd be a good thing if they skipped E3. I never said anything about going all out, just that the media having a supposed bias against them wasn't a good reason to miss it.

Don't forget that the thing that gave Sony the advantage in the first place last year was Microsoft's DRM fiasco, it had nothing to do with E3 itself. They should definitely take advantage of modern methods of marketing, but missing out on an event of that size would also be a missed opportunity.

New Zelda game????!!!!!
Pokémon Emerald remake?

I loved the Direct, that way we gamers at home in Europe could enjoy it as well, and get all the information... Directly to us. Best Buy should be replaced by another store over here though! And I love the video, and Reggie in it AND a still secret room with announcements... Could be amazing! I was hoping they'd tease with a Zelda chest-opening build-up tune though, I'd have wept of joy just for that sound...