Nintendo Is Officially Skipping E3 2023

Allegedly E3 were asking for money in the 6 figure digits range from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft to attend so it's not surprising they are skipping it.

Bad news, this means almost no more Nintendo news until the next Nintendo Direct at approximately September again. Of course we will have Pokemon Day news and a dedicated TOTK direct in March/April , but that's it

We’ll still most likely have the June direct tho so this changes absolutely nothing.

When Sony said they were not going to E3, Nintendo and Microsoft fanboys mocked them, saying Sony was dying.

Years later, we get the confirmation that E3 is the one dying.

No surprise. The Switch is entering its twilight years and Nintendo are shifting development towards their next platform. There's no reason to have an E3 presence if Tears of the Kingdom is your last "tentpole release" and new hardware isn't scheduled for release inside 2023.

Well, not really a big deal.
As long there will be Wholesome Indie Direct again like last year with a lot of upcoming cute looking indie games, I will be happy.

Guess I don't have to take a day off work that day!

@Magician twiligh years? where do you find this information, Nintendo Switch is strong as ever, 2026 is when we should expect it sucessor.

This isn't surprising in the least bit.

Guess I’m not making plans to take off work this year. The Switch is absolutely about to (or already is) wind down so there might not be a whole lot to show.

@Diowine They’ll still probably have a Direct in June. They did that the last couple times they skipped E3.

@Magician I give Switch 2 or 3 more years. No way Nintendo would release that many titles since Splatoon 3 in the platform's last year. And since Switch is super popular, Nintendo won't be able to get away porting games from the previous generation. So they need time to make new games.

@Diowine, not being at E3 doesn't disconfirm a June Direct (or even keep them from having one during the same week).

This only means they won't have a booth on the show floor, and if they do have a Direct in June, it won't have any "E3" branding. Sony & MS are skipping the event as well, so this is more E3 being irrelevant & not that Nintendo specifically has nothing to show.

@BabyYoda71 there was no June Direct in 2022

It's a shame as this practically deconfirms a June general Direct. It'll probably be similar to last year where we have a Partner Showcase and a Pikmin 4 Direct in June followed by a "summer of twitter drops".

This was predictable. E3 will never be what it used to be. All 3 major companies are now doing direct style presentations. Well that smarts for E3 huh?

@lyle_catcliffe Nintendo direct mini: partner showcase was held in June of last year. And before anyone says that’s not a direct, its literally in the name. Just because it’s not 40 minutes long and has no ‘3d Mario’ doesn’t mean that it’s still not a direct. Expect another partner or mini direct for June this year.

Funny how people assume this is an issue of Nintendo "not having games" to show, when it's pretty clear the problem is within the ESA. Kit and Krysta said in one of their recent podcasts that the heads on that organization are a pain in the ass to deal with, and that they cannot agree on what they want to do. E3 will be dead on rearrival, and it's the fault of the ESA.

Iago: THERE'S A BIG SURPRISE! I'M GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK FROM NOT-SURPRISE.

E3 is long dead. Last I remember was both Sony and MS showing were so stale that Ubisoft was the one carrying the torch. If Ubisoft is making the better show, then something is very wrong with it.

I prefer to see them doing their own thing when they are ready to show stuff. It gets rid of the time wasting filler and keeps them from showing the same thing over and over that causes boredom.

Translation: we're never going back to E3.
Remember when they said the direct at E3 was a one-off? Well, not only did they not return to the stage the following year (or since), they didn't even have a Direct at E3 2016

@TheBigBlue have you not noticed that at least in the Switch era, every mini Direct was on an even year?

It's so sad what E3 has become. I have such great memories from E3 presentations. I was hoping for at least a Direct around the same time as E3. Maybe next year?

What a bummer, but they usually do a bunch of littler reveals throughout the year.

This was a forgone conclusion. What I want to see is which third-party developers attend. Get enough of those and the show could still be interesting. So many of them are supporting the Switch right now, after all.

I predict that Nintendo is still going to have a big Spring or Summer Direct...

I thought this was already confirmed but maybe I'm just used to not expecting the 3 to show up at E3 anymore lol.

Don't worry, guys...The will be assisting to the E3 killer, the Summer Game Fest, instead. It was leaked by my uncle that works in Nintendo.

No surprise here. It's all about money. I've heard from various sources how expensive E3 had gotten. Not just the fees to attend, the booth space, etc, but the expense of making the content/displays. Especially for the major brands it grew so large. And, I expect that's what E3 expects for the large brands to attend. There's no where near the ROI on that stuff compared to what they can get with a direct for a lot less money.

One complaint I've read many times over the year is how much developers hate E3 demos. They take so much work to prepare and it puts them behind on their dev schedule which are already strained to hit financial deadlines.

Besides, just want benefit is E3 to these members if the 3 biggest members go "meh." ?

@WiiHawk I think E3 third party events are usually garbage, decent at best

Covid changed up many things such as fast food places going drive thru only and now E3

@Parker55 That’s what we thought last year. But nope, no Direct until September. I would not get your hopes up for any Nintendo announcements around E3 this year.

E3 is a living fossil. There's no need for it to exist except to trick people at home into thinking they're missing something worthwhile when all they really miss anymore is a chance to get sick. Directs and Direct-likes are all we need.

@fenlix For media events, that's true. But having been to a half dozen E3s as media, I can say that third-party developers really knew how to take advantage of traffic the big three brought in to push their own titles. Not sure of the validity of that anymore, but if the focus is still to generate buzz about upcoming games, E3 can do that for the companies that don't have the advantage of getting millions to tune in to their equivalent of the Nintendo Direct.

As always, the only real shocker here is the E3 is somehow still 'alive' and nothing else.

I always believed Sony was ahead of the curve regarding E3. The only surprise is it took this long for Nintendo to ditch E3 as well.

Ah, beans. Well, the rumors were actually helpful for once and softened the blow on this one. So we're probably not getting a proper Direct in June, either. Guess they'll either be drip feeding us through the summer or, if we're lucky, we'll see a Direct after Pikmin 4 releases.

"Full disclosure: Nintendo Life and its Hookshot Media sister sites are partnered with ReedPop."

It definitely shows.

@TheBigBlue mighty defensive comment there. Imagine them dropping a mini direct partner showcase at E3 in 2017, 2018, 2019 or 2021.

What plans, Nintendo? The big Zelda game, we're all awaiting, will release just one month BEFORE E3. What other big games do you have after those, Metroid Prime and Pikmin: Both 4? Not counting DLC on big games of course.

I wonder when will Nintendo shock everyone and make "industry-wide" announcements again, like when their newest console quickly caught the attention of all developers and publishers around...

E3 was not necessary as soon as the internet became what it is... COVID was just the excuse to pull the plug.

E3 is a sham. Without the big three it can’t survive, at least in its normal state

@WiiHawk They can just have their tittles in the events of Playstation, Microsoft and Nintendo as usual.

Sad to see E3 die. Was always something to look forward to. Didn’t have internet for a while when I was young so I used to love getting special E3 issues of magazines, sometimes with a DVD if you were lucky filled with loads of trailers and booth tours (2004 Twilight Princess reveal with the crowd going nuts…must have watched that a hundred times as a kid).

Obviously it’s not really a necessary thing at all now so I can see why these companies have dropped out but still. Having so much game news come out over a few days and these companies trying to one up each other is something I’ll miss.

Nintendo could easily stretch the Switch lifespan out another 3 years. Complete the catalog of games! I’m not saying pull an annual Call of Duty style release for every franchise. I just want to see each IP have at least one release every generation. I’m sick of waiting for some of my faves. Wave Race, F-zero and 1080 are due for new installments. Not every game should be meant to sell a trillion copies. Some should be released if only to please the long time fans! Wake up Nintendo.

Nintendo has sold consoles to long time fans again and again without even releasing some players favorite games. They are aware of their fan base. They know what we want. I get that you can’t please everyone but you can try to please your core audience that would never leave your side, like during the Wii U blunder.

@lyle_catcliffe there was also no E3 in 2022

It's a shame that E3 is fading as I have a lot of nostalgia for it, but if Nintendo still has their own Direct, I'll live.

@Hero-of-WiiU Covid did nothing to E3 but delay its inevitable death. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being its final year.

@multiman loud and inaccurate. there's still pikmin 4 and metroid prime 4 at the very least.

Eh, Tokyo Game Show in September is more important anyway. There will still be a June Direct and multiple fall presentations as usual.

if Nintendo does a normal Direct in June then there is no reason why they are skipping E3 unless the reports are true Nintendo has very little after Zelda and Pikmin

@Bret that’s why I didn’t mention it.

@lyle_catcliffe Yes, there was, it was just Xenoblade Chronicles focused… there was also a Partners Showcase which still counts.

I was mostly referring to 2021, but upon googling it, Nintendo was actually part of E3 that year.

Anyway, for actual direct, if they don’t have one in June, they’ll probably have one sometime in the summer, or in April-ish.

it was hinted by some that nintendo had nothing to show the second half of the year that is why they would not be at the e3

@MythTgr hope you are right, but last year everyone said exactly the same when in January E3 2022 was cancelled. Every week ,starting in June, there were these rumors saying the same and the Direct didn't come until September, while other publishers released their 'directs' around June.

@BabyYoda71 yes, I also have Wikipedia access. But an April general Direct? That’s just plain crazy talk.

@Tasuki No, I think it was rumour.

Shame that would be the perfect time to unveil super Nintendo switch.

@MythTgr Nintendo may announce more games before September, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do so in a Direct.

Why does everyone always panic?

There will be another Direct at the appropriate time to show what is coming up after May.

Relax and play some of the many hundreds of games already on the system.

I'm not too annoyed by this because I'll be fully occupied playing Zelda TOTK but I hope this isn't a trend since Nintendo skipped last year's summer too. Going down from three big annual directs to only two is just sad.

E3 used to always be an event to look forward to. What a great week to be a fan.
The summer direct last year was just spoilers for Xenoblade 3. It's not the same.

If there will be a Nintendo direct, I'm not interested in E3...like always. I'm only interested in Nintendo

I mean does this mean no direct? That's really all I care about at E3 really. If we at least have a direct, I'll be fine.

@SBandy1 I'm happy there are people like you on the internet.

Honestly, I'm not too sure when this perpetual want for a Direct begun, but it's making gaming far too much effort. It only really benefits folk making 'content' (lol). Wanting another Direct is so far off my radar at the moment that this news doesn't even hit hard.
It's frustrating to no doubt be drowned out with conjecture of them not having any games for 2023 or maybe they are lining up new hardware etc etc. Grinds my gears in one breath Youtubers are quick to hide behind 'take this with a grain of salt (tm)' then in the next breath shouting 'I TOLD YOU! Everyone thought I was crazy!' Like they think they ar the only ones in sync with the hobby or something. Hopefully, folk see through this horsecrap sooner than later.
If you aren't happy with this nintendo console, then chances are you never will be. Don't get me wrong, I'll be grabbing a Switch 2 (or whatever it is) day one but that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying gaming currently lol.

Historically, as of the last few years, no E3 = no full-sized first party focused direct. I'll remain cautiously optimistic, but it doesn't bode well that Nintendo is skipping E3 without an obvious, definite reason. I can understand costs being high, but Nintendo has been EXTREMELY successful recently. It's more likely that they just don't have anything/don't want to show anything. TOTK is releasing at a strange time, so that might've complicated their schedule.
R.I.P. E3. The fun times will be missed.

@Axecon
True 😂. We'll be so occupied by TOTK that E3 will pass and we won't even notice.

@GrailUK

Exactly! Nevermind we just had what I considered a brilliant Direct but my backlog is so gargantuan that even if there was nothing released after Zelda in May I would have enough games to keep me going for years.

And that is just my Switch nevermind my PS5 and the backlog on that with PS4 games included.

Some people will seemingly never be happy, it's a bit sad really.

There’s just no reason for e3 to exist anymore.

@Giancarlothomaz 2026? Haha no chance, the Switch can barely keep up now as at is especially as current gen is now finally becoming the norm. Those 3rd party ports are going to stop hard and Hogwarts is going to show why we need a successor to the Switch. 2024 is my bet for new hardware with maybe the Switch acting like a PS4 to the "Switch 2"s PS5 for a year or two before Nintendo moves on fully to the new console.

Meanwhile, Konami is gonna steal the spotlight because everyone else is skipping E3. Nice.

I used to go to E3 before it's prime, and was even lucky enough to end up there a few times in it's prime. Was a fantastic show, and you were basically nobody if you weren't there. You got your product and your name in front of 10,000 or so members of the media, and they would pipe that down to 100,000s of publications. It was important. The feel on the floor was so media friendly too ... they were BEGGING YOU to talk about them, the SWAG was incredible, and even a lowbie like me could get wined and dined.

Now it's just a cash sink. Nintendo has 10M+ subscribers to English speaking YouTube channels. They can press a button and send a presser to literally every major website in the industry, and most of them will simply publish it verbdom within the hour.

The only thing going to E3 in 2023 does for a major player like Nintendo? It takes hype AWAY from their own Nintendo direct, making people less likely to watch Nintendo's own PR thinking Nintendo is still "holding out" for E3.

E3 is still important, but it's more a showcase for developers that don't have a media presence. The "big 3" can and should skip it. So should most major publishers. Why EA spends millions of dollars to get on stage and spend an hour saying "You know this game we make every year? Well, this is NOT the year we stop doing that!" is beyond me.

E3 is more of a marketing tool these days anyway. In the era of instant access to information, news drops pretty much daily. Doesn't make much sense to have a big weeklong event when its usefulness was long since superceded by social media.

@SBandy1 I don't think the people that are panicking even play games. They spend their time discussing and arguing.

@MsJubilee

Probably a lot of truth in that!

@WallyWest All of the best-selling Switch games are first-party, and developing for a platform with 120M+ users is still an attractive option for third-party developers. Even the PS4 and Xbox One still get games like Hogwarts Legacy.

2026 or later.

@Diowine Yeah, the lack of E3 has actually moved me towards PC gaming in the last couple years. It's honestly a refreshing environment. Still, E3 always let me know what's coming out, now I just comb through Steam. Not really exciting.

Nintendo should be ending the year with a release of another blockbuster game: something huge like Mario Odyssey 2. Maybe even announce Switch 2 this year, that will be able to handle those Call of Duty games. That coupled with the new Zelda, they would have a killer year.

They're doooooomed!

Wouldn’t be the first time, and definitely isn’t the last.

@Midna The Switch is already decreasing steadily in sales and now being outsold by the PS5. Developers are already cutting back on Switch releases and stated they now have less interest in working with the Switch hardware. If they tried to stretch it out another 3 years it would basically end up dying a pitiful death just like the Wii did.

Most consoles don't last on the market for more than 5 years due to advances in technology and eventual market saturation leading to decreasing sales.

Honestly perplexing how much life some people think is left in the Switch. Sure the console will stick around until 2026 or 7, but we will absolutely get a successor well before then.

The Switch is not hardware that can be sustained for a decade as Nintendo's sole platform. The Game Boy might have lasted for that long, but it had a lull period before Pokemon reignited it for a few years, plus they had the SNES and later N64. GB was the side platform, the Switch is the main - the only platform currently.

Physical shows are dwindling along with physical games, such a sad development. E3 was like an annual game-a-palooza for fans, at least for us Yanks. Now there’s little reason to mark our calendars. 😔

Like many, I'm not surprised. Especially, that it's expensive.

I believe that the successor to the Switch will be announced either this year, or next year; possibly, though unlikely 2 years from now. My best guess is this, or next year. I love my Switch. In just a few weeks it will be, so you might as well say now, it has been commercially available for the past 6 years. Nintendo still operates on the business philosophy of "using already dated hardware in new ways". That concept, used wisely, can yield great returns for a lower investment. As I recall, the Nvidia Tegra X1 was already not bleeding edge in the year when Switch was out in 2017, or the following year, 2018.

Further, I think Nintendo will try to make the successor hardware like a Switch with a "power-up". As Nintendo only has one hardware platform, which happens to be a hybrid, they won't want to give up the handheld market, which has always been financially comfortable for them. Add into this line of thinking that different markets of the world want different hardware; some want handhelds more than consoles, some want consoles more than handhelds, some want both. Nintendo will likely keep the hybrid concept, until they either return to having more than one platform, or maybe feel that their mobile game income is the same as, or at least sufficient replacement for what they use to make on their handheld division.

I would say that we would at least get a huge Direct around that time, but they didn't even do that last year. So, yeah, so much for that.

@Bizzyb I agree, however the switch is in a unique position where they have very little competition in the mobile market. Steam deck is the closest due to it being a real gaming experience unlike IOS or Android. SD still lacks the popularity. Most Nintendo fans only go for 1st party flagship titles, so loss of 3rd party dev means little. I think the wind down is perfect for some of Ninty’s smaller titles to shine.

@Euler Still need 3rd party to keep the train going, 3rd party support has played a big role in the Switch's success. Yeah you're right publishers may want to put the new big releases on Switch so get used to more Cloud games. 2024 or at push early 2025 is when the new console drops.

As for Hogwarts well everyone playing ut is currently wondering how the hell base PS4 and X1 are going to run it as its demanding for current gen. The Switch port will be a mess and i wouldn't be shocked if they cancel it or make it cloud only.

Nintendo says this every year, but drops something anyways...albeit usually something small or do some kind of their own event while E3 is happening.

If none of the big three are there, what's the point?

@RR529
I totally agree with you !!

Nintendo is drowning me in games and I have a release date for TotK. E-who?

@Giancarlothomaz Erm what? Nintendo would be suicidal to wait another 3 years before a new console.

Most likely we will hear rumblings late this year, Switch 2 will be unveiled early 2024 and released holiday 2024.

@Korsica_Is_Best_Girl

Why exactly?

Switch sold 10 million last year. It sold 13.2 million in it's first year. PS5 sold 8 million in it's first year. Xbox Series X also sold 8 million it's first year.

Are any developers pulling back from switch development because the tech is too old? Are the spec posing a problem for the general audience?

If your console is still selling units at numbers that are HIGHER then what you can expect from a new console and are not down significantly from it's own launch ... why in the hell would you risk another Wii U? It is very possible we might see "soft" updates like the OLD model and largest screens, and better battery life beside things like better cooling and scalable software upgrades for years to come.

Nintendo is not going to make a new console "just because". They are going to make one because the current console isn't selling or "modern games" are not being made for the platform. Nether of these things are true right now. There is always the chance they are going to release a new system because they develop new tech they fell will let them take even greater market share and for all we know that could happen tomorrow, but a "generational" upgrade for the point of having an upgrade seems unlikely. Xbox isn't doing them any more, they are investing in scalable tech. Phones don't do them and they have a gaming market share higher then consoles.

The times ... they are a'chaning.

@WallyWest The Switch got (and continues to get) third-party support largely because it has a massive userbase, not the other way around. Developers would've found a way to make the Wii U work if it was even half as successful as the Switch is.

Honestly, E3 isn't fit for Nintendo as the Directs are a better way to showcase games coming for the Nintendo Switch while saving costs of preparing a conference area for their products.

pandemic showed who cares about the e3... let it die...

E3 is pretty much dead at this point, and Nintendo with their digital directs rather than those fancy live showcase events, pretty much showed they do not need the platform, even the Tree House events can be live streamed from a studio. And you reach a much wider audience.

@Orpheus79V,

The Switch was the best selling console in the U.S in 2022, which is pretty awesome considering it's six years old, and has had no significant price cut as yet.

The Switch is still very capable of selling between 14-20 million consoles this financial year, even more so with some OLED special editions and a price cut. Don't get me wrong I would love a newer more powerful version, but just because myself and others want this, does not mean Nintendo need to release a newer Switch.

@Midna totally agree!! Let’s have a few neglected IPs given some love for the fans. They don’t need to sell tens of millions. 1-2million sales can surely make it profitable while appeasing the long time fans. F-Zero would be a fairly safe bet surely Nintendo? Personally I’d like to see WaveRace. Make it happen please!!

@HeadPirate The PS5 has become the new top dog in Japan in the weekly sales chart and that is very unlikely to change, more and more third parties are either skipping the switch or releasing cloud versions, and even Nintendo at their latest direct didn't unveil a single new first party game.

I can buy going another year with the current model, but the truth is that the Switch is nearing it's end and past it's prime. They're going to continue to sell software, sure, but hardware numbers will continue to fall, other than the odd boost here and there when a bundle comes out.

The way that ReedPop treated Star Trek fans over Mission Seattle it’s astonishing that anyone would want to be associated with them at all.

Let’s see if this comment survives.

@Korsica_Is_Best_Girl

That's just not accurate, and even if it was, it in no way invalidates the argument I'm making.

The PS5 is selling well in Japan right now and is on top of the charts because ... it's in stock after been unavailable for months. That's all. Not really sure what you are basing "that's not likely to change" on ... it's been ahead of switch before, and then it wasn't. It's also irrelevant. Biggest misconception about sales targets is that you care even the slightest about how the other guy is doing. Year over year numbers for you own product is all that maters. If Nintendo was kicking Sony's butt, doubling their sales ... but the switch was down millions of units from where it was last year THAT would be a problem. But that's not the case, sales are stable.

3rd parties are not skipping the switch, they are going out of their way to publish on it. Cloud versions are an example of that, and they are extremely popular in SEA and Japan. In NA and the UK they might not be ideal, but remember that in Japan you get internet that is more reliable and faster then the $100 a month options you get in the west ... on the train and in every fast food restaurant. For free. In fact, cloud gaming is a HUGE argument for why generational consoles are no longer required, especially given what Microsoft is doing with cloud enhancements rather then dependences.

Also, how do you think the decision to publish works? You think as a developer it's MORE attractive to publish on new hardware, which would be more experience to develop for and who I don't have experts in yet and has no install base just because it's a bit more powerful? No, it's way more attractive to publish on the system with an 100 million install base all my programmers know how to work with. You have to spend millions giving away free dev kits and support to get people to make games for your new, unproven hardware.

The core assumption that publishers and developers want more power is just not accurate. They want more money, and while powerhouse AAA games ARE a way to make money, they are a niche market much smaller then casual games. Sure, the switch isn't going to get Atomic Heart, but Hogwarts plays just fine.

Nintendo might put out a new system soon, they might have some new tech they want to show off. Who knows? But the idea that they HAVE to, or that not doing so will have huge negative impact is completely unfounded and can't stand up to any scrutiny.

@Euler The Switch gets 3rd party support still sure but not as much as it was and as time goes on the support what isn't small Indies will decrease. Hogwarts will no doubt run and look like rubbish, RE4 Remake will be lucky to get a cloud port, Dead Space Remake is current gen only, the new Star Wars game is current gen only, Diablo 4 doesn't appear to be coming to Switch. In fact outside of Hogwarts what is coming to Switch this year that isn't 1st party, Indie and not AAA?

(Insert Surprised Pikachu meme here)

Yeah, I was waiting for this to appear in my morning news...

@WallyWest 3rd party games make up 20 percent of software sales. Nothing to sneeze at, but they never were and never will be the main course.

Resident Evil 4 came out on Switch three years ago. Many third party games have come to Switch a few years after launching on PC or other consoles. There’s no reason to think that won’t be true with other games.

« Hogwarts will no doubt run and look like rubbish»

No it won’t.

From a business decision it may makes sense. As a gamer though i see E3 as a big celebration of gaming and i really miss the old days when all big 3 were participating with big booths and special events and each company was trying to be more impressive than the other.

@HeadPirate I'm done arguing with somebody who doesn't understand business at all, I'll personally be enjoying the Switch 2 next year since that's the reality.

At this point, it looks like Indie Developers might as well hit E3, this year. In which case, this may be the year that the Good Graphics Team of Videlectrix will shine with the release of their greatest collaboration with Telltale Games, remastered by Skunkape: Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People: Definitive Edition!

@Giancarlothomaz Are you serious?

With Tears of the Kingdom already out in the spring, and no new system to announce just yet, the expense probably just isn't worth it for Nintendo.

@Korsica_Is_Best_Girl
I would NOT be surprised if the next Nintendo system didn't arrive until spring '25, as it guarantees Nintendo an easier time with securing a full 10X in power, while avoiding the holiday rush for the launch and still putting them a good bit ahead of any new systems from the competition.

Not surprising really. Just like with few stores in malls around the country, everything is digital nowadays and the pandemic exacerbated that even further, possibly making in-person events like E3, a thing of the past.

Seriously though, in other words, with everything practically being closed/shuttered for good i.e movie theaters, shopping malls, looks like staying home is looking like to be the new normal. I miss the days where the mall over in my town was packed with people. With COVID now, all that's gone ;(

@fenlix Some can.