E3 REVIEW NINTENDO
NINTENDO DEFIES CRITICS WITH CONFIDENT E3 DISPLAY
No press conference and on the back of its worst financial results in history, Nintendo went into E3 as the serious underdogs. Yet it emerged from LA with renewed pride and vigor. Christopher Dring reports
I
t can be painful to look back at Nintendo’s more recent press conferences. You may recall grinning
marketing execs strutting the stage, playing Wii Fit and Wii Music, whilst talking about ‘expanding the demographics of gaming’. It was the right note for a business that had managed to bring in mums and grandparents into the video game ecosystem. But for its loyal fanbase it made for dissatisfying viewing. Fans asked for more, and year-
in, year-out, Nintendo seemed unwilling to deliver. No new IP, no break from the endless cycle of Mario, Zelda, Smash Brothers and Mario Kart. And yet here, at E3 2014, Nintendo came alive in a way we’ve not seen for years.
WHAT ABOUT 3DS?
THE central focus for Nintendo at E3 was Wii U. Which meant its smaller (and more successful) sibling seemed largely ignored. There were a couple of big
projects on show, namely Smash Bros and Pokémon, and Nintendo also showed off a new strategy IP called Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. But surely there has to be
more coming for a console that has an install base of almost 50m? “You’ve got to keep watching,”
says Nintendo UK marketing director Shelly Pearce. “3DS is a huge focus for us in the UK.
Tomodachi Life, which we just launched, has got off to a good start for a new IP. We’re looking forward to seeing that grow. We’ve got a really big campaign behind it. “We’ll also have a big campaign going for kids over the summer showing some key back catalogue titles. 3DS is still really important. We have Kirby coming, Yoshi’s just out and Smash Bros and Pokémon coming later. It’s going to be a big year for 3DS and 2DS this year.”
In a video that was both self- deprecating and confident, the platform holder unveiled a number of new projects, plus the return of Zelda, it mocked its own obsession with releasing Mario games, and poked fun at demanding fans calling for niche RPGs. Nintendo was looking surprisingly modern. It was livestreaming its entire E3 show over Twitch and it was holding eSports tournaments for Smash Bros. “The great thing about the
digital event is it really shows what Nintendo is about which is not taking itself too seriously and having some fun,” says Shelly Pearce, Nintendo’s UK marketing boss.
FIGHTING FIT For a company that’s posted three
The really nice thing about Amiibo is that you can re-use them
in multiple games. Shelly Pearce, Nintendo UK
years of financial losses, you’d forgive Nintendo for appearing somewhat coy, even apologetic, over its recent troubles. But this was a relatively aggressive display from the platform holder, epitomised by a bizarre live-action fight between two of its most senior executives during its video. That was in order to promote a
new mode in Nintendo’s biggest Q4 release, Super Smash Bros, which dominated the firm’s E3 showcase. “On Wii U, our two big investments this year are Mario Kart and Smash Bros,” says Pearce. “The latter will be our big one for Christmas. Amiibo brings a whole other level to it. We’ll be finalising details about that campaign over the coming months.” Amiibo is Nintendo’s other big initiative. The firm’s ‘toys-to-life’ features ten iconic characters to begin with (including Mario, Pikachu and Link) and were of good quality. The products can be used
(but are not essential) in multiple Nintendo games due over the next 12 months, including Mario Party 10, Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad and Yoshi’s Woolly World. But the big push for the toys will centre around Super Smash Bros “Amiibo is one of the big things we’re focusing on this year for Wii U,” adds Pearce. “I’m a mum, and we’ve
got lots of Skylanders and Disney Infinity in the house. The really nice
June 20th 2014 10
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