E3 2007 - Nintendo Conference Analysis
Wii & Wii U

It was almost like the last 12 months never happened.

The reaction to Nintendo's E3 conference was expected, yet somehow, not. Much like the conference itself, really. It was full of stuff that we pretty much predicted, a few bits that weren't, but stuck mostly to a tried and tested format. Although to some fanboys you would have thought the world had collapsed under its own gravity and we were all going to die.

"This is so borrrrring!"

"Nintendo has forsaken meeeee!"

"I hate Nintendo!"

"Casual games, nooooooooooo!"

"Why Nintendo, why!"

"Adaaaaaaaaaaa!"

And so on.

But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Let me backtrack a little. First of all, the conference was not particularly worse than usual. It could have been better in terms of content spread and pacing, but if anything it suffered from the usual over-expectations. Not to mention the lack of an excitable audience which killed most of the buzz, and the fact Sony showed off the stupendously exceptional looking Killzone 2 on PlayStation3 earlier in the day, which understandably raised the excitement bar quite high.

No conference comprises of killer-game announcement after killer-game announcement. You'd think that much would be common fact, yet many seek to express how tiresome the summit is, during and after. Well, yes: it's a bloody conference! They always consist primarily of stats and tables and pie charts and figures! Yes, even in the videogames industry! Conferences are often the bane of any games journo, as it usually means sitting in a warm, stuffy room, making notes on all these dull, yet essential bits of information which we know most readers will just gloss over anyway (until it's time for the format wars, in which case they're broken out with proud aplomb). This year's reaction was the same as last year, which will be the same as next year. Just that you guys get to join in the tedium too thanks to the wonders of the internet, and now you see what you've been missing out on the past decade; ain't it special?

That aside, Nintendo's allocated slot was laden with a tone that reflected its ethos clearly: 'our strategy is working and so, you know, we're going to continue doing what's keeping our machines number one around the globe'. That's to say, Nintendo is aware of its new market and going to pander to it. Not sacrificing everything and everyone else, but when you only have a couple hours to blow your own trumpet and make projections there's only so much you can show. And to be frank, when you're trying to expand your audience, it makes far more sense to focus on the mainstream; the ones who are making Wii's hardware sales record breakers.

No doubt it was jarring to see big names like Super Mario Galaxy (not delayed, thankfully putting my prediction to pasture

Hell, dont forget Hoverboarding! Welcome to the forum Jennyyu

Good post, I agree with some of the points you make. It was not great but then a japanese company has more of a obligation to show certain titles to a japanese audience above all others, as is always the way with Nintendo, despite this new direction. I look foward to TGS.

As you say there are many supposed hardcore titles on the way coming to Wii, and some we simply have NO idea about.

According to a poll of attendees Nintendo STILL managed to make the biggest impression at E3 this year, that says it all.

The Wii Balance Board is going to be great fun to use within games, I am greatly looking foward to software made especially. Hopefully 1080 or SSX.

( Edited 26.04.2008 07:41 by Linkyshinks )

Very good post.

Like the Ideas for the balance board especially for a light sabre game. Got me thinking what it would be like to play a weapon based fighting game such a Soul Calibre using it.

Sounds like the standard disgruntled fan trying to defend Nintendo's abysmal showing at E3 this year. I've heard all this a thousand times before, by a hundred different forums.

Well I wasn't happy with E3 but didn't get all pissy about it either. I mean there is more to life that constantly throwing a fit when my favourite games don't make it to the show.

I Pesonally was a little dissapointed with the press conference but not enough to convince me nintendo are abandoning Harcore Gamers. Guess it was our fault really, we raised our antisipation levels too high for the press conference lol

i think Jennyyu is a spammer...

( Edited on 15.08.2007 12:07 by Shagster )

What a great way to make an entrance. Most peoples' first posts are just like "HIIIII, ZOMG I'M HERE!" Glad to see you're not one of those.

Anyway, as a hardcore gamer, I'm interested in Wii Fit and stoked for Super Mario Galaxy. Some people don't realize that's it's possible to like a wide range of games outside of their own little comfort zone. Sad, really.



She made a great post and actually expressed her opinion calmly and with reasonable points. No need to get so defensive of your opinion on Nintendo's E3 showing. Not very mod-like, methinks.

They basically gave us the famous wonderful 2006 show and used this year to point out the success they earned in less than a year. Although somewhat conceited, there's always gonna be one of those years where each company goes "See? I told you so! We rule!" 2007 was that year for Nintendo. I expect next E3 to have far more variety and substance, but for now we still have Galaxy and Brawl to look forward to, amongst others for the Wii and DS.

( Edited on 15.08.2007 13:43 by NintendoArielle )

Uh-huh...Flamebait huh?

Sly has a point, it is the same thing posted on hundreds of things net-wide. And the fact that Nintendo is ignoring the gaming hardcore in their search for the masses.

I bought it for a fair while, but lets face it, MP3 and SSBM feel like consellation prizes. The chocolate bar you give to the kid at the back to make sure he doesn't feel left out. Nintendo has stopped caring about us, just as long as they get their cash from us. And it's appalling.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I like casual games too, and that I actually rather like my Wii. But the Wii is a

Well the opposite perspective is also posted all over the internet as it has been here in her own words.

It is comendable that it\'s her first post here, Sly\'s post has a very rude dissmisive tone in reply to here first ever post on this forum. Not very mod like at ALL.

( Edited 26.04.2008 07:43 by Linkyshinks )

While i agree the confrence was absolute balls I actually think there winter line up is quite strong, even in europe.

Sly has a point, it is the same thing posted on hundreds of things net-wide. And the fact that Nintendo is ignoring the gaming hardcore in their search for the masses.

I bought it for a fair while, but lets face it, MP3 player and SSBM feel like consellation prizes. The chocolate bar you give to the kid at the back to make sure he doesn\'t feel left out. Nintendo has stopped caring about us, just as long as they get their cash from us. And it\'s appalling.http://www.epathchina.com

Now, I\'ll be the first to admit that I like casual games too, and that I actually rather like my Wii.mp3 player But the Wii is a £200+ party toy, with exceptions to when me and sprite curl up for a game of SatSR.

Now, people are going to come back with the comments of \"but what about game X\", and that only refines my point. They\'ll throw in the occasional tidbit, just to keep us on the line, but they don\'t give us anything. Hell, there is more hardcore gaming to be found in an etch-a-sketch at the moment. At least there you could make pac-man.

We used to be able to rely on 3rd party support, but due to Nintendo\'s \"Casual games ftw\" policy, every other schmuck with a games development office is getting in on the action, which is why we get an exponentially growing amount of goddamn mini-game collections. Here my credits go to Sega, they so far have created one of the only games which has been worth a damn.

And I nearly forgot...Crappy PS2 Ports - Wheeee!

So let me recap, we have a console that concentrates on people that are not us/. And that

( Edited 26.04.2008 07:34 by epathchina )

Fuck off you spam fuck. Sly\'s post has a very rude and dissmisive in tone, especially in reply to her first ever post on this forum.

Not very mod like at ALL as is in keeping with the past.

( Edited 26.04.2008 08:40 by Linkyshinks )

wow i stopped reading after the first paragraph when i realized it would have 30 more of those.