E3 is undeniably a momentous occasion on the gaming calendar, and if there’s been one prominent name at the event since its inception, it’s Nintendo. However, the Japanese gaming giant is drastically changing its approach to E3 this year, but there’s still plenty of big gaming announcements to expect from Nintendo.
When it comes to Nintendo, there’s a fair amount of talk right now around their next console release, the NX. However, when confirming their E3 2016 plans, Nintendo made it absolutely clear that they wouldn’t be showcasing their new hardware at this year’s show. That being said, according to Gaming Bolt , while Nintendo are saving the bulk of details around the NX for a special event later this year, there’s still a chance that they could drop some hints about the console throughout this year’s show.
With no new hardware to show off this year, it’s left many fans wondering exactly what Nintendo’s plans for E3 2016 are. According to Venture Beat , there’s still plenty to expect from the Japanese gaming giant this year, including a number of titles for their current platforms, the 3DS, and Wii U. Most prominent is the long-awaited Legend of Zelda title for the Wii U, which has been in development for a good while now. However, the title is also planned for the NX, giving us a glimpse of the platform’s first big release.
In fact, The Legend of Zelda will be a key focus for Nintendo at E3 this year, as is testament by the fact that it’ll be their only playable game on the show floor. Nintendo’s traditional E3 formula sees the company announce their new titles through a broadcast event before allowing attendees to go hands-on with those titles on the show floor.
For Nintendo fans watching enjoying the show from home, the lack of a major broadcast this year won’t mean they miss out completely, however. Nintendo has already confirmed that while their show floor will focus entirely on The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, they’ll be using their Treehouse Live stream to give fans at home a glimpse of the new Zelda title along with a range of other releases, including Pokemon Sun and Moon , Monster Hunter Generations , and Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past , all of which are 3DS releases.
With Nintendo now relying almost solely on the 3DS for income, it’s no surprise that many of their E3 2016 titles are geared towards the handheld device.
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Obviously missing from Nintendo’s E3 2016 line-up is the inclusion of new game announcements. Nintendo has in the past typically used E3 to showcase previously unannounced releases, however, their 2016 schedule includes no capacity for doing so. With that taken into consideration, E3 2016 for Nintendo could very well be more of a chance to showcase previously announced titles rather than unveiling new titles, which could very well disappoint fans.
Pokémon fans, you’ll be psyched to hear that Sun and Moon will also be featured on Nintendo’s E3 stream this year. https://t.co/ryC2tpzLSB
— Polygon (@Polygon) June 12, 2016
As it stands, Nintendo has omitted its mobile releases from their E3 2016 schedule, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make an appearance. Earlier this year, Nintendo released their first smartphone title, Miitomo , for Android and iOS. Following the title’s success, Nintendo confirmed two further mobile releases, which are set to focus on the Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem Franchises , meaning Nintendo could use their E3 live stream to feature the upcoming mobile releases.
Nintendo’s appearance at E3 2016 looks to be considerably scaled down compared to efforts in previous years. Depending on the direction Nintendo takes with that scaled-down formula, it could provide them with a good deal of success or fail to compete with Microsoft and Sony.
[Image via Nintendo]
