Nintendo might have had some success with the 3DS, but the expectations for E3 2014 are even lower than last year. This year marks the second year Nintendo has skipped a formal press conference, opting for live streams and game tournaments. On Tuesday, June 9th, at 9 a.m. PT, a Nintendo Digital Event will be live-streamed to announce and demo games. A live streaming of a Super Smash Brothers tournament will happen on the same day at 4 p.m.
Nintendo has become an increasingly direct-stream company, making announcements throughout the year via Nintendo Direct pop-up streams. It now seems that Nintendo isn’t about E3 anymore as a stage to debut its latest news. The Wii U has been out for 19 months, but its sales have flatlined. The games have been good for the system with titles such as Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. The Wii U has only seen a few third party titles.
The upcoming lineup for the Wii U and 3DS seems weak; the only major headliner is Super Smash Brothers for the Wii U and 3DS. It would be nice if Nintendo would announce a new Metroid or Zelda title. Nintendo has tried to get into smartphones apps by developing an app that lets players watch highlights of people playing Mario Kart 8. If Nintendo really wants to rise up, they should find a way to tie the 3DS and Wii U together, like the PlayStation Vita and PS4. It would be great to buy a cross platform game that can be played on both systems.
Read more at: http://www.cnet.com/news/nintendo-at-e3-2014-fighting-from-behind/
