Nintendo is forgoing an expensive stage show again at this year’s E3. That doesn’t mean that they don’t have a lot planned.
Nintendo is having “Video Armageddon”
Who knows what they will call it but they are going to have a huge Super Smash Bros. tournament in the middle of E3. This is going to be amazing and you can even be a part of it.
Some of you more ‘agressive’ fans might be asking:
Are they trying to take steam away from the convention?
I don’t think so. They are just trying to do something different. They are putting themselves out there as attendees more than anything. This gesture makes them look like they are just part of the crowd of fans that are excited to be at E3 and they are trying to spread that out to other parts of the country – just like Penny Arcade did with their their shindig PAX.
Is this going to be a success?
I think there is no possible way that this could go bad for Nintendo. They are still showing off games at the convention. They are still going to put on this huge Smash Bros. tournament that is going to be packed with people from the expo, but also people from the city of Los Angeles. Don’t forget this show is at the Nokia Theatre which is just down the block from the convention. That means that you won’t even have to attend E3 or pay the high ticket prices to go to Nintendo’s event. Will they charge? I don’t know. Also, while all of these people are cramming into the Nokia Theatre to play the game, those of you who couldn’t go to LA will be able to play the game at your local Best Buy.
All of that add up to lots of news coverage. With the local tournaments at Best Buy that could also mean local coverage for them too.
This is what Nintendo should be like all the time.
I really think that this video done by Mega 64, who are fans but they also make cool videos, and this tournament are Nintendo trying to democratize video games. Nintendo has always been a personal company. They have fallen behind because they wanted to stay personal with their console strategies, but this video and tournament are ways for them to ingratiate themselves to us once again.
This tournament is Nintendo trying to get back to being that company that it used to be when every kid dreamed of hitching their way across America to California and showing off their skills in some of their favorite games.
And, in the end, there would always be a brand new game that would be revealed and we would once again believe that things could be good. Companies could be good.