Despite a few early hiccups, the Switch launch has been a much needed win for Nintendo. Beyond the encouraging sales figures, the reaction from fans and critics has been overwhelmingly positive as well, which wasn’t the case with the Wii U back in 2012. Nintendo has set itself up for a console generation as successful as that of the Wii, but in order for the Switch to avoid the fate of the Wii U, it needs a steady flow of games.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime hinted at the company’s plans for E3 2017, which will be its first opportunity to show off new games since the Switch reveal event back in January. Here’s the full quote from Fils-Aime regarding Nintendo’s E3 showing:
E3 is always a big time for Nintendo. We look at each E3 as a unique opportunity to tell our story. And we’re gonna have a big E3 this year.
We’re going to be showcasing a variety of games. We will have experiences for… consumers will be able to attend the show for the very first time. So I’m not gonna tell you all of the various games and all of our little secrets for E3, but I can tell you that E3 is going to be a major opportunity for us to showcase not only Nintendo Switch, but also content coming to Nintendo 3DS.
Nintendo has been something of a wild card at the annual trade show. After hosting a press conference on stage at the Nokia Theatre for years, the company decided to switch to pre-recorded live streams back in 2014. Now that E3 is open to the public, the company will likely adapt once again, although Fils-Aime was unwilling to share any specific details about what the company will do at this year’s E3.
If there was one thing that doomed the Wii U, it was the extensive gaps between game releases. Wii U owners would often go months without a single noteworthy game launching for the console. If Nintendo wants the Switch to continue to sell, it needs to bring a respectable selection of games to E3.
