Nintendo has announced that they will join their next-gen console manufacturing rivals Microsoft and Sony by offering hands-on with the Wii U at Comic-Con International in San Diego this weekend. The Wii U and a variety of games that include unreleased titles will be available for hands-on at Nintendo’s booth on the Comic-Con show floor, and in the Nintendo Gaming Lounge at the San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina hotel near the convention center. Sony and Microsoft announced similar plans, putting their still-to-be-released consoles Xbox One and PlayStation 4 out for play at the massive convention.
Nintendo’s booth will feature Pikmin 3 prominently, with a number of consoles set up to showcase the game. The Nintendo Gaming Lounge will feature a much larger selection of games, and will be open to the general public instead of just Comic-Con attendees.
Playable titles at the lounge include Disney Infinity, Bayonetta 2, Sonic Lost World and Super Mario 3D World, among many others. At both locations, Nintendo will host events celebrating the Year of Luigi and the release of Platinum Games’ The Wonderful 101. There will also be a Pokemon themed area in the gaming lounge to promote the upcoming Pokémon X and Y games.
Nintendo is fighting to overcome a slow start for Wii U and gain momentum this holiday, even as Sony and Microsoft prepare to release their powerhouse next-gen machines. Nintendo has traditionally looked to innovations in game play and its stable of strong IP over hardware horsepower when it comes to selling consoles. With Wii U, it seems to be making a concerted effort to put the new system and anticipated upcoming titles under players’ thumbs. Nintendo’s decision to open their gaming lounge to the general public mirrors their E3-timed Best Buy campaign, where they allowed Best Buy customers to play new and unreleased games at select stores across the country at the same time game industry professionals were getting their first look at the games at E3.
Source: Polygon
