E3 is the biggest video game show in the world, but the days right before the conference are the most important for a number of larger publishers. The pre-E3 media briefings are the first opportunity these companies have to really show off the goods, and it seems one company in particular was disappointed in its ability to wow the crowd with its wares.
From GoNintendo: {link no longer active}
[Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata:] As for the media briefing at E3, of course we had many internal discussions after that. Honestly speaking, none of us at Nintendo thought that our presentation at E3 was as good as it could have been. It is apparent that we could not fully convey the charm of our products.
In the past, Wii Sports and Wii Fit were naturally able to convey their appeal on stage since it was something no one had ever seen or imagined before. People seemed to capture the appeal of Wii Sports instantly and although there was some initial confusion with Wii Fit, its appeal did get through to the audience afterwards.
This year, however, with the New Super Mario Bros. Wii, four people lined up with Wii Remotes was not a scene that no one had ever seen. Those who actually had the chance to play understood how the game would change with four people playing simultaneously, but we could not address that fun sentiment at the media briefing.
Now we strongly feel that we need to look into finding a better way to demonstrate the products appeal better at E3 in these times where more people are watching it online via web cast not only in the U.S. but all around the world, than the number of audience who actually watch it in the theatre.
Too often, the video game industry markets to its own audience, its own peers, and the usual suspects. Nintendo is admitting some guilt to allowing this bubble mentality to affect its pre-E3 performance last year, and we should see some significant changes next year so its wares are marketed a lot more effectively to the consumer at home.
To their credit, Sony and Microsoft have both launched E3 hubs with downloadable video and select demos from the show floor in an effort to bring the show to their consumers, and we expect that marketing trend to continue.
