E3 Is Still Important To Us, Says Nintendo President

Sony may have announced that they intend to sit out E3 next year, but Nintendo is not having any of it. In fact, apparently, in spite of Nintendo seemingly de-emphasizing E3 so much in the last few years, the company still views the event as centric to its marketing and messaging strategy.

All of this comes courtesy of an interview IGN had with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. Speaking to IGN, Fils-Aime said that Nintendo still sees more engagement during E3 than it does any other time of the year, no matter the event or occasion, and that as a result, the company is not about to give up on the show any time soon. 

“E3, those five days, is the opportunity for the world to find out what’s new for video games as entertainment. And during that time, we generate more engagement than… whether it’s CES or Comic-Con, or other big entertainment events,” Fils-Aime told IGN. “People tune in to find out what’s new and to have first playable experiences for our industry. That’s why E3 is important to Nintendo.”

It’s interesting to note that, in spite of the successful push Nintendo has made for year-round Nintendo Direct broadcasts, E3 is still so important for them. But it makes sense—it’s the one time of the year the eyes of everyone are on the gaming industry, so if Nintendo can make a splash then, they automatically gain mindshare. 

Hopefully, making a splash is exactly what Nintendo will look at doing next year.