Nintendo Press Briefing: E3 2011 Recap
Ask anyone who knows me about my sleeping habits, and they’ll tell you I’m a heavy sleeper. You could wake me up and proceed to have an in-depth conversation regarding the meaning of life, and I’d have no recollection of anything we said upon awaking the next morning.
“We said what?!?…”
And no, this isn’t me stalling in an attempt to find the perfect intro to this piece; it’s actually entirely relevant – as I found myself glaring bleary-eyed at my laptop screen at 2am Wednesday morning, attempting to digest Nintendo’s E3 conference. This time however it wasn’t my half-awake state which led to my confusion, as my Twitter timeline was inundated with fans and industry people alike all asking that same question
“What the?…I don’t even…”
A few hours sleep and a re-watch later and it’s easy to see how the confusion came about – even Nintendo have admitted their latest announcement wasn’t as clear as it could have been – though with the addition of hindsight Nintendo’s E3 event was certainly an intriguing one. Promise was again the name of the game, yet even more so than what has come before, those promises feel the closest they ever have to matching their potential.
As in previous years The Legend of Zelda kicked off the conference, as Miyamoto again took to the stage, though this time making a far less awkward appearance. Introduced with an orchestra performing some of the series’ classic tunes, the company’s mastermind began a range of Zelda themed announcements to coincide with the franchise’s 25th anniversary.
Link’s Awakening was launched on the 3DS eShop as the announcement was made on stage, marking the first Gameboy Colour release for the handheld’s Virtual Console. Ocarina of Time 3D was also mentioned, touting its appeal to both those new to the series and those who’ve experienced it before, and the much loved yet niche Zelda 4-Swords was revealed to be making its way to the DSI download service.
The Orchestra’s appearance wasn’t just for show either, as world-wide Zelda concerts were announced for later in the year; a soundtrack based on those performances also coming soon.
The Zelda-themed opening was capped off with another look at Skyward Sword, receiving a firm 2011 release date as Miyamoto again discussed the game’s use of the Wii-Motion Plus, in what may well be the ageing system’s swan-song title. As Saturo Iwata would next reveal though, Nintendo’s Wii successor will be seeing a release in 2012, leaving the lack of Wii support all the more concerning.
With the company focussing on the recently released 3DS, and now the Wii-U (more on this later), anyone keen on more software for their oft unused system will be disappointed. The system has seen a drop off in titles since the end of 2010, and Nintendo did little to address this lack of software during its presentation.
The 3DS has also suffered from a lack of new titles, as attention turned to addressing its poor launch lineup; Reggie Fils-Aime taking to the stage and unveiling five new titles for their latest handheld.
Mario Kart, Starfox, Super Mario, Kid Icarus and a new entry in the Luigi’s Mansion franchise made up the company’s answer to the question of “Where are the games?” – as the focus shifted to the device’s third-party support.
The ensuing “sizzle-reel” was disappointing, with the few interesting titles dotted between footage for such enthralling experiences as Tetris Online and Mario and Sonic at the London Olympic Games.
The footage did little to quash the feeling that the system is lacking on the software front, as even Nintendo’s first-party announcements felt more derivative than they have before.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m one who constantly returns to Nintendo platforms for my regular dose of their classic franchises, yet the simple addition of a Mario or Zelda game to a device’s lineup now does less and less to sway my interest.
Hardware is expensive, and seeing the device as purely a “Nintendo Box” has become less of a viable option, and this latest E3 showing has left me with questions of just when the 3DS will see a library of games worth investing in.
Up to this point the conference had progressed in a standard fashion, though we all knew the big announcement was yet to come, as anticipation turned to utter confusion as Regie segued in to their new console announcement – the Wii U.
Nintendo confirmed many pre-show rumours as they jumped straight to the console’s controller, showcasing its dual-joystick setup and much discussed 6.3” touch screen. The rest of the conference was then devoted to the Wii U’s controller, as no mention was made of the console itself while the audience asked more questions than were answered.
The questions of “Where is the console?” and “Is this the console?” were later answered, though it can’t be denied that the lack of a set-up left those watching on befuddled. What Nintendo did show though was intriguing; as the unveil trailer showcased just some of the new controller’s uses.
The controller features a number of connectivity features, allowing you to play games on the controller itself, use it in conjunction with a console experience, and even continue to play your console game while someone else has occupied the television – with the console streaming the game to the controller’s screen as well as the TV.
The sole unveiling of their new console’s input method isn’t a new one for Nintendo, doing the same with the Wii at the Tokyo Game Show in the lead-up to the Wii’s release, and again this reveal was full of promise. No games were shown for the Wii-U, as tech-demos were present on the show floor – an HD Zelda demo a standout example of the graphical quality the big N’s new hardware will be able to produce.
Thanks to the console’s increased power – for the first time in a long time – cross-platform titles will be making their way to a Nintendo system. Though despite this optimism, there are some questions that still need answering, and we’ll no doubt find out more as the console nears its 2012 release.
The online platform has now become as much of a requirement as the console itself, as has been seen with the constantly raging war between Xbox Live and the PSN, and Nintendo haven’t been ones to embrace this connected future in the ease-of-use way many of us have now come to expect (how are those friend codes treating you?)
Being “just good enough” won’t work with Microsoft and Sony breathing down their neck, and an online platform that’s at least comparable will be necessary if they have any hope of swaying gamers to pick up a cross-platform title on their system over the others – ones where friends already exist and where money has already been invested. Nintendo have managed to simultaneously continue their “accessible” philosophy, whilst at the same time re-joining the big-three console rat race, and it will be interesting to see just how they fare.
More intriguing than cross-platform releases though is just how the new controller will be used. Beneath the motion capabilities and that shiny new touch screen lies something many of us have probably long wanted from our Nintendo platform – a traditional controller with two sticks.
Granted, there are a bunch of extras in there too, but the future possibilities feel as though they are ones which I’ll actually be interested in, as the core foundation is one we’re all familiar with.
It finally feels as though Nintendo’s quest for a wider audience and accessibility has been combined with mainstream gaming sensibilities, in a product which may offer something for everyone – finally delivering on the company’s long term goal.
Nintendo’s E3 press conference may have been a confusing one to watch, yet as information and hands-on thoughts have trickled through from the show floor, the console’s goal and potential have become more and more clear.
Nintendo have incorporated often called for additions whilst at the same time managed to continue their “everyone plays” message, and it’s possibilities are ones which genuinely intrigue.
We’re still left in a situation of limited software support for their current line-up, and with the console set for launch in 2012 we may yet be waiting a while longer – as E3 2012 will no doubt see an unveiling of a launch lineup and a concrete release date.
Nintendo have again asked us to believe in their vision for the future, and despite pent-up skepticism, I can’t help but feel that this time around they may just be on the right track. 2012 can’t come quick enough!
