Nintendo revealed its 2015 E3 plans as only it can with an intentionally cheesy video starring Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. The Nintendo Digital Event and Treehouse broadcasts are returning in lieu of the traditional on-stage press conference yet again. However, the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS maker is bringing back something not seen since the days of Fred Savage and The Wizard 25 years ago – the Nintendo World Championships.
The main event for Nintendo at E3 will be the Digital Event which will be broadcast online at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday, June 16. This will be the company’s time to showcase all of its upcoming Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games such as Star Fox , Xenoblade Chronicles X, Devil’s Third , Yoshi’s Wooly World , Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem , and more. Just don’t expect The Legend of Zelda as Nintendo has already stated that it will be skipping this year’s E3 following the title’s delay to 2016.
Find out what Nintendo is doing for this year’s #E3 … and how YOU can be a part of it! Take it away, Reggie! http://t.co/ifLCcKu3Az
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 13, 2015
The Nintendo Treehouse will also make a return to this year’s E3 with online broadcasts directly from the E3 show floor. Last year featured live interviews with developers along with demos of games, so expect more in this vein.
How well this E3 works for Nintendo will ultimately depend on its ability to deliver an entertaining presentation filled with compelling content, as I noted last year in this Inquisitr article . Last year was an unqualified success while previous years brought huge disappointments.
Nintendo’s secret weapon in this may be the Nintendo World Championships though. This will be the first time that the company has hosted the event since 1990.
Qualifying for the Nintendo World Championships 2015 will being at Best Buy locations around the United States starting on May 30.
“The winners from each regional event, plus competitors invited by Nintendo, will meet on June 14, at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles for a multi-round Nintendo game competition,” Nintendo detailed in its E3 press release. “In the end, one player will be crowned the 2015 Nintendo World Champion. Fans in Los Angeles will have the opportunity to attend the tournament, while others can watch online.”
Information on which Best Buy stores will participate and the games that will be used for qualifying will be announced soon.
Best Buy will also be hosting in-store demos of Mario Maker for the Wii U during the week of E3. The first event will take place on Wednesday June 17 between 4 and 9 p.m. local time followed by Saturday, June 20 between 12 and 5 p.m. local time.
“Whether you’re tuning in online or joining us at the show, we want to include fans of all ages this E3 with an innovative and nostalgic focus on fun,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “I’m especially eager to bring back the Nintendo World Championships and to crown the 2015 Nintendo World Champion.”
[Images via Nintendo]