You won’t have to go to the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show to experience what Nintendo has to offer.
This morning, the publisher revealed its plans for E3, which begins the week of June 9 in Los Angeles. Instead of holding a big press briefing (like Sony or Microsoft), the company plans to air what it is calling the “Nintendo Digital Event” on Tuesday, June 10 at 9 a.m. Pacific online. This is a “video program” that will showcase the company’s new and upcoming products for 2014 and beyond. In 2013, Nintendo also went without a traditional press event during E3 and held a slightly extended version of its Direct online video shows.
“We demonstrated last year that we are never afraid to reinvent a proven tactic or to break completely new ground if we believe it will provide the best experience for our fans, followers, and partners,” Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said. “So, whether you’re attending E3 in person or joining online, there’s an amazing lineup of games, experiences, and events coming your way.”
Nintendo isn’t just firing off a single video. The publisher also plans to spend the entire week livestreaming from the show floor. Nintendo Treehouse, the company’s American product-development team, will stream gameplay and discussions with producers throughout all of the E3 show, and fans can watch online.
Nintendo announced the Super Smash Bros. Invitational. This will see 16 of the best Smash Bros. players in the world coming together to do battle at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. The competitors will fight it out in the upcoming Wii U version, which — along with the 3DS version — will have a major presence at Nintendo’s E3 show. Fans can watch the tournament in person and online, and the company will announce specific details soon.
Finally, Nintendo is once again partnering with Best Buy to set up kiosks at the retailer’s locations around the country that will enable fans to try out the new Smash Bros. for Wii U without having to sneak into E3.
To impart all of this information, Nintendo enlisted the help of comedy troupe Mega 64 to make a pretty insane video. Check it out: