Nintendo Enthusiast
  • Switch
  • 3DS
  • Mobile
  • Amiibo
  • Retro
    • Game Boy, GBA, DS
    • NES
    • SNES
    • Nintendo 64
    • Gamecube
    • Wii
    • Wii U
  • Indie Corner
  • Feature Articles
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Webcomic
  • Nintendo Enthusiast Homepage
  • About Us
  • Meet the Staff
  • Forum
  • Contact Us

Nintendo Enthusiast

  • Switch
  • 3DS
  • Mobile
  • Amiibo
  • Retro
    • Game Boy, GBA, DS
    • NES
    • SNES
    • Nintendo 64
    • Gamecube
    • Wii
    • Wii U
  • Indie Corner
  • Feature Articles
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Webcomic
3DSFeature ArticlesNintendo NewsSwitch

E3 2017: Nintendo Spotlight Review – A Model to Follow

written by Eli Pales June 14, 2017

Yesterday, Nintendo held its online digital event. The stream, dubbed the “Nintendo Spotlight,” was meant to show off some of the company’s planned releases for its shiny new Switch console. The presentation, just a brisk 25-minute affair, was fast-paced and action packed. Showing off a few third-party titles, already-announced games, and even massive long-dormant franchises, Nintendo showed off a little bit of everything. Nintendo kept its presentation interesting and engaging, leaving fans excited and hungering for more upon its conclusion.

The Goal

Seemingly forgotten by other major first-parties this year, the goal of E3 press conferences has traditionally been to sell the company’s console through the presentation. Usually, companies lead with exclusive after exclusive, attempting to cement why its console is the place to play. It’s a little bit of a balancing act. On one hand, companies must cater to the base, showing off experiences that their most hardcore player-base is looking for. On the other hand, E3 is the single best opportunity for hardware manufacturers to make the case that those that haven’t yet picked up the console should do so. In that sense, Nintendo accomplished what it set out to do.

The Pacing

E3 presentations have been mixed this year in terms of pacing. Despite the idea that companies should show game after game after game, that’s not always the best strategy. Taking a slight pause now and then to highlight big games can give viewers a bit of rest while allowing them to digest and think about what they just saw. Microsoft, for example, showed off so many games in a row without a break that many were unable to recall some of the major titles they saw without pulling up a list after the conference. By the end of the two-hour event, many titles went forgotten. Sony, by contrast, led its conference in a very peculiar manner. The first half hour was filled with DLC, a remake, and virtual reality titles. Sony’s conference was clearly for those that were already deep into the Playstation universe. Sure, the conference would have probably been perfect for a PSX keynote, but at E3, where virtually all gamers are tuned in, a few new game reveals a different mix of games would have likely been a better strategy.

Nintendo, on the other hand, absolutely nailed the mix of games through its presentation. There was a solid mix of three types of games: smaller announcements, updates on games, and new game announcements. Although Rocket League may be a smaller indie title, the game has a massive following, and cross play inclusion made Nintendo look very good next to Sony in terms of online connectivity. From then on, Nintendo went to give updates on Xenoblade, Fire Emblem Warriors, and Super Mario Odyssey, scattering exciting new game announcements in between. There were strategically-placed pauses which allowed viewers to fully take-in the existence of the exciting new games, like Metroid Prime 4. One the whole, the conference’s pacing was so excellent not only because if its quick pace, but because the mix of announcements was choreographed in a way to keep gamers of all stripes engaged and excited throughout its entirety.

The Games

Though the presentation was much shorter than the other conferences, by far, Nintendo still brought a bundle of games to show off. Although most games tailored to a certain group of gamers, at no point did it feel like Nintendo was solely targeting the casual market, or just targeting hardcore gamers. Obviously, announcements like Metroid Prime 4 are meant to excite dormant Nintendo fans who have perhaps not picked up a Nintendo console in a little while. Pokemon, on the other hand, was meant to shore up the tens of millions of handheld gamers, many of which just buy Nintendo platforms as their Pokemon machine. Games like Kirby and Yoshi tailored to Nintendo’s younger audience, but also their dedicated fanbase. Meanwhile, announcements like Rocket League were meant to show off the Switch’s broad appeal, while Xenoblade Chronicles 2 would tickle the fancy of any Japanese game fan. Obviously, both Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild were meant to appeal to the mass market. Nintendo even had callouts to the eSport community, a market fast-growing in the industry.

In a way, Nintendo was able to hit virtually every single target market in the gaming industry, without making it seem like it was pandering at any given moment. Nintendo didn’t just stop for half an hour in the middle to focus on casual games; the company was somehow able to tailor its presentation for everyone at once, but also every individual gamer at once.

Third-Party Games and Indies

My only concern, and this is more in the long-term, is that it appears the Switch’s third-party support may be worse than even the dismal support on the Wii U. There was no third-party reel during its presentation, and third-party announcements, aside from a select few, were virtually nonexistent. It seems like the Switch’s retail catalog will see upwards of 85% of its titles be Nintendo-published. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it should certainly grant no illusions to those trying to present the console as a replacement to the PS4 and XBO. It’s pretty clear that Nintendo is positioning its console to be one you want to buy in addition to a second home console.

I also was surprised at the lack of indie titles, even just a quick trailer. In previous years, Nintendo took pains to ensure that “Nindies” were represented in each conference, boasting its large number of exclusive titles and indie game partners. That appeared to be gone this year, and it is a little concerning in regards to Nintendo’s commitment to marketing and targeting indie games for its platform.

A Model to Follow

Nintendo’s digital presentation accomplished everything Nintendo set out to do. The 25-minute spotlight was able to keep established fans captivated while attracting gamers who may not have purchased a Nintendo platform in a while. The company announced new games, including behemoth franchises, while providing exciting updates on titles we already knew about. Although it would have been nice to have a slightly longer video or a few more third-party titles, Nintendo’s presentation provided a model that its competitors should aspire to reach.

Final Score

Our usual scoring scale is out of 10 points, but for today I want to “switch” to a letter grade. Nintendo’s presentation deserves a solid A rating, considering the new game announcements, its pacing, brevity, and quality of other conferences.

E3 2017: Nintendo Spotlight Review – A Model to Follow was last modified: June 16th, 2017 by Eli Pales
2 comments
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Eli Pales

previous post
Reggie Says Nintendo Wants “Every High Quality 3rd Party Game on Switch”
next post
Retro Studios Not Working On ‘Metroid Prime 4’
  • Nowhere Man

    Agreed. It was a great presentation where the only issue, in hindsight, is that the Switch won’t be getting multiplats like MH World and BG&E2. Then again, Nintendo has been a “secondary console” for generations now, so I could just pick up a PS4 pro in the future as there’s a back catalog I want to play on it anyway.

  • unoclay

    I think Nintendo has quite a big of confirmed indie support (they had a whole Direct on it) and so maybe they just left that stuff off the table here because e3 is the glam and glitz, not the “hey look at the untested indie support we’re getting for games you can also play on steam” kind of venue. I dont think its true to say “no 3rd party” support, unless you’re defining it as “no major studio 3rd party”, which i suspect you mean.

    Good summary, and I agreed it was a good conference/presenation. I’d probably go with a “B” but im a hard grader.

Latest Webcomic

  • Happy Birthday Switch!

    March 3, 2018

Recent Reviews

  • Rogue Aces review for Nintendo Switch

    April 25, 2018
  • Skies of Fury DX Review for Nintendo Switch

    April 24, 2018
  • Clusterpuck 99 Review for Nintendo Switch

    April 17, 2018
  • Review: ‘Super Rocket Shootout’ For Nintendo Switch

    April 13, 2018
  • Tesla Vs. Lovecraft Review For Switch

    April 11, 2018

Follow Us

Facebook

Twitter: nintenthusiast

  • #SkiesOfFury DX Review for #NintendoSwitch: "Satisfying Air Combat": https://t.co/TZPuC0kWH0 https://t.co/bGXc1JCj6u about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • Watch #SouthPark: The Fractured But Whole's #NintendoSwitch Launch Trailer: https://t.co/DLAQF4O03y https://t.co/MuCFFmGX8T about 5 hours ago from TweetDeck ReplyRetweetFavorite
  • #SonicMania Has Sold 1,000,000+ Units Worldwide: https://t.co/dPvUdvSPzm https://t.co/m5C9f77bTC about 7 hours ago from TweetDeck ReplyRetweetFavorite
@nintenthusiast

About Us

Who are these Nintendo fanboys?

We specifically called ourselves ‘Nintendo Enthusiast’ for a reason. We believe you can be passionate about a game company while being honest about reality and without being blind to their faults. When you’re excited about a company, it’s hard to remain completely impartial but we try our best. If a game deserves a bad review, we’ll give it a bad review. If we think Nintendo made a bad move, we won’t hesitate to say it. However, we usually do hope Nintendo will succeed alongside the rest of the industry.

Recent Posts

  • Rogue Aces review for Nintendo Switch

    April 25, 2018
  • SEGA Unveils July 17 Release Date for ‘Sonic Mania Plus’

    April 25, 2018
  • Watch the Launch Trailer for ‘South Park: The Fractured But Whole’ on Switch

    April 24, 2018

Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Soundcloud

@2017 - Nintendo Enthusiast. All Right Reserved.


Back To Top