Nintendo will not be hosting a Nintendo Direct at this year’s E3.
The company usually hosts a bespoke Nintendo Direct on Tuesday mornings since it decided to forego bespoke conference hosted at the event like Sony and Microsoft. But in an unveiling of its E3 plans (via Game Informer), Nintendo has instead decided to host a dedicated Legend of Zelda livestream in its usual Tuesday 9am PDT slot, followed by the regular Nintendo Treehouse: Live.
Following the news that the Nintendo NX not only won’t be at E3, but also won’t be launching in 2016 at all but in March 2017, fans will no doubt be disappointed by Nintendo’s lack of presence at the biggest gaming show of the year.
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The Legend of Zelda Wii U has also been pushed back to 2017, and will launch on both Wii U and NX. The game will also be the only title playable on the show floor for Nintendo, and only the Wii U version.
However, with games such as Paper Mario: Color Splash and Pokemon Sun and Moon still to launch on Nintendo platforms this year, it’s equally curious that these won’t be receiving any attention during the livestream.
Nintendo is clearly deciding to write off 2016 almost entirely, and focus all of its attention on 2017 and the launch of the NX. Let’s hope all the hype, anticipation and the company’s big gamble pays off.
