Nintendo to showcase E3 games at Best Buy this year

Nintendo announced plans today to release demo versions of its E3 line-up at select Best Buy stores during the week of E3, to let fans play the games themselves.

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Although Nintendo won't have a bombastic E3 keynote presentation like its competitors, that doesn't mean the company is going to sit idly by during the show. Instead, the company announced plans to give fans the opportunity to participate in this year's activities. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime outlined a plan to let players try the company's E3 lineup without flying to Los Angeles.

Calling their E3 focus "for the people," Fils-Aime said that approximately 100 Best Buy stores will have kiosks devoted Nintendo's unreleased E3 games. Don't expect the entire lineup, however. A press release clarified that only "some of the unreleased Wii U games" will be featured at the event (emphasis ours).

Nintendo plans on saving a few E3 announcements for another Nintendo Direct that will air "around the time of E3," according to company president Satoru Iwata. Nintendo tweeted a few games we can expect to be discussed at that presentation: the new Smash Bros, Mario Kart, and a new 3D Mario game.

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  • reply
    May 17, 2013 9:00 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Nintendo to showcase E3 games at Best Buy this year.

    Nintendo announced plans today to release demo versions of its E3 line-up at select Best Buy stores during the week of E3, to let fans play the games themselves.

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      May 17, 2013 9:02 AM

      Wait... is Nintendo not going to have a major press event at E3?

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        May 17, 2013 10:38 AM

        nope

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        May 17, 2013 10:41 AM

        they're not doing the traditional 30 minute presentation but they'll have smaller ones

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        May 17, 2013 10:41 AM

        They're having two smaller press events and some show floor stuff, plus some nintendo direct stuff. If anything I think they might have a stronger presence this year than in prior years, just not all in the same building.

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          May 17, 2013 11:02 AM

          Hmm, interesting. It's just a bit of a surprise because I'm always used to the big three events.

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      May 17, 2013 10:19 AM

      It's a bummer. Wonder what they are thinking? Many still don't know it's a new console.

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      May 17, 2013 10:28 AM

      I think this is awesome. If word spreads fast enough, you'll have a lot of people participating. I know I will.

      Wonder if they're worried about hackers ripping the code for the new Mario though. You know a Best Buy employee isn't going to be nearly as vigilant about watching the kiosk as E3 security.

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      May 17, 2013 10:35 AM

      I think Sony did something similar during the PS1 era. My local Game had huge rear projection TV's set up in a circle with a bunch of demo disks in them that had some pre-release demos on them. It's a sensible idea, use the retailers stores for something now that sales in physical form are going to be declining.

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      May 18, 2013 6:11 AM

      Boooo Best Buy.

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