It’s that time of the year again! E3 2018 is just a couple days away, and the excitement around the gaming community is quickly escalating. Every year when I get out of bed on the day of Nintendo’s E3 press conference (Direct, as of late), I’m essentially a kid waking up on Christmas morning. The anticipation is high, and I can’t wait for the flurry of announcements that Nintendo has been holding from the public for months. The reason why I have what I refer to as “E3 Jitters”, is because Nintendo is known for taking their fans on an emotional roller coaster during E3. Whenever I expect to hear something, they announce something completely different and unexpected. I understand from a marketing and competitive standpoint that this puts them at an advantage, but it usually drives me and a lot of the fan base crazy. However, I would argue this spontaneity just adds to the anticipation. Nintendo really is like a box of chocolates. The games are usually sweet, but you NEVER know what you are going to get.
From Reggie officially being classified as overweight, to Cammie Dunaway awkwardly throwing virtual Frisbees at dogs, to Iwata announcing the vitality sensor, to Ravidrums and the entire Wii Music catastrophe, we’ve seen it all. Of course, they’ve had their high notes as well, such as when Miyamoto came on stage for the Twilight Princess announcement. From the lows to the highs, I can say it has always been a ride that I anticipate greatly, despite often leaving disappointed. Nonetheless, E3 has provided some fantastic entertainment value, and Nintendo certainly isn’t the only company to have E3 blunders. Just look up Ubisoft’s Mr. Caffeine. He managed to singlehandedly make every single person in the audience uncomfortable just in a matter of seconds. That’s almost impressive.
This year the usual suspects are of course Smash Bros. for the Switch and Metroid Prime 4. Though I’m excited for both of these games and this may put me in the minority, I hope there is minimal coverage on both. We haven’t seen any gameplay for either, so a pair of 5 minute gameplay videos would be just enough to get me excited, and then they can move on to the next announcement. When Nintendo bogs down their E3 showcase with announcements that gamers already know, to me, that is filler. Let’s just have a video or small demonstration of what we already know is coming and move on. Nintendo, among other competitors, have been known to spend way too much time talking about sales numbers, though this has been less of a problem lately.
Besides the obvious heavy hitters, I’m sure there will be at least some coverage on Pokémon Let’s Go!, Mario Tennis Aces, and Go Vacation for Switch. I wouldn’t mind some actual Super Mario Odyssey DLC (come on Isle Delfino), or possibly even expansions for Breath of the Wild, but these might be stretching it a bit. There may be some coverage on their new online service and downloadable games. I don’t mind Indie games either, as long as this section is short and sweet. Of course, as I mentioned above, Nintendo always rides the wave of the unexpected, so we’ll just have to wait with anticipation.
I do want to point out that Nintendo is not only selling to gamers, but investors. Companies selling to this odd mix can create some of the best, and most awkward moments in gaming history. Whatever be the case for 2018, I’m sure we’re in for a ride. When I wake up on E3 morning, I’m going to be hoping for an Animal Crossing Switch or Pikmin 4 announcement under my theoretical E3 Tree. What are you most anticipating this year?
My body is ready.
