With E3 2014 only days away and after re-watching last year’s press conferences (mostly to get them off my DVR), let’s recap the claims that were made by each of the Big Three companies (plus EA and Ubisoft) and see how they did almost one year later! Five conferences will be reviewed for not their content quality, but the truthfulness of the claims that were made, between now and Episode 160 of SMYN. Up next is Nintendo at E3 2013, after the break!
CLAIM: Pokémon X/Y will be released for 3DS worldwide on October 12, 2013.
RESULT: True. The game met this date exactly.
CLAIM: Super Mario 3D World will be released for Wii U in December 2013.
RESULT: True. The game actually arrived earlier than anticipated, on November 22nd, 2013.
CLAIM: Mario Kart 8 will be released for Wii U in Spring 2014.
RESULT: True. The game was released on May 30, 2014.
CLAIM: Wii Party U will be released for Wii U in October 2014.
RESULT: True. The game was released on October 25, 2014.
CLAIM: Art Academy will help expand users’ drawing capabilities on Wii U’s Miiverse in Summer 2013.
RESULT: True. An app for Art Academy was released on August 9, 2013. The full Wii U game is still in development.
CLAIM: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will be released for Wii U in October 2013.
RESULT: True. The digital version arrived at of September 2013, while the retail version was released on October 4, 2013.
CLAIM: The Wonderful 101 will be released for Wii U on September 15, 2013.
RESULT: True. The game met this date exactly.
CLAIM: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will be released for Wii U in November 2013.
RESULT: WRONG! The game was delayed twice and was eventually released on February 21, 2014.
CLAIM: Bayonetta 2 will be released for Wii U in 2014.
RESULT: To be determined. The game is still without a release date.
CLAIM: Monolith Soft’s X will be released for Wii U in 2014.
RESULT: To be determined. The game is still without a release date, or an official title, for that matter.
CLAIM: Super Smash Bros. will be released for Wii U and 3DS in 2014.
RESULT: To be determined. The 3DS version is slated for a Summer 2014 release, whereas the Wii U version is slated for a Winter 2014 release.
CONCLUSION:
True: 7
To be determined: 3
Shaky: 0
Wrong: 1
Nintendo was pretty spot-on, except for the Tropical Freeze delay! Their three games that are still TBD are still on track for this year, as far as we know. It was a good first attempt at an E3 Nintendo Direct, albeit a bit short at nearly 45 minutes, but the fewer Nintendo Directs in 2014 may bode well for strong Digital Event showing during this year’s expo. If anything, Nintendo has the strongest momentum in terms of games that should be shown from the big three during this year’s E3 show. Zelda on Wii U, Smash Bros., X, Bayonetta 2, uses of the Nintendo Figurine Platform, the list goes on. What does this mean, in terms of surprises? Time will tell, but at least before E3 2014, Nintendo is poised to have one of the most well-rounded showings. Let’s just hope their claims this year as strong as they were last year!
CLAIM GRADE: A-
What would you give Nintendo?
