Between New Games and the Switch Pro, Nintendo Might Steal The Show at E3
E3 2021 promises to be an astronomical event. Since E3 2020 didn't happen due to the pandemic, tons of game companies missed out on a reliable, popular venue for releasing updates on their games. While many developers have adjusted and made different announcements, there's lots of games and other projects whose state of development are still up in the air. Nintendo is one company that still hasn't said much about its biggest projects in the last year. Now that E3 is back on, Nintendo's millions of fans are expecting a ton of announcements and updates that the company didn't get to before.
Considering how much Nintendo has to share at E3, it's a little hard to imagine how anyone else can top Nintendo's presentation. So much of the game discourse of the past year and a half has focused on Nintendo projects that got stalled or went underground during the pandemic, and now the time is right for Nintendo to do a sprawling Direct unveiling tons of new information. Nintendo could completely dominate E3 discourse if it actually comes forth with news about everything it's sitting on. Conversely, though, if Nintendo's presence at E3 is more modest than expected, the company needs to be prepared to deal with fan disappointment.
It's really staggering how much Nintendo can choose to talk about at E3. Some games, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, seem like obvious focuses of Nintendo's time and pretty crucial to its E3 presence. A couple other games -- namely Bayonetta 3 and Metroid Prime 4 -- are also deep in development and seem worth checking in on during Nintendo's presentation. There's also some newer announcements that are worth talking about in greater depth. Both Splatoon 3 and Pokemon Legends: Arceus are likely candidates for explainers taking place during E3.
Perhaps the most coveted announcement Nintendo can come to E3 with is the Switch Pro. Strictly speaking, the Switch Pro is still just a rumor, but considering how often people all across the industry keep leaking information about it or otherwise mentioning it, it's hard to think of the Switch Pro as anything other than fact. E3 is the obvious choice for the console's official reveal, and odds are it'd be the star of Nintendo's presentation. Fans definitely want to hear the exact technical details of this mysterious console, as well as a release window. The Switch Pro seems inevitable, considering the powerful new consoles that Nintendo's competitors just released, so an E3 announcement is logical.
Nintendo's content options don't even end there. For instance, a Super Smash Bros Ultimate fighter at E3 is all but certain, and will generate a lot of publicity no matter who it is. There's also the distinct possibility that Nintendo has more surprises in store, like a teaser for the next big Super Mario game. Even though it had a rough 2020, the stars have aligned for Nintendo have the perfect E3 2021. Fans have a ton of possibilities to look forward to.
What's really remarkable about Nintendo's list of content is what it means for its competitors at E3. No major company at E3 has quite as many hotly anticipated AAA projects to potentially discuss at this hugely influential game conference. Xbox certainly has good things to talk about, like Halo Infinite and potential additions to Xbox Game Pass, but it hasn't stockpiled projects ahead of this event in the same way that Nintendo unintentionally did. Sony isn't going to be there at all, instead talking about Horizon: Forbidden West and other projects on its own time. Any studio smaller than these two major competitors just doesn't put out the same massive quantity of famous games that Nintendo has the choice of focusing on at E3. By the end of the conference, the majority of conversation about what the industry learned there might have to do with Nintendo.
However, the situation cuts both ways. It's impossible to know for sure what Nintendo is actually planning on talking about at E3. It could actually have a very modest list of topics planned. Nintendo might focus intensely on high-priority subjects like Breath of the Wild 2 and the Switch Pro, then promise further announcements later in 2021. Even though specific topics like that would be great, it probably wouldn't be enough for Nintendo fans. Nintendo produces a wide range of beloved game franchises, and focusing on a couple of those franchise will inevitably disappoint fans of the others. An E3 presentation that's narrow in focus is more likely to raise questions about why Nintendo didn't speak more broadly at such an important venue than it is to satisfy fans until the next Nintendo Direct.
Ideally, Nintendo pushes hard to capitalize on E3 and generate a lot of attention to make up for 2020. Although the announcement of the Switch Pro would definitely keep Nintendo in everyone's minds, it can't settle for an overwhelming focus on the console. There's too many other good projects in the works at Nintendo for the company to neglect some in favor of others. The broader Nintendo's Direct at E3 is, the more fans it can delight and hype up. Everyone is trying to make a splash at E3 2021, which is sort of a new beginning for the game conference after last year's cancellation. Nintendo has the resources to compete.
Recent rumors about the Switch Pro's impending reveal and a fairly soon release are a good sign for E3. Another ironically good sign is the delay of Breath of the Wild 2 information from earlier in the year, as well as Nintendo's newer announcements. Even though Nintendo hasn't been very public about its work lately, it's clearly keeping busy. It hasn't lost too much momentum if it can keep coming out with new games like Game Builder Garage and Mario Golf: Super Rush alongside BotW2, Splatoon 3, various Pokemon games, and other long-term projects. Nintendo always fascinates and surprises thanks to its broad base of games and their consistent quality. If there were ever a good chance for Nintendo to take to the stage and really flex its talent, E3 2021 is that chance.
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