Nintendo has released its plans for the upcoming E3 2017 in June, revealing that Super Mario Odyssey will be the heart of its presence in the annual event.
Nintendo, which has reached great success with the launch of the Nintendo Switch, is looking to further ride the hybrid console's momentum into the third and fourth quarters of the year.
Nintendo At E3 2017
Nintendo released its plans for E3 through a tweeted image, which, of course, featured the company's most iconic character Mario.
On the first day of E3 on June 13, the company will host a Nintendo Spotlight, which will feature upcoming Nintendo Switch games that will be released this year. This will be the first chance that a playable demo for Super Mario Odyssey will be available, which was first announced in January and the first sandbox-style game in the long-running Super Mario franchise since Super Mario Sunshine for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002. The game will allow players to control Mario as they explore different 3D worlds.
Right after the Nintendo Spotlight, the company will kick off Nintendo Treehouse. The event will showcase upcoming games not just for the Nintendo Switch, but also for the Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo Treehouse team and various developers will be showing off live gameplay from all the featured Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games on the E3 floor.
In addition to the presentations, Nintendo will also be holding two tournaments at E3 2017. Four teams from the United States, Japan, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand regions will compete in the 2017 Splatoon 2 World Inkling Invitational on June 13, while the 2017 ARMS Open Invitational will be held the following day. The tournaments will be the first good look at the games before they are released for the Nintendo Switch this summer.
Gamers stuck at home will be able to watch all the Nintendo presentations at E3 through the dedicated video stream that the company has put up for the event.
Nintendo Moving Forward With The Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Odyssey, expected to be released during the 2017 holiday season, will look to drive up Nintendo Switch sales for the period similar to how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild generated interest for the hybrid console upon its launch.
"Our various E3 activities will showcase the next steps for Nintendo Switch, from a summer of social competitive gaming to a holiday season highlighted by a milestone Mario adventure," said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime in a statement.
As of the end of April, Nintendo had already sold 2.74 million units of the Nintendo Switch, a number that may have been higher if the company was able to release sufficient supply to meet the massive demand for the hybrid console.
The success of the Nintendo Switch, as well as the glowing reviews for the recently announced New Nintendo 2DS XL, reveal that Nintendo is finally back in the game. The company struggled for years behind rivals Sony and Microsoft in the video game industry due to the failure of the Nintendo Wii U, but Nintendo has now turned things around with its new products.
