Nintendo Okie

If there’s one thing that Nintendo do well, its press conferences. Every year we’re treated to arguably the best conference of the show at E3 from Nintendo, and then throughout the year we get a series of seemingly randomly placed events where Nintendo showcase their biggest and best creations. It is this way of promotion that really makes Nintendo stand out from the crowd; rather than releasing new trailers whenever they want throughout the year, Nintendo save up everything for a big reveal in one of their strategically placed press conferences.

Once again, we’re on the verge of another information deluge from Nintendo, as yet another conference has been scheduled for this Friday, somewhat coincidentally announced the day after the PSVita got its final release date and price (coincidence or not? I’ll let you decide). With some huge games now so close that they can be considered imminent, what else is there to say as we close out 2011? Well it would seem that Nintendo have some big news to divulge, and while we don’t know exactly what it is yet, let’s take a look at what it could be.

Once again, this press conference is being dubbed as a 3DS event, so as with the pre-TGS conference, we can expect most of the discussion to be focussed around Nintendo’s newest handheld. However, there will almost certainly be some focus on Wii, especially as this is its last conference, so don’t be surprised to see a new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and perhaps another look at Kirby’s Adventure Wii. At the very least I expect some stats to be brought out to show just how successful the Wii has been, as Nintendo attempt to win back favour with the investors.

The highlight though of course will be the 3DS, and there’s plenty for Nintendo to discuss on this front. With the PSVita not being released until the middle of Q1 2012, Nintendo have a 4 month buffer in which to build a significant head-start on the competition which could prove critical in the long run. Add in there the fact that the Vita is priced at or above the original price of the 3DS, and it’s clear that Nintendo have a serious advantage running into next year. They need to press this advantage now, and that’s exactly what the conference will focus on.

The most obvious way to press the advantage is to talk software, and with a big Winter line-up on the way, expect to see some new trailers for Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land (and some new suits perhaps) along with a look ahead to what’s in store in the early part of 2012. While it might be asking too much to see new trailers from everything, especially given the close proximity to the last conference, we could get some new gameplay footage and maybe some third party trailers for titles such as Resident Evil Revelations or Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D. Whatever Nintendo choose to show, it is clear that they need to emphasize that the 3DS, despite its slow start, is now building a significant software library that is full of quality titles.

The other big thing for the 3DS is the much touted November update, which we really haven’t heard much about yet. Satoru Iwata has promised us news that he couldn’t share earlier at this event, so it seems a safe bet to presume that this is what he is talking about. But what exactly will this big update include? The main feature we know of currently is the ability to record and edit 3D video on the 3DS, which is not only brand new feature, but also a huge selling point for the system as we enter the most critical time of year for sales. It will be interesting to see how this is installed onto the system, and also just how versatile it really is. If done well, it could really make the 3DS stand apart from the competition, especially if there is some sort of YouTube integration built it.

Speaking of integration, Nintendo would be wise to announce some sort of social media update to the system, even if it is just bringing back the Facebook photo upload that the DSi had. A full app for Facebook or Twitter for example would be the ideal route, but it’s an unlikely strategy for Nintendo to undertake given past experience. There should also be some news on the new Flipnote Studio in development for 3DS, and hopefully a release date. As for other announcements for the big update, it really is anyone’s guess. At the very least we can expect a date for the firmware roll out, along with a look at the new StreetPass features being implemented (new puzzles and games), but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise for Nintendo to suddenly reveal something completely new and surprising, so keep an eye out on that.

There’s also the Ambassador Program to finalise, so we may hear some news on those final 10 Game Boy Advance games we’re all waiting for, along with some news on the updates for the NES games that Nintendo plan on rolling out next year.

That’s everything that has been announced so far, but what of everything that hasn’t been announced yet? It wouldn’t be a Nintendo conference without some sort of surprising news, and you can be sure that there will be a couple of new game announcements or teases at the very least. Personally, I think the time is ideal to announce a brand new Zelda 3DS game, given that Skyward Sword is just around the corner and the Zelda community are hyped up thanks to the 25^th Anniversary celebrations. Announcing a brand new game for release in the next year or so would be a brilliant way to cap what has already been a fantastically successful celebration for Link’s 25^th and also potentially convince fans of Skyward Sword to invest in a 3DS.

As an outside bet, there’s a chance we could hear some news on Wii U, but don’t expect too much in that department. Beyond a new game announcement from a third party, it’s unlikely that Nintendo really have much more to say about their next big console. Realistically it’s not coming out until Summer 2012 at the earliest, so cast aside the thought of hearing anything significant about the new console until E3 2012. Also cast aside the idea that a 3DS Lite will be announced on Friday. Given the placement of the conference, it’s clear that Nintendo are building momentum for this Christmas, and a new handheld iteration would kill that momentum dead in the water; a 3DS Lite can be categorically ruled out.

Friday’s conference then is definitely one you want to be paying attention to. Despite its proximity to their last conference, Nintendo clearly have a lot left to show and there is certainly potential for a few big announcements to be made that will surprise everyone. This conference though isn’t about revolution. It’s about building the momentum up that has been lost throughout the Summer this year so that not only the 3DS and Wii have a profitable Winter period, but also so that Wii U can get off to the best possible start next year. All Nintendo need to do is keep doing what they’re doing to achieve this, but as we know, with Nintendo, anything can happen. Be sure to keep an eye on Nintendo on Friday, it’s going to be a big day.