In the company's quarterly financial results briefing, Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata confessed that, yeah, internally no one believes that Nintendo's E3 2009 briefing was anything to shout about, either.


Says Iwata:

As for the media briefing at E3, of course we had many internal discussions after that. Honestly speaking, none of us at Nintendo thought that our presentation at E3 was as good as it could have been. It is apparent that we could not fully convey the charm of our products.


Iwata singles out the new Super Mario Bros. Wii demonstration as especially less-than-whelming.

This year, however, with the New Super Mario Bros. Wii, four people lined up with Wii Remotes was not a scene that no one had ever seen. Those who actually had the chance to play understood how the game would change with four people playing simultaneously, but we could not address that fun sentiment at the media briefing.

Iwata goes on to say that, in the future, Nintendo's press briefing strategy may be fine-tuned to deliver impact to those watching online - in other words, you, the interested consumer, and not the media per se. Wonder if they noticed this?

Now we strongly feel that we need to look into finding a better way to demonstrate the products' appeal better at E3 in these times where more people are watching it online via web cast not only in the U.S. but all around the world, than the number of audience who actually watch it in the theatre.


Recapping: Golden Sun DS, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M were really the only big splashes for Nintendo this year - Wii Sports Resort and its sales since notwithstanding. The Vitality Sensor was an absolutely bottom-out dud that left many people wondering, almost seriously, if Nintendo was trolling the press.

The briefing still was an improvement above the ghastly presser from 2008, although the lack of any gamechanger during a show that featured heavyweight bombs dropped by Microsoft and Sony seems almost, comparatively speaking, worse. Iwata's candor, for a chief executive, is refreshing. Whether it results in, next year, his company coming off like something better than the hip-to-it parent of video games, we shall see.


Iwata: We Know Our E3 Briefing Wasn't Good, Still Trying to Improve [Nintendo Everything, via GoNintendo]