While Sony and Microsoft duke it out on the main stage, Nintendo has had a decidedly more reserved E3 presence. Sticking to their own booth, complete with a miniature stage for reveals, and streaming their presentations through their own Nintendo Direct service, Nintendo seems content to stay out of the fight and just show off some games.
This could be because they have fewer offerings than the other two console titans, with no new console to roll out and a lineup of upcoming Wii U games that Nintendo fans have been expecting. Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, Wind Waker HD, and new entries in the Mario Kart, Mario 3D Land, Super Smash Bros, and Donkey Kong Country franchises are welcome, but they’re all sequels or remakes. A lack of new hardware, new big-name franchises, and, well, a lack of surprises just makes Nintendo seem less exciting than Sony or Microsoft.
On the other hand, Nintendo’s isolation from the glitz of the next generation is also a refreshing break from the console wars. Even if Sony starts charging for online play or Microsoft uses the Kinect to watch you while you sleep, Nintendo is just going to keep making goofy games.