Kris Roberts is busy digging up the goods at E3 2011, arguably one of the most successful E3s in years with packed numbers and grand exhibits.
While the E3 show is going well, it has clearly been a stinging experience for Nintendo as their shares dropped over five percent to the lowest it has been in years. Having watched their presentations online, we think this is more a statement of online social networking than a hit and miss of video game technology.
During Nintendo’s presentations, a flurry of text messages from gamers were flying across the page. At first, everyone was negative about the WiiU controller thinking that this was the whole console!
“Now when I drop my joystick, it will cost me $200,” one witty gamer remarked. It was like having all the cruel negativity and silly comments made against 3D all packed into a 15 minute blast of unfiltered SMS messages for the world to see. It was as though a CEO could do a presentation, and have his company’s live stock feed displaying in the background (Don’t look back, Reggie! You don’t want to look back! Just keep talking and smiling!)
Then things got a bit more positive – but it was too late for Nintendo. It’s a very scary thought that long before a product gets released or the world gets to try it, gamers are unknowingly in a position to shape stock prices the way that they can just by sharing their opinions in such a public forum. To make matters worse, the gamers that Twitter or chat away online don’t necessarily represent the true opinion of audiences!
I wonder if future presentations at E3 will drop the live gamer feed and presentation feed running at the same time for this reason. Is it too dangerous a mix for public consumption?
On to more positive things. As promised, David Coombes, Platform Research Manager for Sony Computer Entertainment America spoke about stereoscopic 3D gaming at Discovery 2011, and the presentation is available for viewing now! He shared some case studies, upcoming titles, trailers, and more! Lots of fun!
As always, share your thoughts below.