Nintendo's E3 demos playable at Best Buy stores across America, during the show
One of the annoying things about E3 for people playing at home is that most games won't be available to the public for months or even years, even in demo form. Nintendo is changing that this year--they'll have playable demos of their E3 software available at Best Buy stores across the country, while the show is actually taking place. The first demo date is Wednesday June 12th, right smack in the middle of E3. If you can't make it to one of the select Best Buy locations on June 12th, you'll get a second chance the coming Saturday, the 15th.
This is a curious move for the typically reserved Nintendo, and points to their risky new E3 strategy. Rather than talk things up in a big press conference (which have been pretty disappointing the last couple years), Nintendo is releasing more Nintendo Direct web conferences, doing a live floor event at the show and letting the public get their hands on the new games almost immediately. Of course, whether this works depends on if they have anything worthwhile to show this year, but if they're confident enough to let the public go hands-on right out of the gate, I'd imagine they have something good in store.
In any case, with both the PS4 and Xbox One hitting this holiday, Nintendo's lineup better blow everyone's freaking doors off the way they did back in 2010. If they don't go big this year Wii U is toast, and Nintendo's future as a hardware and software leader in the videogame industry is in serious doubt.
Check the press release for the full list of participating Best Buy locations.
Nintendo News: Nintendo Brings Exclusive E3 Games to More Than 100 Best Buy Stores
E3 Expo 2013
REDMOND, Wash.--(
BUSINESS WIRE)-- Games shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo video game trade show are usually playable only by the few industry insiders who make the trip to Los Angeles each year. But Nintendo and Best Buy are teaming up to make sure people across North America can get their hands on a select list of Nintendo’s E3 games. Demos of the games will be playable at 110 Best Buy locations, including 89 in the United States and 21 in Canada. The games will be playable 4-8 p.m. local time on Wednesday, June 12, and 1-5 p.m. local time on Saturday, June 15.
Note that participating Best Buy stores are subject to change. For the most up-to-date list, visit
www.bestbuy.com/NintendoEvents. Best Buy locations in the following U.S. cities are scheduled to participate:
Alabama
Birmingham
Huntsville
Arkansas
Fort Smith
North Little Rock
Arizona
Phoenix
California
Culver City
Elk Grove
Emeryville
San Jose
Tracy
Visalia
Colorado
Denver
Connecticut
Manchester
Delaware
Wilmington
Florida
Brandon
Fort Myers
Gainesville
Kissimmee
Miami
Pensacola
Georgia
Augusta
Duluth
Savannah
Smyrna
Iowa
Cedar Rapids
West Des Moines
Illinois
Bloomington
Schaumburg
Indiana
Greenwood
Kansas
Overland Park
Wichita
Kentucky
Florence
Lexington
Louisville
Louisiana
Harvey
Massachusetts
Cambridge
Dedham
Worcester
Maryland
Frederick
Glen Burnie
Wheaton
Michigan
Ann Arbor
Flint
Grand Rapids
Rochester Hills
Minnesota
Eden Prairie
Missouri
St. Louis
North Carolina
Cary
Fayetteville
Pineville
Winston-Salem
New Jersey
Iselin
West Paterson
Woodbury
New York
Albany
Amherst
Long Island City
Syracuse
Valley Stream
West Nyack
Ohio
Fairborn
North Olmsted
Reynoldsburg
Toledo
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City
Oregon
Portland
Pennsylvania
Erie
King of Prussia
Pittsburgh
Reading
Whitehall
South Carolina
Greenville
North Charleston
Tennessee
Brentwood
Knoxville
Memphis
Texas
Arlington
Austin
Houston
McAllen
The Woodlands
Tyler
Utah
Sandy
Virginia
Charlottesville
Glen Allen
Virginia Beach
Vermont
Williston
Washington
Lynnwood
Wisconsin
Greenfield
For more information about Nintendo, visit
http://www.nintendo.com.
