E3, the world’s largest video game trade show, will be a crucial event for Nintendo as the company looks to win back gamers who have flocked to rival consoles such as Sony Corp’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Corp’s Xbox One.
Nintendo is expected to show off games in popular franchises such as “Super Smash Bros.”, “Mario Kart” and “The Legend of Zelda”, analysts said, though it is unclear if the company will provide an update on its quality-of-life platform.
Nintendo first announced its foray into quality-of-life products and services in May last year, sparking investor interest about a new source of revenue for the company. The initiative has yet to be detailed.
“Everyone is still waiting for the details on what Nintendo’s quality-of-life platform is going to be,” said Serkan Toto, founder of the Tokyo-based game consulting firm Kantan Games. “But given that Nintendo only has 30 minutes for its presentation, I don’t expect that they’ll spend a significant amount of time on non-game related initiatives.”
Nintendo did not respond to a request for comment.
The company’s shares have risen nearly 30 percent since the start of the year, outpacing the broader market and helped in part by optimism that its Switch console will boost earnings. Nintendo is expected to unveil details of the Switch, a hybrid console that combines handheld and home gaming, in January 2017.
On the software front, investors will be looking for signs that Nintendo can build on the success of role-playing game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” which was released for the Wii U and Switch consoles in March. The company sold 2.76 million copies of the game in its first three days, making it one of the fastest-selling games in Nintendo’s history.
“People are trying to figure out if Nintendo can create another game that can match that level of hype and sales,” said George Kase, an analyst at Jefferies.
Nintendo is scheduled to hold its E3 presentation on Tuesday, June 13 at 9 a.m. PDT (12 p.m. EDT/1600 GMT).
