There's no better way to kill the buzz about your competitors' products than getting yours out the gate a few days before them. Case in point: Nintendo, which has decided to stream a pre-E3 "Nintendo Direct" video on its Facebook page today to give eager gamers new information about its upcoming Wii U console. The video presentation starts up at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET), and it can be accessed directly via Nintendo's Facebook page.
So, what might Nintendo chat about? Early rumors suggest that Nintendo might be using this time to get a name change for the Wii U out to the press and public in advance of E3 proper – giving it a bit of time to settle before Nintendo's big Tuesday keynote address. Critics took to the airwaves to complain about the Wii U's name when the device was first premiered at last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo and it doesn't appear that they've gone away.
That said, there's been plenty of rumormongering that the Wii U's name isn't likely to go away, either. Reports from "Nintendo insiders" up to last month suggest that the "Wii U" is here to stay – tying Nintendo's upgraded console to the success of its predecessor and giving Nintendo just one more feather in its cap for coming up with a cheeky name that has a fun connotation. Get it? The "we" and "you?"
Anyway.
If the latest pictures of a supposed controller redesign for the Wii U are to be believed, than the Wii U logo – firmly planted on the tablet controller's lower-left side – is a pretty compelling case for Nintendo sticking to its guns. The same holds true for the slightly redesigned Wii U logo that the company's been touting. Shoot, the Wii U even has a Facebook page.
Speaking of that controller, it's certainly possible that Nintendo might be using its pre-E3 time to build general excitement about the Wii U and show off its slightly revamped controller design. Again, that's nothing particularly groundbreaking, but maybe that's the entire point of Nintendo's digital announcement. With analysts already predicting disappointment for the Wii U well in advance of the console's launch this year, Nintendo needs to pull out all the tricks in its hat to build up some positive buzz at one of the more eyeball-catching gaming trade shows.
To that extent, showing off some fancy games and playing styles that marry Nintendo's prolific franchises and characters with the Wii U's technological abilities could give Nintendo some positive feedback to carry through to its keynote and beyond. At this point, every little bit helps – especially with Nintendo's shares trading at the lowest they've been since late 2003.
For more tech tidbits from David Murphy, follow him on Facebook or Twitter (@thedavidmurphy).
