Nintendo Won't Attend PAX East This Year

[Steven Bogos]

Nintendo Won't Attend PAX East This Year

Nintendo says it will offer ways for its fans to try out upcoming products this year, but PAX East won't be one of them.

Penny-arcade Expo (PAX) has quickly become one of the biggest conventions in gaming. From its humble beginnings in Bellevue, it has spread all over the country, and even to Australia, attracting the biggest and best names in gaming, comics, anime and nerd culture. Unfortunately, Nintendo has now decided that PAX is no longer a priority for the company, announcing that it will be skipping 2014's PAX East in Boston.

"Interacting directly with our fans and letting them play our games firsthand is a key component of our approach," a Nintendo spokesperson told Polygon [http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/24/5544118/nintendo-to-skip-pax-east-2014]. "That doesn't include PAX East this year, but we will offer our fans a variety of opportunities to get their hands on Nintendo products in 2014. Keep an eye on our social media pages for more information about where we'll be and what you can play."

Sega, which has an exclusive partnership with Nintendo, also announced that it would not attend the event, but did say it would be there for PAX Prime.

This marks the first year that Nintendo has not attended PAX East. We've contacted Nintendo to see if this means it will also be skipping PAX Prime and PAX Australia.

Nintendo has become increasingly weary of large-scale exhibitions in recent times, electing to skip its E3 press conference [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125049-Nintendo-May-Return-for-Future-E3-Press-Conferences] last year in favor of a Nintendo Direct. Traditionally, Nintendo also elects to not attend Tokyo Games Show, the biggest gaming trade show in Japan.

It's a shame that PAX attendees won't be able to get their hands on upcoming Nintendo games, but i'm interested to see what alternatives the company will come up with to promote its lineup.

Source: Polygon [http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/24/5544118/nintendo-to-skip-pax-east-2014]

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[RaNDM G]

Likely holding out on Smash Bros., and they're probably not finished with the demo build. We'll likely see them at PAX Prime.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

It doesn't effect me since there's no way I'll be able to attend PAX of any kind...anyway, maybe Nintendo will do another tour kind of like what they did last summer to hype up 3D World, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, etc. At the very least I hope to hear about upcoming Nintendo Direct conferences in April and hopefully again in May, June, etc...

 

[xyrafhoan]

Kind of weird for Nintendo to skip. The PAX Prime display was really cool and the handheld gaming corner was great. I guess they feel like they have nothing to show right now?

 

[Roxas1359]

While I can understand them possibly wanting Smash Bros at Pax Prime, outright skipping Pax East is a really bad move if you ask me. They could still do some publicity there and get more people to try the Wii U, possibly with some sort of Mario Kart 8 demo (which they do have as it's been at a Pax before). Really Nintendo's biggest problem is their lack of advertising, and pulling back on it seems to be what they are doing which is just plain weird and doesn't help them.

 

[MrMan999]

What the article fails to mention is that Sony and Microsoft aren't attending either.

 

[144_v1legacy]

What the article fails to mention is that Sony and Microsoft aren't attending either.

...shit, really?

um, in the name of RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM THIS ARTICLE SHOULD BE EDITED...

 

[TheIceQueen]

What the article fails to mention is that Sony and Microsoft aren't attending either.

They're not the only ones not attending either. A larger list can be found here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=790217

I see no reason why Nintendo should be the one called out when many other companies are choosing to skip PAX East. The general consensus seems to be that these companies just don't have anything to show right now. If that's the case, why would they bother going there, then? Nothing to show, don't go!

But singling Nintendo out has always been the cool thing to do. I'm not even that big of a fan of Nintendo - I'm a PC Gamer - and I think it's pretty unfair.

 

[Caiphus]

What the article fails to mention is that Sony and Microsoft aren't attending either.

I believe Microsoft will be, but yes, Sony is also not attending.

http://www.destructoid.com/microsoft-will-be-at-pax-east-sony-and-nintendo-won-t-272409.phtml

 

[Andy Shandy]

That "exclusive partnership" shit between SEGA and Nintendo is just for Sonic, isn't it?

But I do find it odd that both a company that could probably do with some direct fan interaction (Nintendo) and one that is seen at being good/great at fan interaction (Sony) are not turning up for of the bigger conventions that is seen as being "for the gamers".

Maybe they're just holding off until E3.

 

[Genocidicles]

Is this just because it's too close to E3 or something?

Or are the companies taking the SJW retards seriously with their PAX boycott?

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

It's funny in a way, honestly.

There are those in this forum who are convinced that Nintendo's got its own "defense force"....when in fact many of those folks are/were among the most reasonable blokes here, they just don't instantly buy into every single "Nintendo is dying" article within eyeshot. But given how many articles this and other sites tend to release that like to casually spin the discussion as Nintendo being the lone wolf in a sea of shittiness, maybe they need some people willing to defend them. Heck, if the "gaming media" isn't gonna do it, someone's got to.

Indeed; kinda hard to not want to tell the facts when journalists can't do that themselves. I remember when people were getting in a tizzy about Nintendo not doing an E3 press conference and falsifying information, going as far to say that Nintendo wasn't attending E3 at all. Completely ignoring the fact that they WERE attending, and that people not attending E3 is nothing out of the ordinary. If the facts aren't properly reported then someone needs to pinch-hit.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

What the article fails to mention is that Sony and Microsoft aren't attending either.

This is the first time Nintendo isn't going though. Sony has skipped out on PAX before, and frankly doesn't need to go right now with the early success of the PS4. MS is going and is probably going because they a) have some Microsoft Games Studio stuff to show and b) have some X1 games to show.


This article is still lacking in that context though. Why only mention Nintendo?

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

snip

Sony's not going either. Why not add that to the article?

 

[sethisjimmy]

I'm not defending or attacking anyone here, but Nintendo was probably singled out because they actually made an official announcement. Plenty of people aren't going to Pax, but haven't officially stated that yet, it was simply inferred by a Neogaf poster. Most of the companies listed haven't officially announced anything, and thus the idea that they aren't going is essentially a rumor at this point. Nintendo's withdrawal is newsworthy because they made a special announcement to Polygon.

I don't think Nintendo is being singled out by journalists, if anything, they're singling themselves out by making the announcement rather than remaining silent.

 

[Brian Tams]

Its not just Nintendo. Sony isn't going, either, and there are a large number of high-profile developers that won't be attending, either.

Honestly, its probably because its too close to E3, but I wonder why Nintendo gets singled out?

 

[OManoghue]

What, they don't have another totally pointless and underwhelming Cranky Kong style "announcement", jeez, I guess I'll go get my WiiU!