Nintendo World Championships Coming Back to E3 2015
After a 25 year absence, Nintendo is bringing back the Nintendo World Championships. The video game competition was originally launched in 1990 as a promotion for the company's NES game cartridge. Nintendo, this time around is bringing the competition to the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015 slated for June 2015 in Los Angeles.
According to a report in Tech Times, the championships return to mark its 25th year and form a part of the "dynamic line up" of activities the company has in store for the E3 starting June 14. Competitors who want to get a slot during the championship rounds at the E3 have to join regional competitions to pre-qualify.
Select Best Buy stores will host pre-qualifying rounds all around the US on May 30. Those who win in these regional rounds will join other players selected by Nintendo to play off for the World Championship on June 14 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Details about the qualifying rounds will be released in the coming weeks.
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Aside from competitors, Nintendo is also inviting fans to watch the championship live. The event will also be live streamed, for those who want to watch online.
"Whether you're tuning in online or joining us at the show, we want to include fans of all ages this E3 with an innovative and nostalgic focus on fun," said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo America.
According to the official Nintendo website, the championship game will be a "multi-round Nintendo game competition," where "in the end, one player will be crowned the 2015 Nintendo World Champion." It is not yet known what video games will be used during the competition. The 1990 event featured multiple rounds with "Super Mario Brothers," "Rad Racer" and "Tetris," all on NES cartridge-based consoles. The Tech Times report predicts that there will be no cartridge-based games in this year's championship.
With the E3 being a venue for promoting new products and titles, it is more likely for Nintendo will showcase its games on the Wii U or the 3DS, such as their upcoming new shooter game "Splatoon."
Aside from the Nintendo World Championship, other activities lined up for the E3 are the Nintendo Digital Event and the Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3.
