E3 Rewind: Nintendo’s boring and bizarre E3 2008

In 2008, Nintendo was on top. The DS and Wii were giant hits. The company had developed a new strategy that targeted audiences that weren’t part of the core gaming demographic. Successes like Wii Sports and Wii Fit showed the viability of that plan.

But at E3 that year, Nintendo displayed the first signs of decline. The company miscalculated, leaning into its blue ocean strategy and showing off a more casual lineup of games while keeping Mario and Zelda away from the proceedings.