Gamescom 2023 will be Nintendo's first major trade show since 2012

And it may herald the reveal of a new game from Nintendo after Pikmin 4

by

Ana Diaz
on Apr 26, 2023 5:46 PM

Well, well, look who’s coming to Gamescom 2023: Nintendo.

The publisher, which for the past decade has chosen to stream on YouTube rather than formally participate in major video game industry shows, said Wednesday that it will appear at Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany, this summer. The exhibition runs from August 23rd to August 27th.

Nintendo’s marketing strategy since 2013 has reshaped the way everyone now gets news of their game, regardless of console. The company hasn’t had a live onstage presentation — you know, the kind of glitzy extravaganza that made former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime a household name — since E3 2012. Since then, the company has streamed the show with a series of Nintendo Direct broadcasts Which is very popular whenever it has anything to advertise. Other publishers and platform owners have followed that lead.

Even with Nintendo’s move to pre-recorded broadcasts, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the traditional video game calendar, the company still maintains booths on the show floor at major shows. But last month, the Electronic Software Association, which organized E3, canceled the show permanently.

Gamescom, unlike E3, which is open to the general public, is an entirely different show. The Nintendo Show in Cologne will come after the July 21st launch Pikmin 4so the company likely has something to show next that it hasn’t announced yet.

Gamescom has been a games fair and trade show hosted in Germany since 2009. Last year, Gamescom’s Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley, revealed launch dates, updates and other announcements for more than 30 games, including Dead Island 2And Hogwarts LegacyAnd Gotham KnightsAnd And acoustic boundaries.