Nintendo cuts partnership with major European conference

Nintendo will not attend European video game expo Gamescom this August as an exhibitor, despite having a significant presence at the event in the past two years. Held in Cologne, Germany, Gamescom is one of the largest annual video game conferences in Europe -- serving as the region's equivalent of North America's E3. Nintendo's rival platform holders Sony and Microsoft, as well as many major game publishers, typically exhibit at the show. The event is open to both industry professionals and the general public, and many exhibitors use the expo as an opportunity to show off upcoming products to the press and public. Nintendo was expected to feature Wii U, its new home console launching this holiday season, at the convention. Neither Nintendo or Gamescom's organizers have provided a reason for why the company has passed on this year's show, but Nintendo points out that it is planning its own events across Germany, where it will allow consumers to try out Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U titles. Nintendo has relied more on hosting its own direct marketing promotions to reach consumers recently, holding events at malls, concerts, and other venues where the public can sample its games and consoles. It has also held a significant presence at consumer-friendly shows such as Comic-Con International and PAX. Last year, the company also began holding "Nintendo Direct" livestreams, which consumers can watch to learn about upcoming products. It held the first Nintendo Direct livestream just days after Tokyo Game Show 2011, another prominent video game expo Nintendo did not exhibit at. "We are trying to change the way we communicate, depending on the nature of the information," said the company's president and CEO Satoru Iwata while talking about Nintendo Direct during a Q&A with investors last October. He added, "Depending on the recipients of the message, we identify the information that is relevant to them, and we will structure our messages so that these recipients will be able to receive information they want to know and deliver it to them at the most appropriate opportunities, such as at our events or through various other methods."