When it comes to the home console offerings that Nintendo has provided over the last eight years, I’ve been extremely disappointed. So to see them announce that they’ll be holding smaller E3 press conferences this year is a little worrisome.

My taste never shifted. Super Smash Brothers: Brawl, couldn’t sway me towards they’re latest console, neither could 2011’s Skyward Sword. And as one generation of Nintendo home consoles came to an end I found myself still skeptical of the unimpressive Wii U that they had in the pipeline.

To be disappointed in something, you must first have some excitement or anticipation built-up within you. Like many gamers my age, some of my fondest, early memories of video games came from playing on Nintendo hardware in the 90’s. As a result, I don’t wake up in the morning intent on detesting everything that comes out of a Nintendo spokesperson’s mouth. Quite the opposite, actually.

After the flop that the Wii U has become and yesterday’s E3 announcement, Nintendo has me scared

I’ll always look forward to the possibility of good things from them, but after the flop that the Wii U has become and yesterday’s E3 announcement, Nintendo has me scared. They’re still a gigantic corporation that is turning a profit, but their decision to back out of a big E3 presser this year signifies that, at least for the time being, they’re influence is likely diminishing.

I hope that this June, through Nintendo’s private and streamed conferences, we will get to see a wealth of exciting new software to look forward too, but as it stands right now, as unlikely as it may seem, the prospect of a world without Nintendo home-hardware seems like it’s inching ever closer to reality.