Nintendo Didn't Show NX at E3 Because It Was Worried About Copycats, Says Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto has explained why Nintendo did not show its next gaming platform, codenamed NX, at E3 and passed up the opportunity to make a high-profile unveiling ahead of the hardware's launch in March 2017.

Nintendo recently held a shareholder meeting in Japan, which was attended and liveblogged by Twitter user NStyle and translated by Cheesemeister. During this meeting, Miyamoto said NX wasn't at E3 because Nintendo was worried about copycats.

Nintendo has provided very little details on what the NX is, though there has been much speculation based on patents and insider reports. It is believed that the NX will be a console and handheld hybrid featuring "industry leading" tech.

This is the second time Miyamoto has suggested Nintendo is holding back on a reveal in order to protect a unique element of NX. On June 27, he said NX information was being controlled because "there's an idea we're working on."

"In terms of NX, there's an idea that we're working on," he said through a translator. "That's why we can't share anything at this point, and I don't want to comment on the other companies. If it was just a matter of following advancements in technology, things would be coming out a lot quicker."

During the meeting, Miyamoto also said he used various virtual reality devices during E3 and confirmed Nintendo "has the core technology" for VR. He did not reflect positively on his VR experiences at the event, however, noting "long play sessions are an issue."

As mentioned above, the NX release date has been confirmed as being in March 2017.

"For our dedicated video game platform business, Nintendo is currently developing a gaming platform codenamed NX with a brand-new concept," it said in an earnings report release in April.

It added: "NX will be launched in March 2017 globally."