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Nintendo President Skipping E3 Again, Here's Why

Satoru Iwata won't attend E3 in person for a second straight year, but Shigeru Miyamoto will be there.

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Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, for the second straight year, will not attend E3. Last year, he missed the show due to illness, but this year he's staying in Japan to focus on Nintendo's "other areas of business." A Nintendo representative confirmed the news to GameSpot in a statement today, also adding that Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto and other Nintendo developers will be in attendance at the event.

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"Nintendo's focus for E3 this year will be showcasing the many games we have coming for both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS," the Nintendo representative said. "Mr. Miyamoto and other members of our development team will be in Los Angeles to explain these games and the unique experiences that each offers."

"Mr. Iwata’s focus in this period will be on other areas of our business that require his presence in Japan. While he remains in Japan, Mr. Miyamoto and our developers will lead the effort at E3 focusing on our games. Mr. Iwata will be in constant contact with the team in Los Angeles and will be monitoring the reaction to our product offerings from our partners at the show and by consumers publicly."

Some of Nintendo's "other areas of business" might include the company's upcoming entrance into the smartphone and theme park markets.

Nintendo's E3 2015 briefing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, starting at 9 AM PDT. This is Nintendo's normal time slot. But unlike Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo's briefing is a digital event.

For more on E3 2015, check out GameSpot's roundup of all the press briefing dates and times.

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