All right, so I've had some time to digest this information, so here are my thoughts.
On NX missing out on the 2016:
This is certainly unfortunate. I'm inclined to believe that this decision happened relatively recently. What called for that decision, we really can't say. It could be a software issue, a hardware problem, or some other unforeseen circumstance. I doubt they're avoiding the holidays; I think they would launch for the holidays if they could. If it's not ready, it's not ready. It's a bit concerning about their product, but we can make a decision once we know what it actually is.
On NX not being present at E3 (Or E3 plans in general):
This is the bigger point out of all this, in my opinion. If Nintendo really does plan on launching NX worldwide in/by March 2017, why wouldn't they show it at E3? I can't imagine a case where it's not ready to be shown. After all, we knew about Wii and Wii U long before they released.
Here's my train of thought regarding this.
1. Nintendo wants to reveal NX at their own event.
- This is fine. I have no complaints against this. People keep saying Nintendo wants their own event, but that doesn't mean they can't still show it at E3. They're going to be at E3 anyway. Why wouldn't you want your own event to show off NX, then promote it further at E3? This leads to the next point.
2. Nintendo wants to reveal NX at a point after E3.
- My initial reaction to this is, "Why?" If the thing is supposed to be ready by March 2017, I would have to presume Nintendo can show it now if they wanted. Yet, they insist on keeping their cards close to their chest. The only conclusion I can draw from that decision is:
3. Nintendo wants to reveal NX as close to its release as possible.
- Again, "Why?" I get that people like to point out that Wii U didn't perform well after being shown so early, but Wii U was the culmination of a multitude of mistakes. Showing the console a year later would not have helped its fortunes. It's just really odd to have a machine launch without ever being showcased at an E3. I'm not sure how Nintendo finds this position advantageous.
Even ignoring the fact that NX won't be there, why is Zelda going to be the only game playable on the floor? I know that Nintendo can reveal more games, but why aren't games like Color Splash and Federation Force (ha) playable? They're already at E3; they have the space. It just doesn't make sense to me. On a different note, I really hope they don't go overboard with Zelda, but that's more because I'm too weak to avoid all the information I can get even though I want a fresh first playthrough.
But who knows, maybe they'll surprise me.