No Nintendo E3 Press Presentation for 2013, Focusing Instead on Nintendo Direct

By Jorge Ba-oh 25.04.2013 23

No Nintendo E3 Press Presentation for 2013, Focusing Instead on Nintendo Direct on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has confirmed that Nintendo will not be holding a major press conference during E3 2013.

During a financial results briefing this week, Iwata noted how the company will be "planning to host a few smaller events that are specifically focused on our software lineup for the U.S. market."

In addition to one closed event for US distributors, there'll be a closed hands-on event for Western gaming media.

Iwata turned to Nintendo Direct as an example of the approach the company is taking and has been airing for two years. He feels that fans are "less interested in sales figures that investors and analysts on the other hand attach much greater importance to" and so focus soley on the games during Nintendo Direct. "Now have an established method such as Nintendo Direct, we feel that we will be able to deliver our messages more appropriately and effectively by doing so individually based on the various needs of different groups of people."

With Nintendo not launching new hardware at E3, the main focus of their presence at the event will be to " announce and have people experience" the latest Wii U and 3DS software.

But what about those eagerly anticipated titles in the Mario, Legend of Zelda, Smash Bros franchises? Nintendo "will use E3 as an ideal opportunity to talk in detail mainly about the Wii U titles that we are going to launch this year, and we also plan to make it possible for visitors to try the games immediately", Iwata reassured fans. "As a brand new challenge, we are working to establish a new presentation style for E3."

Nintendo will be using Nintendo Direct to its Japanese audience and overseas fans to highlight new and upcoming games during the E3 period and beyond.

What do you think of the move from a traditionally "once-a-year" E3 approach to potentially more succulent games-only Nintendo Direct chunks?

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welshwuff is offline. welshwuff 25.04.2013#1

This sort of makes sence, there are always leaks before E3 anyway, not to mention E3 has become somewhat of an over glorified event compaired to it just showcasing future projects to investors like it was. Nintendo Direct gets across news Nintendo want people to know pretty much when ever they want for as long or short as they like. I guess E3 could just be just an entertainment thing now rather than an informative thing.

 
Mandown is offline. Mandown 25.04.2013#2

Sony and Microsoft console wings must be very happy, and many international media reps no doubt. With the exception of Nintendo's big titles, the vast majority of media focus will be on the new consoles, and the type of software only they can support. I can see very little global coverage dedicated to both Wii U and 3DS this year.

 
meeto_0 is offline. meeto_0 25.04.2013#3

People on different sites have gone crazy over this news. Some have cited this as the end of nintendo or that they have nothing to show. lol. 

Nintendo could have readdress what their presentations consist of. Scrapped all the sales info and just had a big screen games reel. After they could have closed door events and thereby avoided this overhyped negativity by chunks of the community. 

Im still very excited by what this E3 should bring and judging the previous nintendo directs it should be the best of nintendo since 2006

 
Mandown is offline. Mandown 25.04.2013#4

meeto_0 said:
People on different sites have gone crazy over this news. Some have cited this as the end of nintendo or that they have nothing to show. lol. 

Nintendo could have readdress what their presentations consist of. Scrapped all the sales info and just had a big screen games reel. After they could have closed door events and thereby avoided this overhyped negativity by chunks of the community. 

Im still very excited by what this E3 should bring and judging the previous nintendo directs it should be the best of nintendo since 2006

The major problem with Nintendo Direct is that it doesn't attempt to court new custom, it only really caters to existing customers, in an old fashioned way. E3 is where industry excitement is generated at a far larger scale, it's where news reports filter into everyday media channels.

This E3 will be all about PS4 and XBOX and the software that will be ready to launch alongside them both. As far as the wider media are concerned, the Wii U and 3DS will be a lowly topic no matter how good the games.
 

( Edited 25.04.2013 09:17 by Linkyshinks )

 
LKR000 is offline. LKR000 25.04.2013#5

So their still going to be showing stuff correct? Just not in a big presentation and instead  a smaller nintendo direct? Personally I love waiting for the big presentations every year but I guess as long as we get the same info it's not too much of a problem. I just wanna see smash bros already xD

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JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 25.04.2013#6

Linkyshinks said:
As far as the wider media are concerned, the Wii U and 3DS will be a lowly topic no matter how good the games.

..Despite the fact the 3DS is outpacing the original DS, the best selling system of all time? A+ logic there LS. Of course the media will be paying attention to the 3DS, that's what sells at the moment.

Twitter | C3 Writer/Moderator | Backloggery
 
Hawk is offline. Hawk 25.04.2013#7

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but it could work out. It's not like they aren't going to be there at all. They are just going to have smaller presentations focusing more specifically on the gamer or the shareholders and investors.

I was really disappointed, but if they do have some smaller, more focused, events at E3, it might work out well.

He said, "We will use E3 as an ideal opportunity to talk in detail mainly about the Wii U titles that we are going to launch this year, and we also plan to make it possible for visitors to try the games immediately".
He also said, "Apart from these exclusive events for visitors, we are continuing to investigate ways to deliver information about our games directly to our home audience around the time of E3". Imagine if the demos shown on the floor at E3 are put on the eshop for the people at home to try? That would be incredible.


( Edited 25.04.2013 14:32 by Hawk )

Working like a fiend isn't very fun... and surprisingly isn't very fiendish either.
 
Phoenom is offline. Phoenom 25.04.2013#8

Smart move. Nintendo could show something that LS wouldn't whine at and it wouldn't be enough to distract from two major new consoles being shown off. This way they could easily schedule Nintendo Directs around the two major conferences to take the steam out of them. Plus this gives me hope that the game demos might make it to the eShop not long after E3.

 
meeto_0 is offline. meeto_0 25.04.2013#9

What I dont understand is why people keep insinuating that Nintendo arent going to be there or have much presence. So they wont have a massive stage where they talk obsessively for an hour and your bored for 50mins of it (aka 2012, 2011)

Who covers E3? Mostly game mags, blogs and sites. Each almost always have a dedicated nintendo journalist team. Example audrey from IGN. They will cover anything that Nintendo has. Anyone who has a wii U will most likely end up see the broadcast from an email from nintendo, actively watching on the day or discover it on eshop. 

Tabloids and non gaming communities will still find out about what is new from Nintendo. Basically if you are interested in nintendo and you know about E3 you will discover what they are up to. If you have no interest in nintendo you will ignore them regardless of if they own a massive stage or an internet broadcast. The audience at home is not forced to watch either format. 

 
Sonic_13 is offline. Sonic_13 25.04.2013#10

My first reaction was probably like many of you - somewhat shocked and disappointed.

But then I thought about it and realized that it's going to be absolutely no different to anyone.99% of us never go to E3. We watch their presentation online. For those who do go to E3, there will still be presentations for you. What will the rest of us be doing this year? Watching their presentation online again. Nintendo will also have their usual large presence on the show floor.

Just look back to the huge Nintendo Direct that occurred in January. People were comparing that to an E3-like event. Was Nintendo doing it from a huge auditorium? No. Was there an audience? No. Were there lots of new games shown? Yes. And people were crazy excited. Nintendo can do the same thing again (and at a fraction of the cost for them too). They can still have Iwata, Miyamoto, Reggie, videos, and hands on demos.

At the end of the day, it comes down to the games. If Nintendo has a big lineup of awesome games (which Nintendo has repeatedly hinted at), does it really matter how they are presented?


Linkyshinks said:
The major problem with Nintendo Direct is that it doesn't attempt to court new custom, it only really caters to existing customers, in an old fashioned way. E3 is where industry excitement is generated at a far larger scale, it's where news reports filter into everyday media channels.

Nintendo will still be on the floor at E3 and there is still a press event.

( Edited 25.04.2013 15:23 by Sonic_13 )

 
mudskip is offline. mudskip 25.04.2013#11

This makes me a little bit sad.

 
meeto_0 is offline. meeto_0 25.04.2013#12

I wouldnt want to be the translators that work for Nintendo:

Iwata: You said the gaming community loved our nintendo directs in the forums and said they were better then E3

Translator: They did say that

Iwata: but now you tell me they are upset and confused that we are doing a nintendo direct that focuses on the wii U during E3

Translator: they are confused and upset

Iwata: You make no sense

Translator: Western Gamers make no sense, They are delicate fickle people

Iwata: I no like

 
Trepe is offline. Trepe 25.04.2013#13

I personally think its a bad move for Nintendo not to have a big conference. 

I can see their logic. They've shown most of the games they are going to release already in Nintendo Direct presentations & they have no new hardware to show off this year when both the competition will be taking a lot of the attention with new PS4 & XBox (whatever) systems. An E3 conference also costs a lot of money. Money some would argue that isn't well spent. 

The problem I see is what Linkyshinks also points out, Nintendo Direct is specifically aimed at Nintendo fans. They get covered on general gaming sites, but it's mainly Nintendo fans who will watch the videos. E3 on the other hand is covered by the general media. Something exciting is shown at E3 and the chances are your going to see it on the news or on a TV tech show. The world has its eyes on E3 and a lot of the coverage is by people/shows/reporters who don't actually know a lot about the industry. They see Sony and Microsoft in full force and no Nintendo they are going to think its because Nintendo aren't a major player anymore. They are going to report on Sony and Microsoft and not Nintendo. Nintendo may even be miss represented as a failing company.

Nintendo should be there in full force, announcing big games to take the shine off Sony and Microsoft's big conferences.  They should have Zelda footage ready to wow audiences and a solid line up of other big names and new IP's. They should also have a long video reel of third party games ready to show off to allay fears of owners and potential buyers of the Wii U. 

 
Phoenom is offline. Phoenom 25.04.2013#14

Trepe said:

Nintendo should be there in full force, announcing big games to take the shine off Sony and Microsoft's big conferences.  They should have Zelda footage ready to wow audiences and a solid line up of other big names and new IP's. They should also have a long video reel of third party games ready to show off to allay fears of owners and potential buyers of the Wii U. 

They can still quite easily do all that though. It just won't be on a big stage. 

Personally I'll miss their main conference as it was the only one of the three I ever wanted to watch, but given the choice between a once-a-year blowout or bite-sized chunks through the whole year I know which I'd rather have. Smilie

 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 25.04.2013#15

People need to read the full context of the statement, Nintendo are going to be at the show. They're not having a large press conference, but they are still having screenings and small press events specifically for the press and industry members, and separating it from the NDirects for the gamers.

And c'mon, 99% of people who watch Nintendo's normal conferences.. how did they find it? They went to streaming sites, they got links, they got news, that isn't going to change at all, it's still going to be aired on the internet and covered by every major gaming site. The only difference will be Nintendo's setting.

As far as I'm concerned, there is a real concern that those outside the games industry won't get enough of Nintendo to be excited about though. However.. without any new hardware or technology to show, Nintendo may not have gotten attention in that aspect anyway. It's tricky.

Twitter | C3 Writer/Moderator | Backloggery
 
Trepe is offline. Trepe 25.04.2013#16

SuperLink said:
People need to read the full context of the statement, Nintendo are going to be at the show. They're not having a large press conference, but they are still having screenings and small press events specifically for the press and industry members, and separating it from the NDirects for the gamers. 

We know they are at the show. The point is, the conference is the major even for everyone online & it's what the wider media pay attention to because they don't go walking the show floors looking for information. Private media showings just don't cut it by themselves. 

 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 25.04.2013#17

Trepe said:

We know they are at the show. The point is, the conference is the major even for everyone online & it's what the wider media pay attention to because they don't go walking the show floors looking for information. Private media showings just don't cut it by themselves. 

Yeah I agree that it may have a negative effect on wider media's reception of Nintendo this year.

But like I said, Nintendo isn't doing or showing anything the wider media would care about anyway. that's possibly a bad thing, but it's undeniable, unless they wanted to do a whole show based on NFC (which they may do on some level), they're not showing any new technology or introducing any revolutionary demographic stats this year, the wider media aren't interested in new games.

( Edited 25.04.2013 18:08 by SuperLink )

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Sonic_13 is offline. Sonic_13 25.04.2013#18

Trepe said:
The point is, the conference is the major even for everyone online

Nintendo Directs do the same thing.

Trepe said:
it's what the wider media pay attention to because they don't go walking the show floors looking for information. Private media showings just don't cut it by themselves. 
The only difference between a private showing and the previous public one is that the public got to watch. For the press attending it will be the same information.

 
Trepe is offline. Trepe 25.04.2013#19


SuperLink said:
 
Yeah I agree that it may have a negative effect on wider media's reception of Nintendo this year.

But like I said, Nintendo isn't doing or showing anything the wider media would care about anyway. that's possibly a bad thing, but it's undeniable, unless they wanted to do a whole show based on NFC (which they may do on some level), they're not showing any new technology or introducing any revolutionary demographic stats this year, the wider media aren't interested in new games.

But that's my point. They should be doing/showing something that'll create a buzz and get the wider media interested. They should be holding a big conference. And to say the wider media aren't interested in games isn't true. Games are becoming more mainstream than ever and are often seen in non gaming media. 

 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 25.04.2013#20

Trepe said:
But that's my point. They should be doing/showing something that'll create a buzz and get the wider media interested. They should be holding a big conference. And to say the wider media aren't interested in games isn't true. Games are becoming more mainstream than ever and are often seen in non gaming media. 

They should be doing that.. but it kinda seems like they don't have that at all this year, unlike their competitors. To be fair, attempting to showcase new tech while all the focus is on PS4 and 720 isn't going to detract the media attention from those new machines, it's only going to make Nintendo's showcase ignored in comparison.

Games are becoming more mainstream, but at the same time Nintendo don't have anything worth reporting on, wider media isn't going to write about new Zelda or Mario when they have new machines and technology to write about instead. Unfortunately, this year is not Nintendo's to shine. If Nintendo have anything really impressive on the showfloor, I'm certain they'll have huge pushes to generate attention towards it for wider media, but..

Long story short; the physical audience Nintendo conferences usually have will be attending the show floor and other smaller press events, I'm sure Nintendo are smart enough to invite not only industry media but also wider media and marketing partners, this is in their best interests. Gamers will be watching the NDirects online instead.

This is not a big event in an auditorium, but what they're showing has a similar effect, at least that's what they're intending. Less boring for gamers, more to the point for industry and marketers.

( Edited 25.04.2013 19:04 by SuperLink )

Twitter | C3 Writer/Moderator | Backloggery
 
Trepe is offline. Trepe 25.04.2013#21

SuperLink said:
Trepe said:
But that's my point. They should be doing/showing something that'll create a buzz and get the wider media interested. They should be holding a big conference. And to say the wider media aren't interested in games isn't true. Games are becoming more mainstream than ever and are often seen in non gaming media. 

They should be doing that.. but it kinda seems like they don't have that at all this year, unlike their competitors. To be fair, attempting to showcase new tech while all the focus is on PS4 and 720 isn't going to detract the media attention from those new machines, it's only going to make Nintendo's showcase ignored in comparison.

Games are becoming more mainstream, but at the same time Nintendo don't have anything worth reporting on, wider media isn't going to write about new Zelda or Mario when they have new machines and technology to write about instead. Unfortunately, this year is not Nintendo's to shine. If Nintendo have anything really impressive on the showfloor, I'm certain they'll have huge pushes to generate attention towards it for wider media, but..

Long story short; the physical audience Nintendo conferences usually have will be attending the show floor and other smaller press events, I'm sure Nintendo are smart enough to invite not only industry media but also wider media and marketing partners, this is in their best interests. Gamers will be watching the NDirects online instead.

This is not a big event in an auditorium, but what they're showing has a similar effect, at least that's what they're intending. Less boring for gamers, more to the point for industry and marketers.


Well personally I think if Shigeru Miyamoto went on stage naked, with only a fig leaf to cover his unmentionables to promote Pikmin 3 that would take attention away from PS4 & Xbox720.  Smilie

Need I say more!

 
Flynnie is offline. Flynnie 25.04.2013#22

Trepe said:
I personally think its a bad move for Nintendo not to have a big conference. 

I can see their logic. They've shown most of the games they are going to release already in Nintendo Direct presentations & they have no new hardware to show off this year when both the competition will be taking a lot of the attention with new PS4 & XBox (whatever) systems. An E3 conference also costs a lot of money. Money some would argue that isn't well spent. 

The problem I see is what Linkyshinks also points out, Nintendo Direct is specifically aimed at Nintendo fans. They get covered on general gaming sites, but it's mainly Nintendo fans who will watch the videos. E3 on the other hand is covered by the general media. Something exciting is shown at E3 and the chances are your going to see it on the news or on a TV tech show. The world has its eyes on E3 and a lot of the coverage is by people/shows/reporters who don't actually know a lot about the industry. They see Sony and Microsoft in full force and no Nintendo they are going to think its because Nintendo aren't a major player anymore. They are going to report on Sony and Microsoft and not Nintendo. Nintendo may even be miss represented as a failing company.

Nintendo should be there in full force, announcing big games to take the shine off Sony and Microsoft's big conferences.  They should have Zelda footage ready to wow audiences and a solid line up of other big names and new IP's. They should also have a long video reel of third party games ready to show off to allay fears of owners and potential buyers of the Wii U. 

Smilie - This is exactly how i feel and i am gutted you posted it before me.

In the UK most tabloid newspapers,websites and news channels pick up on E3 press conferences. I tend to see something mentioned on the BBC, Sky News, The Sun, METRO, The Guardian and more after E3. As mentioned before this is how the general public get a sniff of what is going on, Nintendo Directs are only attracting those who are Nintendo fan-boys (or girls) like us posting on websites. There may be the odd few who seek it out, but the majority of Nintendo Directs aren't really going through major distribution channels. 

I know loads of gamers that are just disconnected from getting information about games, they rely on word of mouth, marketing campaigns and reviews/product placement in various other mediums. E3 is just one of those worldwide conferences that gets amazing media attention and thats where these people get the one piece of gaming news a year!

Don't get me wrong, someone at Nintendo thought about the ROI of doing a big shoot in E3 and realised it was a waste of money to put that together. The fundamental point that Nintendo have failed to capitlise on here is swaying those potential 720/PS4 buyers to buying a Wii U. Instead they have made it very easy for Sony and Microsoft to showcase their consoles and steal the limelight....

 
Sonic_13 is offline. Sonic_13 25.04.2013#23

Flynnie said:
In the UK most tabloid newspapers,websites and news channels pick up on E3 press conferences. I tend to see something mentioned on the BBC, Sky News, The Sun, METRO, The Guardian and more after E3. As mentioned before this is how the general public get a sniff of what is going on, Nintendo Directs are only attracting those who are Nintendo fan-boys (or girls) like us posting on websites. There may be the odd few who seek it out, but the majority of Nintendo Directs aren't really going through major distribution channels.

Those news sites are getting their information either by
A) Attending E3 themselves, in which case they will once again attend and get their info at Nintendo's media presentation at this year's E3
or
B) Second hand from gaming sites that feature news, hands on reviews, etc. all of which will still be heavily reported.

( Edited 25.04.2013 22:49 by Sonic_13 )

 

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