Nintendo Directs are a natural part of video games these days, but once upon a time, the concept didn’t even exist. The first Nintendo Direct took place in October 2011, and since then the company’s entire structure has changed.
Directs have changed the way Nintendo interacts with consumers, but other companies have also taken note and started following the same style.
The digital presentations have had a profound effect on the game industry as a whole, and that’s never been more clear as now when gaming moves onto the next generation of PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Nintendo Connected With Fans On Another Level
In 2011, the Nintendo Direct was an interesting experiment. At that time most companies made their announcements via outlets like magazines or websites, as well as through press conferences during events like E3. All of that was developers and publishers giving announcements through a lens that fans would look through, but Nintendo, on the other hand, decided to directly address fans.
Nintendo Directs are given in a first-person style, with the speakers talking straight to fans. On top of this, these aren’t just PR representatives, it’s the presidents of the company, like Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aimé. It was an unprecedented way to announce products and show off upcoming games, and one that made fans feel like Nintendo appreciated them, and wanted to show them what was coming.
Over the years Nintendo Directs would grow in their quirkiness, like the puppet versions of the CEOs, or the Iwata and Reggie fight when the Mii Fighters were announced for Super Smash Bros. These presentations had personality; a personality that fits with the fun style that Nintendo has always been so loved for.
Nine years later and fans wildly speculate before each and every Nintendo Direct, and practically beg for one whenever there’s a lengthy amount of time between Directs. Each presentation is like its own mini-event when in the past gamers would only be getting that anticipation a few times per year, at events like E3.
Nintendo Set the Standard For Announcing On Their Own Terms
The Nintendo Direct format ensured that the company can keep a constant stream of announcements, or at least news, throughout the year. Even without the big tentpole Directs, Nintendo has started introducing smaller streams such as Nintendo Direct Minis or Indie World Presentations.
Despite their waning success in the Wii U era, the Direct format has given Nintendo a leg-up with the Switch, as they’re consistently able to dominate the conversation in gaming with bombshell announcements. They’ve also been able to theme entire direct around a single game, giving fans tons of details ahead of a release, helping to drum up excitement.
Other companies have started to follow suit with their takes on the presentations style. Microsoft has its “Inside Xbox” series which takes a much more conversational tone, while Sony has “State of Play,” which feels exactly like a Nintendo Direct flashy graphics and all. Even singular developers have started using presentations of a similar style that directly address the audience. For years Square Enix ran the “Active Time Report” to give fans info and updates on Final Fantasy XV, and even as recently as PAX East 2020, Yacht Club Games held their own Direct-style “Yacht Club Games Presents” broadcast.
While Nintendo obviously can’t be given credit for everything, Directs are the idea that sparked a new way to announce video games.
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