E3 Press Conference Vs. Nintendo Directs

[Fierce_LiNk]

There's an interesting discussion in Wii U General about this. So, let's open it up to everyone else.

 

I mark certain dates in my calender/brain that I don't let slip by me. Certain dates for huge football games, the girlfriend's birthday (can't fuck that one up, people) and E3. I love E3. It's Christmas for gamers. For me, it's a huge deal. I plan exactly what I'm doing during that week right down to the final detail. At least, for Nintendo's conferences.

 

Personally, I would give up the Directs for another Conference. In a heart-beat. But, I concede that the Directs have their place, too. That Smash Bros. Direct was fantastic and we need more of that. However, I miss the interaction with the crowd, the adrenaline, the fact that things go wrong (it's part of the humour. Without the Conferences, we would never have a My Body is Ready or Riiiiidge Racerrrr), the audience going crazy over a huge reveal...or even the audience showing indifference towards something that one of the big companies feels should be getting a lot more love. Quite damning.

 

So, where do we stand? How do we feel about E3 knowing that the Conference won't be there? For me, it isn't the same. It'll be "just another Direct" as far as I'm concerned.

[dazzybee]

I like and want both. Monthly directs and a huge e3 conference. See no reason why it can't be both either. The big difficulty is balancing reveals and information, so directs are exciting and e3 has the big big reveals. That's the big trick. Having directs for games out soon is always good, about virtual console and eshop stuff, maybe small new game reveals, but the big games should be unveiled and left for e3 surprises!

[Cube]

The E3 conference is so much bigger than the directs. The directs is pretty much just talking to the fans, while an E3 presentation communicates to a much wider audience, due to the large amount of non-gaming press. Nintendo really need the extra marketing, and they need their biggest revelations and surprises to be there.

 

The Smash direct was the first one I enjoyed watching. Ones focusing on more meaningful game details like that would be good.

[Grazza]

Stage shows are inherently better. If you have a good show, it'll still be good as Nintendo Direct, but will always receive a boost as a stage show.

 

That said, I've enjoyed the better Nintendo Directs more than many E3s. That one with Wind Waker HD? Great. I couldn't have been more excited at that. What I'm noticing recently though is that the game reveals haven't been exciting enough to lift the Nintendo Directs. It's just seemed like one Mario/Luigi/Kirby/Yoshi game after another, which I wouldn't have been excited about if they were revealed on-stage either. The game-specific Directs, on the other hand, like last night's Smash Bros one, can often be better put-together. Regardless of whether you're interested in the particular game, they can make a good show out of it

 

Basically, stage shows are much better for the big events (not just E3, but GDC as well - remember all those handheld Zelda reveals?) Nintendo Directs can be great for eShop announcements, localisation details and any other reveals, because let's face it, there's not a big games show every two months.

[Dcubed]

It shouldn't be one or the other; both can, have previously and should (from an ongoing perspective) co-exist. Eschewing the stage show last year was a huge mistake that proved very costly for Nintendo's image ("They Skipped E3" "They turned their tails and ran" and so on...).

 

A bit of pomp and circumstance makes a huge difference. People want to see a show and they want some memories to take away from an event like E3. A pre-recorded can never have the same impact as a live event, no matter how well produced it may be.

 

People want to see on stage demos, crazy costumes, audience reactions (no, seriously, look at how many Youtube videos have been made of people recording their own "live reactions" to the last few sets of Directs...) and legendary fuck ups happen LIVE! Nintendo can't seriously be thinking that replacing the live streamed stage event with a Nintendo Direct again is a good idea!? Not after the enormous backlash they got from performing such a "cowardly" act last year...

[yesteryeargames]

Have Nintendo confirmed they won't attend again?

[Sheikah]

It shouldn't be one or the other; both can, have previously and should (from an ongoing perspective) co-exist. Eschewing the stage show last year was a huge mistake that proved very costly for Nintendo's image ("They Skipped E3" "They turned their tails and ran" and so on...).

 

A bit of pomp and circumstance makes a huge difference. People want to see a show and they want some memories to take away from an event like E3. A pre-recorded can never have the same impact as a live event, no matter how well produced it may be.

 

People want to see on stage demos, crazy costumes, audience reactions (no, seriously, look at how many Youtube videos have been made of people recording their own "live reactions" to the last few sets of Directs...) and legendary fuck ups happen LIVE! Nintendo can't seriously be thinking that replacing the live streamed stage event with a Nintendo Direct again is a good idea!? Not after the enormous backlash they got from performing such a "cowardly" act last year...

 

Miyamoto jumps in with Hylian shield and Master Sword: "I am not Link!!"

 

I'll always remember that. Absurd but funny, Nintendo should do things like this again and definitely be present at E3.

[Serebii]

The thing is, they did sort of have one at E3 last year for the press that were there. It wasn't huge but it was done. People act like Nintendo had no presence at E3 whatsoever, which is ridiculous. That was due to the western media misrepresenting Nintendo's actions with clickbait headlines such as "Nintendo not at E3". Things like that are why the Nintendo Direct concept was created in the first place. Most companies just use PRs to give information but the western media either ignored the smaller Nintendo games or mistranslated/interpreted various things, so Nintendo made the Directs to give information directly to the consumer.

 

For the press etc. there, then yes they should do it. For us? Hell no. It wastes my time with awkward pauses for the American need to applaud everything, the relentless need to fill in with buzzwords and horrific live demos that either go wrong or freeze.

 

For people at home, it's just pointless when we can get the same information given to us in a speedier manner through the Direct.

 

Really, they should do both just to placate those who think they have to have a huge ridiculous conference just to save face, but Nintendo Directs are one of the best things to happen to gaming in the past two years. They should never get rid of them.

 

Hell, the fact there are always so many reaction videos to things in the Direct proves that people get the same reaction from that as they would from a conference.

[Guy]

I honestly don't care how they decide to showcase their upcoming stuff. They just need to, you know, show stuff.

[Serebii]

I honestly don't care how they decide to showcase their upcoming stuff. They just need to, you know, show stuff.

I'm fairly certain they're going to show loads at E3

[Hero-of-Time]

I'll just quote what I wrote on the subject in the other thread.

 

E3 is supposed to be a spectacle for us gamers. You have the laughs of things going wrong and get drawn in as part of the live crowd. You will never get that same feeling of watching a conference, where people are reacting live to what's happening, on a Nintendo Direct.

 

Imagine that TP reveal on a direct, it wouldn't be half as amazing without the crowd reaction. I was actually pretty upset that the Brawl trailer wasn't live. I guarantee that the crowds reaction would have been close to that level. Hell, just watch the reaction vids that were posted on YouTube and them imagine that in a grander scale.

 

It also gave out the wrong message from Nintendo. It was like they were either afraid of competing with the other 2 or they were too good to follow the industry and do a conference, something that has been done for years now.

 

NWR were on about this subject the other week and I think it was James who was saying you had many journalists who either didn't watch it altogether or just caught it at a later date. You put people in a conference and you have their attention.

 

A great way to look at is as if it's a football match. Sure, you can watch it by yourself at home on the TV and enjoy it but being at the match with other fans takes the experience to another level. Yes, we aren't exactly there at the conferences but as I stated earlier, seeing those live reactions draws you into the experience. Again, i'll point to the TP reveal. No way, no how would that reveal have been as big without that audience reaction.

 

There is still a place for Directs but not at the expense of E3. A reveal here and there is nice but all of the big guns should be kept and revealed to the world Live.

[RedShell]

I'd prefer a press conference, think the majority of people would to be honest. But at the end of the day, we (the peeps viewing online) get to see exactly the same trailers either way.

And we'll still get the hands-on stuff from the showroom floor, so it doesn't actually make all that much difference.

 

Excited for this years E3 though. With Mario, Pikmin, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. out of the way, it means Nintendo pretty much have to produce stuff from other franchises, or new surprises!

[Hero-of-Time]

Excited for this years E3 though. With Mario, Pikmin, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. out of the way, it means Nintendo pretty much have to produce stuff from other franchises, or new surprises!

 

It's Wii U Musics time to shine. ......

[Cube]

Most companies just use PRs to give information but the western media either ignored the smaller Nintendo games or mistranslated/interpreted various things, so Nintendo made the Directs to give information directly to the consumer.

 

http://blog.eu.playstation.com

 

That's what Sony do for the PlayStation. Easily the best way of giving information straight to the fans.

[Serebii]

http://blog.eu.playstation.com

 

That's what Sony do for the PlayStation. Easily the best way of giving information straight to the fans.

I argue that a stream with hype buildup is a better way than a run-of-the-mill blog.

[RedShell]

It's Wii U Musics time to shine. ......

I doubt Nintendo have got the balls to announce/showcase another Wii Music at E3, but would bloody love it if they did.

I'll get a sequel to one of my favorite Wii Games, and get to watch hilarious meltdowns on the internet!

Win-win.

 

[Cube]

I argue that a stream with hype buildup is a better way than a run-of-the-mill blog.

 

And I argue that the hype buildup is damaging when, most of the time, Nintendo don't give the fans what they want to hear. All the reactions turn into what wasn't there rather than what was there. Information they give, and eShop games they announce, get overlooked due to the disappointment that people feel.

 

The Smash one was a big improvement, but most of the time the Directs just seem to damage Nintendo's reputation on the internet even more.

[Serebii]

And I argue that the hype buildup is damaging when, most of the time, Nintendo don't give the fans what they want to hear. All the reactions turn into what wasn't there rather than what was there. Information they give, and eShop games they announce, get overlooked due to the disappointment that people feel.

 

The Smash one was a big improvement, but most of the time the Directs just seem to damage Nintendo's reputation on the internet even more.

What "fans" want to hear are unrealistic expectations that make no sense. People go in expecting Metroid etc. to be revealed every time, when that's not logical.

 

What actual fans want to hear, however, is often given.

[Jonnas]

I think Serebii makes a good point. When Retro's new game was announced (which turned out to be Tropical Freeze), people were demanding a new IP, a new Zelda, or F-Zero, or Starfox, or even Metroid Prime 4. Out of those, only the new IP and maaaaybe Zelda were plausible options, but when the actual game was something more underwhelming than this, people called it a disappointment, despite being them who set the bar unrealistically high.

 

And we're talking about the sequel to one of the most acclaimed Wii games of the previous generation, so that speaks volumes about what people were expecting.

[Cube]

people called it a disappointment, despite being them who set the bar unrealistically high.

 

And that's why I'm saying that the directs have a negative effect.

[Serebii]

And that's why I'm saying that the directs have a negative effect.

It'd be the same if they did it in a generic blog, though.

 

The way they provide the information doesn't change the actual content.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Serebii

[Cube]

But on a blog, they can announce all the other stuff at different times. The latest new eShop announcement can have a day to shine on its own, without being overshadowed by unrealistic expectations.

[Serebii]

But on a blog, they can announce all the other stuff at different times. The latest new eShop announcement can have a day to shine on its own, without being overshadowed by unrealistic expectations.

And nobody would notice it because it was just posted on a blog to little fanfare

[Hero-of-Time]

I think Serebii makes a good point. When Retro's new game was announced (which turned out to be Tropical Freeze), people were demanding a new IP, a new Zelda, or F-Zero, or Starfox, or even Metroid Prime 4. Out of those, only the new IP and maaaaybe Zelda were plausible options, but when the actual game was something more underwhelming than this, people called it a disappointment, despite being them who set the bar unrealistically high.

 

And we're talking about the sequel to one of the most acclaimed Wii games of the previous generation, so that speaks volumes about what people were expecting.

 

I didnt think it was unrealistic to want another Metroid from Retro. Problem with the DK game was that it was another platformer game. I can see why they did it though. DKCR did great numbers, problem was that those numbers were inflated due to the expanded audience buying it. Those people are long gone so a more mature/core/dark whatever you want to call it would have been a better option to bring in the core gamers. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[Daft]

It's not a 'generic' blog. Why are you so dismissive of everything you don't agree with? The blog acts as a point of community relation. A lot of the time the author of the blog sticks around to respond to comments and questions. It's very smart.

 

And this E3 versus Directs thing is such a red herring. Sony and Microsoft do big E3s and they don't have Directs but they engage with their respective communities across SO many other social channels; whether it's Major Nelson on his INCREDIBLY popular blog or Shuhei Yoshida talking on Twitter, Microsoft and Sony's communication are impeccable.

 

I have no idea what Nintendo are like on social (which might be an indicator of what they're like), so I can't really comment, BUT the explosion in means by which to communicate news requires a pretty bespoke approach to its respective item (just look at SOE announcing H1Z1 - right after they announced it last night they posted heavily on reddit and even helped set up the H1N1 subreddit).