Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

You can't really use precedent because where we're at right now is kinda unprecedented. There have only been two platforms Nintendo has had to announce/launch around Directs. One of them was the Wii U which was a different time because at that point E3 was still the place to talk about hardware. The other one was the Switch which was following on from the Wii U which we had known was basically a dead end platform for a while

With that said.... the Switch process is about as close to a precedent as we have so. You can kinda look at that I guess. This is what that timeline looked like in terms of Directs for the 12 months running up to launch:

12 months: Wii U & 3DS Direct. Star Fox Zero, Paper Mario CS, Pokken Tournament, Twilight Princess HD, Hyrule Warriors 3DS, Braverly Second, Monster Hunter, Metroid Prime Federation Force.... more 3DS than Wii U but certainly not a light Direct
9 months: E3, No Direct, purely focused on BotW
6 months: 3DS focused Direct. Pokemon Sun/Moon, Mario Maker 3DS, Mario Party, NES Mini, Rhythm Heaven, Hey Pikmin
5 months: The Reveal trailer for Switch
4 months: Animal Crossing Direct, focusing on free DLC for New Leaf
2 months: Not technically labelled a "Direct" but was basically the equivalent of an full E3 style presentation for Switch
1 month: Switch indie titles

If we assume a launch for this hardware late this year and apply the same template then....
Last September's Direct: kinda like the Direct 12 months before Switch's launch
Jan/Feb: Talk about a cross-platform game without explicitly showing the new platform (Prime 4?)
April: Whatever the equivalent to the "late 3DS Direct" is.... maybe some ports, HD remasters etc
May: Reveal
June: OG Switch housekeeping stuff, show there's still support there
July/August: Full Presentation
August: Indie Direct for new hardware
September/October: Launch

I don't think that's exactly how it'll play out. I think there's probably room for a bit more space between reveal and launch and I think there's certainly room for a bit more Switch support. Certainly more than there was room for Wii U support. But I think broadly that's what we're looking at in terms of the timeline this year

@VoidofLight Yeah I think the "big new things" could be for the next console.

I make a lot of dumb guesses but I'm Pretty confident in saying we're getting a Direct on February 7th.

I have nothing to back this up it's just a feeling

It would give them a chance to show final trailers for Side Order and Mario VS DK since those are releasing the next month.

Also if any Pokemon News comes from the Direct, I think it'd be great to just throw the Pokemon Pinball games on there, and leave everything else for Pokemon Day '24.

Another thing that made me think February 1st was most likely was shadow drops. Directs always have shadow drops though they got a lot bigger last year like delving into GCN remasters. So a big question becomes would they choose to shadow drop something like another Metroid remaster the week before Mario vs. DK released?

I feel an extra week's gap is more likely given unlike Everybody 1-2-Switch, Nintendo wouldn't want people to forget about Mario vs. DK.

Are there certain days that are more common for Directs? I feel like Thursdays are most typical, but I'm just spitballing. I'd say it's gonna be February 1st or maybe not at all, actually.

I can see them just saying nothing until the start of spring, as agonizing as that would be.

@rallydefault I keep flip flopping on whether there’s gonna be a Direct or not before the next system is released. In the one hand, Nintendo could see the need to lay all the cards on the table and get it all out there for what’s coming this year for the Switch because as soon as they reveal the next console, that’s going to become more and more the focus for everyone. But at the same time, I can see Nintendo wanting to reveal the next console first and then do a current Switch Direct later to try ensure there’s still a spotlight on the games coming and to try stop it being overshadowed.

@rallydefault Wednesday and Thursday are common meanwhile Tuesday is rare outside of E3.

"Switch 2" revealed at Nintendo Direct February 23rd my Best Bet.

In terms of the general directs and minis in Jan-Mar we have:

2023 - Wed in Feb
2022 - Wed in Feb
2021 - Wed in Feb
2020 - Thurs in Feb (game specific), Thurs in March (mini)
2019 - Wed in Feb
2018 - Thurs in Jan (mini), Thurs in March
2017 - Thurs in Jan (game specific)
2016 - Thurs in Mar
2015 - Wed in Jan
2014 - Thurs in Feb
2013 - Wed in Jan, Thurs in Feb
2012 - Wed in Feb

Pretty much 50-50 Wed/Thurs, although the recent trend is Wed.

Going off of this, I'm gonna throw out one hell of a prediction and say that the next Direct will be on the 7th/14th/21st/28th XD

@Fizza If it's Feb 28th we're all going to drive ourselves insane.

However, I consider @Grumblevolcano the best date prediction oracle on this site so I wouldn't discount Feb 1st ( a Thursday) even though I was leaning towards Feb 7th myself.

@FishyS Don't forget that 2024 is a leap year: February 29th is a very real possibility XD

But yeah, if we're gonna get a February Direct, I'd wager that the 7th is the best chance for it to happen (which is unfortunately right in the middle of my exams but eh, what can you do I suppose 🥲). It would be very funny to have it on the 1st as, apart from that one year where we had 3DS Direct on April Fool's Day I believe, I don't think we've ever had a Direct fall on the very first day of a month but I'm not too confident in that myself, even if the timing does make a surprising amount of sense.

I think the only week that's out of the question for a February Direct is the week of Valentine's Day, as they won't want to overshadow Mario vs. Donkey Kong. The first full week could in theory have MvDK's release working against it, but Nintendo doesn't always wait for their February release to be out before we get a Direct. Around half a month before Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe was released, we got the February 2023 Direct, just as an example. The week after is a contender simply because Splatoon 3's DLC still has very little gameplay footage, and I doubt it'll release without being covered in another Direct. The 28th or 29th would be very late for a Direct, seeing as they're almost always before the last week of a month, but it's not impossible we'll have to wait for that long.

We'll have an idea of what week it'll happen when Pyoro starts talking, most likely.

@FragRed
They did put out a 3DS direct between Switch reveal and launch. Some at the time I'm sure took that as "3DS isn't being replaced by Switch" but in hindsight I think we can agree it was. Could well be something along those lines

Thursdays and Wednesdays are common for Directs so they can build hype for games launching on Fridays, a common launch day so people can purchase a weekend game. Side Order launches on a Thursday, the 22nd. So, I predict a Dorect on Wednesday the 21st, showing a repeat trailer for SO, and announcing amiibo related to it. Then a SPP trailer, one for TTYD, and if we are really wanting to get high on the copium, MP4 or TP/WW double pack remaster.

Really not fussed about the next Direct to be honest. I'm looking forward to seeing the new hardware, hopefully later this year, and my expectations are very low in the meantime.

In fact, I'd say the known release schedule is already pretty generous for this stage in the Switch lifecycle.

The supposed State of Play that's rumored to be happening this week on Sony's end could also work against a Direct happening this week, but iirc, they had a State of Play and a Direct on the same day back in September, so idk..........

State of Play is happening January 31st (Wednesday):

Now to see if Nintendo announces a Direct tomorrow to air on Wednesday as well.

If they do, the Direct itself would likely air in the morning to avoid overlapping with Sony's presentation just like last time

I can't wait for this latest Partner of Play presentation, because there probably won't be much in the way of first party stuff there, lol.