Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

@Dezzy
Isn't Animal Crossing a big deal though? I personally don't care for the series and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. However it's still a huge title and one fans have been waiting for. So the question is what could they possibly announce that would take away from AC?

@GameOtaku

Yes, it's a big deal, especially in terms of sales figures. But if they had a Direct a week before the AC release date and they showed off new trailers for Xenoblade, Bayonetta 3 and Breath of the Wild 2, then people would be talking about those for the whole week, which might hog attention from AC.

Even though Bayonetta and Xenoblade will definitely sell less than AC, it'd be new material and that's what gets people talking. So that's why I'm thinking they'd want any big announcements to be at least 2 weeks before the AC release, or just wait until after it.

@Grumblevolcano its only year three bud

@Kachow1116 Year 4 starts tomorrow.

Year 1 - March 3rd 2017 - March 2nd 2018
Year 2 - March 3rd 2018 - March 2nd 2019
Year 3 - March 3rd 2019 - March 2nd 2020
Year 4 - March 3rd 2020 - March 2nd 2021

And so far for year 4 we only have Mystery Dungeon and Animal Crossing with actual release dates on the 1st party front.

@Grumblevolcano based on your own evidence, I'm still correct for a day XD

@Harmonie I bet this is all Coronavirus related. The whole gaming industry isn't making many announcements at the moment.

Nintendo has to proceed with Animal Crossing because they have already announced it. Also, the boats from China to the West take around four to six weeks to arrive - so those with Animal Crossing games and Switch themed additions produced in late January up to mid-February have already been shipped across. As the impact of the virus is only now being felt, I suspect production from March onwards will then be affected.

However, it makes sense for Nintendo to delay further announcements until the current situation has abated. Who knows - it may mean they can pack out the rest of the year even more.

@Yoshi87 What happens though if the coronavirus doesn’t subside before E3? They can’t hold off announcements forever.

@FragRed Something of this potential magnitude is pretty unprecedented in 40 years of the gaming industry. If it is the virus that's contributing to the lack of news, then there must be some pretty heavy umming and ahhing going on as they work out what kind of impacts this could have on production, logistics, demand, marketing. Right now I wouldn't rule anything out.

@FragRed While coronavirus may push things back further, I don't think the lack of Nintendo 2020 info in general is specifically to do with coronavirus. Nintendo's announcements were off even before then, the September Direct only got these new announcements on the 1st party front:

• Super Kirby Clash (shadow drop)
• Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (January 17th)
• Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition (2020)

You also have the poor showing at the Game Awards, just MUA3 DLC and Bravely Default II.

So everything considered, Nintendo was probably already planning on staying quiet on new stuff until March/April anyway even if coronavirus didn't exist.

@Grumblevolcano That's where I'm at. At this point, I think it's just Nintendo keeping us on our toes than anything to do with the virus

Surely they have alternative places they can manufacture game cartridges other than China?

@Dezzy Considering they're getting them so cheaply by using forced labor camps, probably not.

@Dezzy Yeah, but not for the same price.

There have been outbreaks in the past and it's not affected business as usual (for the most part).

@GameOtaku No outbreaks have garnered this much attention. Whether that attention is just media-manufactured... who knows, but multinational companies need to be very careful in managing their reputation and exposure at such times.

@gcunit
Swine flu, influenza and Ebola come to mind and no delays. Even with the earthquakes they pushed it back but at least they kept us in the loop!

@GameOtaku Maybe the perception is different in the US, but from where I'm sitting Coronavirus has dominated media attention and impacted regular people much more already, and it's only in its early stages (quite possibly).

Swine flu, ebola and influenza are all known commodities; coronavirus is something new. The 'unknown' about it has generated more buzz/fear/uncertainty.

@gcunit
Don't get me wrong it's a big deal here too. But life goes on as normal! There are lots of unknown viruses and sicknesses out there but that shouldn't affect everything. I try not to listen to the media they always blow everything out of proportion (or just make crap up to get clicks).

@GameOtaku Yeh, you and I try not to listen to the media, but elsewhere I'm hearing of people cancelling holidays etc. and global corporations are more sensitive to sensationalism, so whether they think it's bs or not, they have decide whether it's a risk to them and how they're going to manage it.

It's annoying because it really is mostly just media fear mongering. I don't think it's affecting Nintendo at this stage.