Topic: Nintendo shouldn't wait for E3, it needs another Switch Direct.

Nintendo has under Kimishima kept their hand closer to the chest. In the internet age, I think that is the correct approach. I don't think anyone is serviced if we know games years in advance, the hype will die out. I haven't checked it out, but I think the time between reveal and release has shortened considerably.

Overall I feel they pace their releases and reveals nicely. It isn't that long ago we had a direct after all.

But with that said, I think we will get a direct late March-early April. We have some upcoming spring games needing some hype love.

I think it's interesting to write about what Nintendo needs to do to keep the Switch momentum going while dismissing stuff like Labo. What the fans and press think about something before launch isn't always a good guide as to what will actually sell well.

Case and point I recently found an old gaming magazine (remember them?) from early 2005. I bet if you picked up this issue and looked at what they were saying about the DS and PSP back then you would've thought the PSP was going to destroy the DS. I mean which console do you get more excited about, the one with Metal Gear and Wipeout or the one with Nintendogs and Brain Training? We know where that story ends with hindsight but if you were a gamer putting money on it you wouldn't have bet on the DS.

Oh yeah, I remember the year where PSP was going to DESTROY the DS. And at the time, it made some sense. Nintendo was at its lowest point, PS2 was untouchable, PSP had more going on for gamers early on it seemed (I love Kirby Canvas Curse, but it was treated like Nintendo's savior at launch in June, I swear...). But yeah, Nintendo found a huge casual gaming audience among others and outsold every other Nintendo system ever (including the Wii, don't you forget).

But yeah, never dismiss casual games on popular systems. I distinctly remember like half of the best selling retail games in 2013 having no relevance on gaming sites. Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Just Dance outsold Bioshock Infinite or any Nintendo game that wasn't Pokemon.

They do need a few new game announcements, yes. Most of what we have right now is third party games and Wii U ports. But they have to save something for E3. I doubt we're going to see Prime 4 and Pokemon until then, those are bombshells they want to save for a bigger venue, but there's probably some smaller games they could announce in between.

We definitely need some new game announcements, since now the e-Shop is piling up with shovelware. So much for Nintendo promising better curation of games on the Switch.

I hardly doubt Prime 4 will release this year as we haven't seen a single pip. Same for Pokémon.
If they do release, it won't be until somewhere December this year earliest.

That is a huge gap with no Major game announcements.

I agree that a pre-E3 Direct needs to happen. That said there's a possibility Nintendo's already revealed everything up to fall outside of release dates. If you use @JaxonH's idea that Mario Tennis is a June game then you could have:

February - Bayonetta 1+2
March - Kirby Star Allies
April - Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition, Nintendo Labo
May - DKC Tropical Freeze
June - Mario Tennis Aces
July - Yoshi
August - Project Octopath

Then E3 reveals the final 4 months of the year (e.g. Fire Emblem and Smash) and some 2019 stuff.

@Grumblevolcano Yeah, but you can't reveal Pikmin 4 at E3 and release it three months later

It needs all the fanfare it can get.

@Octane Directs are also good for hyping up new content for existing games, like I'm sure soon we'll find out the next batch of Splatoon 2 stages (would be the last batch if the 1 year of support announcement last year stays true).

You must be new here. This is the Internet. Specifically, this is the place where people are still frothing about how you're not a real Nintendo fan if you didn't buy a WiiU and therefore you don't deserve any Switch ports of WiiU games. People are still saying "LOL Nintendo selling you cardboard for $80, stupid sheeple will buy it".

So many, many people here and in other Ninty fan sites are going to be salty as hell when and if Labo succeeds. Because it's not what they want, therefore Nintendo are dumb for selling it and everyone else is dumb for buying it.

@Heavyarms55 they need to keep fueling the fire for Labo? How exactly?

@faint cardboard does burn rather well

@Bolt_Strike Although, Pokemon has a history of being announced in its own events. If the new Pokemon is really coming out this year, a Direct could actually come at any time.

@Whitewatermoose Wolfenstein 2 could be 2nd half of 2018.

I think we will get a Direct before E3 where they can share more information on games that are already revealed such as Yoshi, Travis Strikes Back and Mario Tennis Aces, while also announcing some third party titles. Didn't Panic Button state that they are inundated with publishers wanting them to port over games to the Switch. Believe they have 12 Switch Dev Kits and we know there's supposed to be Wolfenstein II coming out soon(ish). Big unknown games, and I guess you could put Fire Emblem in there (if it still is coming this year) as that has only been announced.

Here's a list of last years (worldwide) Directs:

January: Switch Presentation and Fire Emblem Direct
February: Nindies Showcase
March: Nothing (..but they did launch a new console and release the 'greatest game ever made' )
April: Full Direct
May: ARMS Direct
June: Pokémon Direct and E3
July: Splatoon 2 Direct
August: Nindies Showcase
September: Full Direct
October: AC Pocket Camp Direct
November: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Direct
December: Nothing (..too busy packing Switch's for Santa! )

Even if the game-specific Direct's weren't of interest, you'd never have to wait more than a couple of months between 'full' presentations, which is perhaps why 2018 has felt a bit flat so far...

Of course, in a year where they're launching a new console, you'd expect them to go above and beyond (so it perhaps isn't wise to compare directly to 2017) - but, for those who weren't interested in Labo, AC:PC or XC2, they've only had one 'Mini' Direct to sink their teeth in to since September...surely they're not going to make those people wait until E3 in June before throwing them a bone?

I'd assume that Nintendo are planning to go big at E3 - REALLY big! ..but it could be kind of momentum-busting if all they've shown (aside from focused Directs) is one 'Mini' between September and June - so I'd at least expect another Nindies Showcase (hopefully even a 'full fat' Direct) between now and then to ensure that the bubble doesn't burst (..not that it will - but offering something substantial in the mean time would help to ensure that it doesn't)

@Whitewatermoose Are they official posters, as in ones by the publisher, or are they Gamestop in house produced ones just trying to ramp up hype and pre-order sales?

@Whitewatermoose Interesting. If there is no Direct in which to showcase the game, I hope they have a trailer. I am interested to see how Panic Button have done getting this game onto the Switch.

Chill out. They pretty much always have a Spring Direct in March/April.

well if there's direct that'll be cool, if none, I don't mind either as long as the games I wanted got their release date soon...

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