Nintendo Direct Thoughts

After seeing the most recent Nintendo Direct, I decided to post about the presentations in general. Enjoy.

I enjoy the presentations immensely for a number of reasons:

1. It's information about Nintendo from Nintendo itself.

There's no guesswork. There's no, "do you really think they were telling the truth?" They're super credible, because it's their own stuff. They know what they want to say and how they want to say it. It's purely a marketing thing, but it has the extra benefit of being friendly and welcoming to the consumer. It also allows Nintendo to make unexpected surprise announcements (à la NES Remix), which only boosts anticipation for the next presentation. You know basically what to expect, but that next surprise is always just around the corner. They're good about keeping a tight lid on things.

Oh, hey.

2. It replaces the few "big reveal" periods throughout the year.

This is great from a supporter standpoint, because we're not left out in the cold for half of the year. We're not speculating what's going to happen, because we're constantly kept in the loop. There's no question as to whether or not you're going to hold out to see what's in store. You can make that decision at really any point. Plus, if they waited solely for something like E3 and it bombed, then they wasted so much time and effort, and it's going to take practically half the year to recuperate (not to mention everybody laughs at you for months on end).

That doesn't mean that Nintendo's E3 booth can't still be awesome.

3. Nintendo is really the only company that can do it.

It's kind of a middle finger to Sony and Microsoft, but deservedly earned. Nintendo is the only company with consistently good in-house staff in every single area. That's a big reason why they're still thriving today. They can do everything in-house if need be. They have the ability and power to control every single step of the process, from brainstorming to sale dictation. And they have the best people to do it. That's not a luck-based thing. They think and re-think every single aspect and repercussion of the decisions they make, down to every employee. There's a great post I read the other day about Nintendo's (NCL) hiring process, and how intense it is even by Japan's standards. They really care about what they're doing, and putting out the best possible product.

But back to the point. Sony and Microsoft heavily rely on third parties for game development. They have some good people in-house, but nowhere near enough to be able to self-propel. There's a crap-ton of crossed wires, red tape, and contracts between a horde of companies (and that's for pretty much every game). There's really no way either company could have anything like a Nintendo Direct, because too much of what's happening is out of their hands. The convoluted bureaucracy muddles everything up. So even though Howard Lincoln has moved on, Nintendo can still shove it in their opponents' faces.

"Remember what I taught you."

4. It's a marketing tool that in turn excites consumers.

How can they lose? They're permeating the entire group of people that play games (which they helped boost and introduce through the Wii and DS) while raising awareness and gaining instant feedback. It's a win on our end too, because we see what's coming up and are instantly informed. Can't beat a win-win. It's sort of an evolution from the days of calling the Game Counselors, which in itself was an immeasurably effective way to do marketing research (and was willingly powered by millions of consumers at no cost to the company!).

5. It's a window into Nintendo.

Granted, it's a tiny, heavily regulated window, but it's a window nonetheless. For a company notorious for being secretive, it's great to have the opportunity to take a peek inside at the action. Coupled with the insanely awesome Iwata Asks, it really allows you to take a look inside what Nintendo is doing. It's like a commentary/making of/behind the scenes for a film. Too cool.

Overall, Nintendo Direct is one of the best ways for Nintendo to stay current and in the public eye, and they know it. They have all the right tools and abilities, and know that they're the only ones that do. So they take advantage of it. And it's presented in a fun way, too. So smart.

As a side note, I would highly recommend watching the Nintendo of Europe and Nintendo of Japan presentations if you don't already. Even though you might not understand all of Japan's presentation, it's very interesting to see the individualized content for each region. And that includes interviews and presenters as well. Definitely worth checking out.

Thank you, Nintendo of Europe.

I would also recommend searching out the smaller presentations. An example would be the Pikmin 3 Direct (Japan exclusive). The whole thing had a much more casual attitude, with crew members heard laughing offscreen at jokes, multiple cameras, dialogue over gameplay, and just an overall more conversational atmosphere. It was like Miyamoto had his own talk show.

Bottom line? Nintendo knows what they're doing. And even though every presentation might not have the most breaking news ever for you, you're still informed to what's happening by the primary source. It is very much appreciated on this end.