The history of the Nintendo Direct gives a lot to talk about. This series of events began more than 10 years ago with its premiere in Japan and North America. From there, it soon became an important part of the video game industry, regardless of its format or date of transmission.
Produced by Nintendo, broadcasts can be live or pre-recorded, and are the ideal place to present upcoming titles to be released on your platforms. Fans often value the success of Nintendo Direct based on the games revealed, and while there have been some disappointing opportunities, some of these events were a turning point for most players.
The history of the Nintendo Direct
The first Nintendo Direct It took place in October 2011, when the renowned former president of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, announced that the company had important news for fans of Nintendo of America. Nintendo 3DS. In addition, his phrase was popularized in which he wondered what was going through the minds of those who had not yet bought a Nintendo laptop.
That year announcements were made for Nintendo 3DS y Nintendo Wii, although exclusively in Japan and North America. The event later expanded to Europe, Australia, and South Korea. However, this was only possible thanks to the support received from fans and the impact the presentations had later on their purchase decisions.
Nintendo Directs in the Wii U era
The predecessor of Nintendo Switch had a pretty hard life in terms of sales, but the Nintendo Direct dedicated to Wii U they won the hearts of many brand followers. In 2012 Nintendo he made 10 presentations offering news about his new desktop, as well as announcements such as Pokémon Blanco y Negro 2, Fire Emblem Awakening y Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
It was not until 2013 that Nintendo He focused on Wii U, and the support received in their presentations was overwhelming. So much so that 16 were made Nintendo Direct highlighting the news of its console, the tablet controller and its upcoming games. Nintendo revealed exclusive Wii U titles like Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, Wii Fit U y The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. His portable console also had advertisements such as Pokémon X & Y y Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D.
We must not forget, in addition to events such as Luigi’s yearthe announcement of the Virtual Console or the launch of Miiversethe social network of Nintendo.
The following year had the same amount of presentations. Some focused on Super Smash Bros. para Wii U y 3DS, others on the laptop, and others were more general. In a matter of titles, they announced Splatoon, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Bayonetta 2, Tomodachi Lifethe figures amiiboamong others.
Nintendo Direct at E3
Impossible to continue speaking remembering the nintendo direct history not to mention the company’s valuable participations in third-party events.
in 2012 Nintendo He made a presentation prior to E3, but from that year he saved them to present important news at the prestigious mid-year event. In June 2015 the company made history with his Nintendo Direct
The Japanese company made a wonderful presentation in which the directors shown in the Nintendo Direct they became puppets. Not only did it result in a presentation full of humor, but the news excited many fans of the platform. Titles such as Mario Party 10, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Pokken Tournament and many others. In addition, it was announced New Nintendo 3DS and news of titles such as Splatoon and the famous Super Smash Bros. U/3DS.
The company continued to make history at E3 through 2019 not only with announcements, but also with events like the Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3 and competencies of Super Smash Bros., ARMS, Splatoonamong other.
The Nintendo Direct and the arrival of Nintendo Switch
Already in 2016 the fans smelled an important announcement, because Nintendo he reduced his number of presentations to only four throughout that year. There was no news and players were starting to get frustrated, but the company was about to make history again. In October of that year, Nintendo
Thereafter the company limited its number of Nintendo Direct main games, reserving them for upcoming and important games. It also put a greater emphasis on classifying its different presentations in relation to the included titles. For example, the Pokémon Direct are based only on Pokémon. In the Nindies Showcase (later Indie World) all the independent titles were gathered. We even now have Super Nintendo World Directs for news about your theme park.
in terms of games the list is almost endless. In the Nintendo Direct now mythical games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing: New Horizons y Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Room was also made for major third party games, mobile games, hybrid accessories and other services.
When will the next Nintendo Direct be?
The last Nintendo Direct to date it was held on February 9, 2022 and brought interesting news such as 48 new tracks for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Xenoblade Chronicles 3a new title Fire Emblem and more.
Unfortunately, Nintendo has become unpredictable regarding his Nintendo Directs. The shortest time between presentations has been only eight days, while the longest has been 532 days (nearly 17 and a half months). The company has done 20 Nintendo Directs in the last five years, so it’s still a mystery when its next one will be. Nintendo Direct. However, we can guess what could be next to appear.
Undoubtedly there is still much to tell about the history of the nintendo direct. In general terms they were nothing more than product presentations for certain years. However, for fans and the video game industry, these presentations can mark a before and after.
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