Nintendo says it still believes Directs are ‘effective’ but it could adapt them in future

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has said the firm still believes its Nintendo Direct presentations are an effective means of communication, despite skipping only its second June event in seven years.

Since 2013, Nintendo has streamed regular Nintendo Direct presentations to update consumers on its product plans. However, complications around remote working have contributed to the company deciding to push back its schedule in 2020.

Nintendo did not hold a June Nintendo Direct this year and there hasn’t been a full Direct broadcast since September 2019, with the platform holder instead deciding to air smaller streams mostly focused on individual titles such as Animal Crossing and Smash Bros.

Speaking in a new Japanese shareholder Q&A (translated by VGC), Nintendo president Furukawa reiterated the firm’s commitment to the Direct model. However, he said Nintendo would adapt its communication methods if better methods become available in the future.

“We feel Nintendo Directs are an incredibly effective way to present information directly to our customers in a very straight-forward way,” Furukawa said.

“Inversely, times change and so does the most effective way to promote products, so there is a chance that a new, better way to present this information comes about. So we always like to examine all of the possible ways to communicate this information to customers.”

The president confirmed that, due to the coronavirus, Nintendo has no immediate plans to hold its own physical events, such as one VGC understands was planned for Mario’s 35^th anniversary.

“In normal years, we would show off the games presented at E3 to our shareholders. However, due to the Coronavirus, E3, as well as other large game events, have been cancelled for the time being and we have no plans to hold any events of that nature as well,” he said.

“Instead we are trying to be flexible in thinking of new ways to present information about our products, so please stay tuned.

“Recently we have announced a new fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as well as announcing a new Pokémon-related game from The Pokémon Company.”

According to a recent VentureBeat report corroborated by VGC’s own sources, Nintendo may not hold another Direct until the end of the summer in late August or early September.

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Sources: Nintendo will not hold a June Direct this year

Platform holder could push back its next major presentation to the end of the summer

The platform holder was planning to hold a Mario-themed Nintendo Direct in June to coincide with E3, we were told, which would include the unveiling of Mario remasters for Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo’s Shinya Takahashi said in this month’s shareholder Q&A that the company does not expect software delays unless there is a second wave of the coronavirus.

Currently, July’s Paper Mario: The Origami King is Nintendo’s only first-party release announced for the rest of the year. Release dates for Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 haven’t been confirmed.