StarTopic Nintendo Direct Speculation |ST5| Uncharted Territory: Drake's Deception

[Pokemaniac]

When Nintendo stated that they would not be part of E3 before it was officially cancelled that signaled to me that this was not going to be a traditional summer for Nintendo marketing. Why would they back out of E3 if they had a full June direct planned full of new games? I do believe Nintendo when they say they Value E3 so them backing out was a big sign this summer will be different. I still think we get a game announcement in June or July but it will probably be a smaller title or a remaster. Pikmin 4 will become the focus once Zelda hype slows.

Why would they back out of E3 if they didn't have a lot planned? Their lineup has never impacted their E3 attendance before, and likely is unrelated to why they decided not to go.

For Directs, you are right
for "E3" conferences they always anticipated them: Sony and MS confirmed this "E3-like" approach, Nintedo didn't

I think they are approaching their next presentation as a Direct, not as a "E3-like" event and if this is true, their next General Direct should be a September one

We will see!

Now back to Hyrule

Saying their next presentation will be a Direct, therefore it will be in September is a pretty big jump. Why couldn't they just do a general Direct vaguely around the normal E3 timeframe? Especially in a year when they've really set themselves up to announce more things over the summer?

This guy has a vendetta or something, doesn't he? He almost sounds mad.

Nintendo snubbed his employer by backing out of E3 when they did.

 

[rickyson33]

Perhaps this quiet summer is just a ploy by Miyamoto himself to get people to buy Pikmin 4 just because that'll be their only choice for a new game purchase until the holidays.

he should kidnap Mario and demand a ransom of 10 million copies of Pikmin 4

sounds a little taboo to kidnap their mascot like that but Sega murdered Sonic so Nintendo can at least do a little kidnapping

 

[chocolate_supra]

he should kidnap Mario and demand a ransom of 10 million copies of Pikmin 4

sounds a little taboo to kidnap their mascot like that but Sega murdered Sonic so Nintendo can at least do a little kidnapping

 

[DecoReturns]

that's my birthday definitely happening!!

Oh wow. My sisters as well lol

 

[LoneRanger]

predictions:

• mid june: pikmin 4 trailer/direct + previews
• mid/late june: everybody’s 1 2 switch (or something else) shadowdropped
• late june: partner direct
• late july: prime 4 trailer
• somewhere between june/july: mk8 dx bcp wave 5
• mid september: general direct

prime 4 trailer and partner direct can switch places.

 

[Deleted member 1005]

Anyone truly expecting a full Nintendo Direct in june was always going to be disappointed, they've clearly shifted away from it in the past few years. The most we'll see from first party is Mario Kart DLC and Pikmin 4.

I do expect a partner showcase in the next month or two though, there's a lot of stuff from the last direct that still need release dates.

 

[Trevelyan]

I can see Nintendo flipping the script and doing a general the first week of August. Doing so would replace the Sept direct, but also allow them to date Sept, Oct, Nov and early ‘24 games, but also give the former adequate marketing time.

 

[Pokemaniac]

Anyone truly expecting a full Nintendo Direct in june was always going to be disappointed, they've clearly shifted away from it in the past few years. The most we'll see from first party is Mario Kart DLC and Pikmin 4.

I do expect a partner showcase in the next month or two though, there's a lot of stuff from the last direct that still need release dates.

I wouldn't exactly call the last few years a clear trend of shifting away. 2020 was 2020, 2021 had a normal E3 Direct, and 2022 was a weird situation where Nintendo sort of announced all their stuff early. This year is the opposite of last year, where Nintendo has nothing dated after Pikmin. They're not going to wait until September to remedy that and there's no non-2020 precedent for forgoing a Direct when they've got a bunch of games to announce.

 

[Brofield]

Considering the classic Zelda is off the table (at least for now) Star Fox Adventure is something to maybe try again

God yes, and more people need to be on board with it. High visual fidelity, fully voiced cutscenes, engaging gameplay combat and puzzle solving.

StarFox Adventures laid down a strong foundation without even fully copying Zelda's sidequests and rewards for exploration and alternate routes; a direct sequel iterating and evolving from this would be glorious. It was ahead of its time and I truly believe a chance given to remaster/remake and flesh out the boss fight against General Scales would see such a positive turn around in public opinion from launch to re-release not seen since Wind Waker.

I wonder if Nintendo is just skipping the summer season for the annoucement or if they don't have any games at all for the latter part of the year, which would be bizarre. let's wait and see.

Not once at any SGF event have I been watching for Nintendo content; this really reads like a non-tweet. Hell, this year gets to be the first I'll willingly tune into SGF and not out of boredom just because it's likely we'll see something new for Lorelei & The Lazer Eyes from Annapurna

 

[Deleted member 1005]

I wouldn't exactly call the last few years a clear trend of shifting away. 2020 was 2020, 2021 had a normal E3 Direct, and 2022 was a weird situation where Nintendo sort of announced all their stuff early. This year is the opposite of last year, where Nintendo has nothing dated after Pikmin. They're not going to wait until September to remedy that and there's no non-2020 precedent for forgoing a Direct when they've got a bunch of games to announce.

I guess a "shift" is the wrong way to put it, but there is a clear pattern that shows that Nintendo only cares about doing something big in June if E3 is happening. While Playstation and Xbox have embraced Summer Game Fest, Nintendo has actively avoided it for whatever reason, and I firmly believe that reason is that they would rather wait until fall to show first party stuff.


I also believe that the first party stuff they have to show for the back end of this year isn't particularly "plentiful" or "big", so waiting until September isn't really that bad.

 

[Dardan Sandiego]

God yes, and more people need to be on board with it. High visual fidelity, fully voiced cutscenes, engaging gameplay combat and puzzle solving.

StarFox Adventures laid down a strong foundation without even fully copying Zelda's sidequests and rewards for exploration and alternate routes; a direct sequel iterating and evolving from this would be glorious. It was ahead of its time and I truly believe a chance given to remaster/remake and flesh out the boss fight against General Scales would see such a positive turn around in public opinion from launch to re-release not seen since Wind Waker.

There’s no developer currently working that can nail this specific blend of furry horniness in an AAA-game.

 

[Pokemaniac]

I guess a "shift" is the wrong way to put it, but there is a clear pattern that shows that Nintendo only cares about doing something big in June if E3 is happening. While Playstation and Xbox have embraced Summer Game Fest, Nintendo has actively avoided it for whatever reason, and I firmly believe that reason is that they would rather wait until fall to show first party stuff.


I also believe that the first party stuff they have to show for the back end of this year isn't particularly "plentiful" or "big", so waiting until September isn't really that bad.

They're not about to spend like 2 months with no dated games. If they didn't intend to announce games over the summer, they wouldn't have engineered their release schedule to run out halfway through.

 

[Brofield]

There’s no developer currently working that can nail this specific blend of furry horniness in an AAA-game.

They're either not confident in their own skills or too frightened of their own ambition. When cowards no longer steer the ship of the right studio, the developers taking on this Herculean task will be toiling in the mines to procure a diamond so lustrous it would blind all those who witness the end credits roll

(Mostly I just want an excuse to hear this baby-making sax solo again)

 

[Josh5890]

Nintendo is going to announce something before Pikmin 4 launches. I don't see them going silent up to and after that point. 2020 was a special case for obvious reasons. We won't see that again (I hope).

 

[Dark Cloud]

I guess Dring is predicting August/September for the next Direct

He’s just talking about the September direct

 

[Deleted member 1005]

They're not about to spend like 2 months with no dated games. If they didn't intend to announce games over the summer, they wouldn't have engineered their release schedule to run out halfway through.

They wouldn't go 2 months without dated games, I absolutely expect a partner showcase at the end of june or sometime in july to fill in some gaps, and that's not even including the various titles that potentially get dated at the shows within the next 3 weeks or so.

Keep in mind that we still have stuff like Fantasy Life i (which is exclusive) that could be dated at a partner showcase and released in august/september.

 

[Gamer_G]

Wait a minute, What if IT IS next week? Hear me out, Nintendo doesn't want to be associated with Summer Games Fest, which takes place all throughout June. If it's next week, it'll still be May of course, and also nearly three weeks from the release of Tears of The Kingdom. In the midst of all this SGF chaos, Nintendo could swoop in, announce their lineup for the rest of the year, and avoid the rest of SGF, letting the rest of their games for the year get marketed as normal...

No it's not copium I swear

 

[BassForever]

I can see them doing a twitter/youtube announcement like they did for Paper Mario Origami King. A title like the next Rhythm Heaven or the F-Zero GX remaster feels like perfect bait for something like that.

 

[Pokemaniac]

They wouldn't go 2 months without dated games, I absolutely expect a partner showcase at the end of june or sometime in july to fill in some gaps, and that's not even including the various titles that potentially get dated at the shows within the next 3 weeks or so.

Keep in mind that we still have stuff like Fantasy Life i (which is exclusive) that could be dated at a partner showcase and released in august/september.

A Partner Showcase isn't going to fix that Nintendo specifically have no games dated after Pikmin. It's very not normal for us to know this little about what Nintendo's working on.

 

[Raccoon]

Wait a minute, What if IT IS next week? Hear me out, Nintendo doesn't want to be associated with Summer Games Fest, which takes place all throughout June. If it's next week, it'll still be May of course, and also nearly three weeks from the release of Tears of The Kingdom. In the midst of all this SGF chaos, Nintendo could swoop in, announce their lineup for the rest of the year, and avoid the rest of SGF, letting the rest of their games for the year get marketed as normal...

No it's not copium I swear

honestly I'm not especially desperate for a Direct yet but I see this as a very good timing strategy, especially if there's anything small in late June. I'll be ready for it

 

[TomNookYankees]

Why would they back out of E3 if they didn't have a lot planned? Their lineup has never impacted their E3 attendance before, and likely is unrelated to why they decided not to go.

Saying their next presentation will be a Direct, therefore it will be in September is a pretty big jump. Why couldn't they just do a general Direct vaguely around the normal E3 timeframe? Especially in a year when they've really set themselves up to announce more things over the summer?

Nintendo snubbed his employer by backing out of E3 when they did.

Every source that normally would have insider info on a summer Direct has either been completely silent or outright said they don't expect anything this June which somewhat mirror's last year when there were mixed messages about whether or not a direct was actually happening and it turned nintendo essentially skipped doing a true summer Direct, opting to instead do a Direct Mini Partner's Showcase at the very end of June.

Seems much more likely Dring is telling the truth and behind the scenes nintendo has had some major unexpected delays leading to what will likely be a relatively empty H2 2023.

They wouldn't go 2 months without dated games, I absolutely expect a partner showcase at the end of june or sometime in july to fill in some gaps, and that's not even including the various titles that potentially get dated at the shows within the next 3 weeks or so.

Keep in mind that we still have stuff like Fantasy Life i (which is exclusive) that could be dated at a partner showcase and released in august/september.

They likely only did even a Partners Direct in 2022 because they had previously signed contracts with third parties that they would show certain third party games in a summer direct for that year.

 

[Soralink91]

I am curious why the February Direct didn't show more games for the rest of the year if they were going to wait till late summer to announce more. It will be interesting to look back once this is all done and piece together what their strategy was.

 

[BassForever]

We don't even need a partner showcase to date Switch games, there's a lot we already know about.

June: Etrian Odyssey Collection, We Love Katamari Rerolled, Front Mission 2 Remake, Sonic Origins Plus, Story of Seasons A Wonderful Life, AEW Fight Forever, Ghost Trick Remaster, Rain Code

July: Trails into Reverie, Oxenfree 2, Atelier Marie remake, Disney Illusion Island

August: Bombrush Cyberfunk, Sea of Stars, Samba De Amigo

September: Rune Factory 3 Special, Super Bomberman R2, Nayuta Boundless Trails, Moral Kombat 1

November: Terf Legacy, Biomutant

And the above is just things that are dated, not dated there's the Baten Kaitos Remasters, Fae Farm, Fantasy Life i, LotR Gollum, Ys X (Jp only 2023), Freedom Planet 2, and Silksong (lol). The above isn't even everything, it's stuff announced in prior directs/indie worlds, or were announced as coming to Switch day 1.

Again everyone has different taste in games and what they want from the Switch/where they play their third party/indie games, but there is plenty on the schedule to keep Switch only gamers (or Switch heavy gamers) busy ignoring Pikmin 4, the remaining MK8D dlc, the splatoon 3 dlc campaign, and the pokemon gen 9 dlc.

 

[Pokemaniac]

Wait a minute, What if IT IS next week? Hear me out, Nintendo doesn't want to be associated with Summer Games Fest, which takes place all throughout June. If it's next week, it'll still be May of course, and also nearly three weeks from the release of Tears of The Kingdom. In the midst of all this SGF chaos, Nintendo could swoop in, announce their lineup for the rest of the year, and avoid the rest of SGF, letting the rest of their games for the year get marketed as normal...

No it's not copium I swear

E3 dying definitely opened up some possibilities for May. There are some potential strategic reasons I could see Nintendo going with that timing as well, such as filling in the June gap or specifically trying to be before SGF.

 

[Deleted member 1005]

A Partner Showcase isn't going to fix that Nintendo specifically have no games dated after Pikmin. It's very not normal for us to know this little about what Nintendo's working on.

You're fixated on what Nintendo in particular has, but the Switch is more than just Nintendo. There's nothing to "fix", they just dropped one of the best games of all time, and they are releasing another game that will at the very least be "very good" in july. They can afford to wait a few months to announce more stuff, especially if we are nearing EOL for the Switch and the announcements aren't exactly blockbusters.

Stop downplaying everything outside of Nintendo first party and you'll find that you have a whole lot more to enjoy.

 

[LukasManak22]

Wait a minute, What if IT IS next week? Hear me out, Nintendo doesn't want to be associated with Summer Games Fest, which takes place all throughout June. If it's next week, it'll still be May of course, and also nearly three weeks from the release of Tears of The Kingdom. In the midst of all this SGF chaos, Nintendo could swoop in, announce their lineup for the rest of the year, and avoid the rest of SGF, letting the rest of their games for the year get marketed as normal...

No it's not copium I swear

You need help, this is copium overdose.

 

[BassForever]

You're fixated on what Nintendo in particular has, but the Switch is more than just Nintendo. There's nothing to "fix", they just dropped one of the best games of all time, and they are releasing another game that will at the very least be "very good" in july. They can afford to wait a few months to announce more stuff, especially if we are nearing EOL for the Switch and the announcements aren't exactly blockbusters.

Stop downplaying everything outside of Nintendo first party and you'll find that you have a whole lot more to enjoy.

Despite my post above dating a ton of great 3rd party and indie titles, along with the bigger dlc offers like Pokemon gen 9 and Splatoon 3, I do agree Nintendo should have some additional titles from themselves dated sooner then later. The reason for this isn't because there's a lack of great games to play, but to fend off the narrative that "Nintendo is done with the Switch and has gone all in on development of Switch 2 titles". They said they want to sell 15 million Switch units this fiscal year, you absolutely need another tentpole release or two to come close to that goal. The biggest games in the back half of Nintendo's year currently are Mortal Kombat 1 and the late port of Terf Legacy.

 

[SpaceGodzilla]

I don't know if Prime 4 as the only big launch title is enough.

To be fair I'm expecting prime 4 to launch around that time switch 2 or no switch 2

 

[tender]

I am guessing Mario is this fall, Metroid Prime 4 is a cross-gen Switch/Switch 2 game releasing next fall.

 

[Gamer_G]

Despite my post above dating a ton of great 3rd party and indie titles, along with the bigger dlc offers like Pokemon gen 9 and Splatoon 3, I do agree Nintendo should have some additional titles from themselves dated sooner then later. The reason for this isn't because there's a lack of great games to play, but to fend off the narrative that "Nintendo is done with the Switch and has gone all in on development of Switch 2 titles". They said they want to sell 15 million Switch units this fiscal year, you absolutely need another tentpole release or two to come close to that goal. The biggest games in the back half of Nintendo's year currently are Mortal Kombat 1 and the late port of Terf Legacy.

If all the doomposting on this thread is true, then how the HECK do they expect to sell 15 mil this year?! Is it Zelda? Maybe it’s just Zelda. Maybe they think it can be another New Horizons for the system but I doubt it

 

[Cubs017]

If all the doomposting on this thread is true, then how the HECK do they expect to sell 15 mil this year?! Is it Zelda? Maybe it’s just Zelda. Maybe they think it can be another New Horizons for the system but I doubt it

Right. There must be more, we just don't know what it is.

Nintendo isn't going to just call it quits and not make as much money as they could this year.

 

[Deleted member 1005]

If all the doomposting on this thread is true, then how the HECK do they expect to sell 15 mil this year?! Is it Zelda? Maybe it’s just Zelda. Maybe they think it can be another New Horizons for the system but I doubt it

You underestimate just how many people are buying Switch consoles to play Zelda, and that's not including another bump from the Pokemon DLC at the end of the year, holiday sales, games announced in a september direct, etc. Easy to hit 15m? nah, but it's very much possible.

 

[Gamer_G]

You underestimate just how many people are buying Switch consoles to play Zelda, and that's not including another bump from the Pokemon DLC at the end of the year, holiday sales, games announced in a september direct, etc. Easy to hit 15m? nah, but it's very much possible.

Okay, but like, Zelda was already on Switch, and it was already the biggest thing ever. Ofc not everyone who wanted to play Zelda caved back then, but I doubt that number is high enough to reach the numbers they want.

And Pokémon DLC? Really? Why would DLC for a game (in a series already heavily represented on Switch) that’s already sold gangbusters push a significant number of hardware?

 

[SirShorse]

This thread is picking up A LOT of speed again, it seems

 

[Pokemaniac]

You're fixated on what Nintendo in particular has, but the Switch is more than just Nintendo. There's nothing to "fix", they just dropped one of the best games of all time, and they are releasing another game that will at the very least be "very good" in july. They can afford to wait a few months to announce more stuff, especially if we are nearing EOL for the Switch and the announcements aren't exactly blockbusters.

Stop downplaying everything outside of Nintendo first party and you'll find that you have a whole lot more to enjoy.

This is the Nintendo Direct speculation thread. Third party games are a pretty secondary concern. They're likely to force a Partner Showcase if Nintendo decides to skip summer again, but skipping summer would be a deeply weird thing for them to do with how little Nintendo has announced right now. If Nintendo is not done with Switch yet, they need to project that. If Nintendo is readying hardware for release, they need to announce it. Their first half schedule was packed enough that it's signaling an overall packed year, but we still almost entirely in the dark about what the second half of that looks like as the first half starts coming to a close. Any way you slice it, Nintendo needs to be announcing more games and soon.

 

[Ozzie]

Kinda curious when Fire Emblem Genealogy remake gets announced. Last we heard from Nate, the game isn't cross gen so it's aimed on base Switch and wouldn't be surprised if it's already finished.

 

[SpaceGodzilla]

I honestly the 15 million sales projection was stupid no matter what they released this year.

 

[Gamer_G]

Kinda curious when Fire Emblem Genealogy remake gets announced. Last we heard from Nate, the game isn't cross gen so it's aimed on base Switch and wouldn't be surprised if it's already finished.

Considering Engage DLC is already done, I genuinely don’t think this year is out of the question

 

[LukasManak22]

I have absolutely nothing against Fire Emblem but please, don't start another Direct for a third time with Fire Emblem game.

February 2022 - FE: Three Hopes
September 2022 - FE: Engage

 

[Gamer_G]

I have absolutely nothing against Fire Emblem but please, don't start another Direct for a third time with Fire Emblem game.

February 2022 - FE: Three Hopes
September 2022 - FE: Engage

Don’t forget January 2015! I think it’d be funny they should do it

 

[Vash]

This is your 2D Mario of 2023 and you're gonna like it.

side note, i rented this movie on amazon this past weekend. It was fine. I'll probably never watch it again. Music choices were very weird. Not that anyone asked my opinion on it or anything lol

 

[Z-Z0]

There's no Direct because in June Nintendo is doing a live presentation streamed directly from Tokyo

Spoiler

feat. Switch 2 announcement

 

[Deleted member 1005]

Okay, but like, Zelda was already on Switch, and it was already the biggest thing ever. Ofc not everyone who wanted to play Zelda caved back then, but I doubt that number is high enough to reach the numbers they want.

And Pokémon DLC? Really? Why would DLC for a game (in a series already heavily represented on Switch) that’s already sold gangbusters push a significant number of hardware?

Hey, you asked how they could feasibly hit 15m, I was just providing an answer to your question.

This is the Nintendo Direct speculation thread. Third party games are a pretty secondary concern. They're likely to force a Partner Showcase if Nintendo decides to skip summer again, but skipping summer would be a deeply weird thing for them to do with how little Nintendo has announced right now. If Nintendo is not done with Switch yet, they need to project that. If Nintendo is readying hardware for release, they need to announce it. Their first half schedule was packed enough that it's signaling an overall packed year, but we still almost entirely in the dark about what the second half of that looks like as the first half starts coming to a close. Any way you slice it, Nintendo needs to be announcing more games and soon.

This is the Nintendo Direct speculation thread, but that doesn't mean that everyone needs to believe in a june direct because "Nintendo has to!". I've given examples as to how the Switch schedule can be filled up in the coming months as we wait for a fall direct, but you continue to devalue it as "they're not nintendo though". What happens if the schedule is exactly like last year, Direct in feb, partner showcase in june, direct in sep? Is Nintendo doomed? Of course not, that's silly.

I'm not even saying that Nintendo has no games or anything, I'm just saying that we're likely waiting 2-3 months for a general direct instead of 2 weeks. It's not that bad. Much better than the nearly 2 years we had to wait for a PlayStation showcase lmfao, and we could possibly have a pretty good partner showcase to look forward to!

 

[tender]

We NEED a third Fire Emblem game to start a DIrect.

Also, what do you think is the chance of a Fall musou for Xenoblade series? I am hoping that I can will that into existence.

 

[Instro]

I honestly the 15 million sales projection was stupid no matter what they released this year.

I'd guess they don't care all that much if they miss it, given the way the forecast was positioned. Meanwhile the decline has already been baked into the stock price over the last couple years. Ultimately as long as they continue to hit their revenue/profit numbers, which they managed last year even with the lower than expected hardware sales, then it's not as bad. By the time questions are really raised, they'll likely be able to distract with the shiny new thing while they quietly lower the Switch hardware forecast by a couple million.

 

[rickyson33]

Hey, you asked how they could feasibly hit 15m, I was just providing an answer to your question.

This is the Nintendo Direct speculation thread, but that doesn't mean that everyone needs to believe in a june direct because "Nintendo has to!". I've given examples as to how the Switch schedule can be filled up in the coming months as we wait for a fall direct, but you continue to devalue it as "they're not nintendo though". What happens if the schedule is exactly like last year, Direct in feb, partner showcase in june, direct in sep? Is Nintendo doomed? Of course not, that's silly.

I'm not even saying that Nintendo has no games or anything, I'm just saying that we're likely waiting 2-3 months for a general direct instead of 2 weeks. It's not that bad. Much better than the nearly 2 years we had to wait for a PlayStation showcase lmfao, and we could possibly have a pretty good partner showcase to look forward to!

why would they have a Direct in September then? third parties are gonna keep releasing games for the rest of the year and probably even in future years

maybe Nintendo should just shut down all their game studios to save some money on production costs

 

[Phendrift]

The annual shareholder meeting is on 29 June. I think it would be so funny if they went into that with only Pikmin 4 announced. Part of me hopes they do it.

Don’t forget “Metroid Prime 4 (temp.) - TBA”!

 

[boodream]

Considering Engage DLC is already done, I genuinely don’t think this year is out of the question

Releasing two Fire Emblem games in less than a year would be too much, in my opinion. Even an early 2024 release, which is what I expect if this remake exist, would not avoid a risk of franchise fatigue.

 

[Hocot8]

why would they have a Direct in September then? third parties are gonna keep releasing games for the rest of the year and probably even in future years

maybe Nintendo should just shut down all their game studios to save some money on production costs

is posting in bad faith really the best way to comment to them?

 

[Deleted member 1005]

why would they have a Direct in September then? third parties are gonna keep releasing games for the rest of the year and probably even in future years

maybe Nintendo should just shut down all their game studios to save some money on production costs

How did we get to this from me saying that we likely have to wait until September for a general direct instead of June? LOL

I’m sorry for having realistic expectations, I guess? If we end up getting a direct in June, then I will be ecstatic to take the L, because that means we all win.