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[StreetsAhead]

Rough translation

以前は、この決算説明会の場で、製品に関する新情報などもお伝えして、それをインターネットで動画配信することも行ってきましたが、Nintendo Directのような新たな手法が確立した今、それぞれの異なる立場の皆様に、個別に情報発信を行うことにより、より的確で効果的な情報発信ができるのではないかと考えています。

In the past, we have announced new titles at Investor's Meetings and then uploaded videos onto the internet, but with new methods like Nintendo Direct, that we have now, we believe that we are able to provide more appropriate and effective information separately to people from different standpoints and interests [gamer, investor, etc].

まず、例年のような世界中の皆様に向けた全方位向けの、新しいニュースを発信するような大規模プレゼンテーションを行わないことにいたしました。それに替わり、より小規模な米国向けソフトに焦点を当てた複数のイベントを計画しております。そのうちのひとつは米国流通関係者の皆様向けのクローズドなイベントで、もうひとつは、主に西洋のゲームメディアの皆様を対象としたクローズドな体験型のイベントです。また、私は昨年の「プレゼンテーション」に登壇しませんでしたが、今年もこれらのイベントに登壇する予定はしておりません。これらクローズドな来場者向けイベント以外に、E3の時期に当社からゲーム情報をご家庭におられるプレイヤーの皆様に直接お届けする新しい方法を継続して検討中ですので、決定次第、改めてお知らせしてまいります。

本日ご出席いただいている皆様を含んだ日本の皆様に対しては、Nintendo Directなどの当社のダイレクトコミュニケーション手段を通じて、E3のタイミングに合わせて海外と同時に、日本でこれから発売していく予定のソフトを中心とした情報発信を予定しておりますので、よろしくお願いいたします。

First, we have decided not to hold a large-scale presentation where new news is presented to a general audience from all over the world as in previous years. Instead, we are planning several smaller events for software targeted at the American market. One of these will be a closed event for distributors, and another will be a closed event for the Western press. I did not appear in last year's E3 presentation, and I do not intend to appear in these events either. Apart from these closed events, during E3, we are deliberating how to deliver game information to those at home using new methods, so we will announce further plans later.

Including those of you here today, for the people of Japan, we will be using direct communication, with things like Nintendo Direct, during E3 and at the same time as overseas to announce our plans and information regarding titles releasing in Japan, so please look out for more information.

In clear words:

No E3 conference.

 

[Artemisia]

I agree 100%. That kind of access shouldn't be exclusive to the press who won't even be the ones purchasing the content.

 

[Cartman86]

Doesn't really matter to me as i'll find the information I need, but will it work for the mainstream? Does Nintendo care?

 

[stanley1993]

Nintendo Direct tomorrow confirmed

is this really confirmed?

 

[Tookay]

Eh. Mainstream media is going to jump on the Sony and Microsoft mega-blowout-events and completely ignore the Wii U.

Not good, though it's not good either way. = P

Yeah, I honestly think this is the stupidest thing they could do.

You and I might not read USA Today's coverage of E3 conferences, but mom and pop do. Making a physical conference presence at least keeps you in the news cycle.

 

[Marmaladefire]

Could this be a tacit admission of not having anything of interest to present?

Well it would save some embarassment if so, but I think they know that all eyes will be on next gen, with Sony and MS going on and on about appealing to "core gamers" and if they come in there with hypeless 1st party titles, crappy ports, a half assed Bayo2 trailer and some game pad covers they're going to get skewered. It's better just to go straight to the people who care and own the systems at this point.

 

[Macho Madness]

I agree 100%. That kind of access shouldn't be exclusive to the press who won't even be the ones purchasing the content.

You can go to E3 if you want. You just have to a grand laying around.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

So basically Nintendo will only have their own Directs going forward.

Ballsy move, I'll give them that. Very odd year to do it when you've got MS and Sony steamrolling in to town this year. Might be part of the reason they're changing it up.

 

[DMeisterJ]

Having playable demos from the show floor available on the eShop would be indeed awesome, but that's a little too much wishful thinking.

Definitely. E3 demos are usually extremely rough. Not likely that they'd put them up for download at all.

 

[prwxv3]

This does not help them much in getting new people to get a WiiU

 

[outunderthestars]

Doesn't really matter to me as i'll have find the information I need, but will it work for the mainstream? Does Nintendo care?

I think Nintendo knows that they won't be able to capture media attention at E3.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

Definitely. E3 demos are usually extremely rough. Not likely that they'd put them up for download at all.

Considering Nintendo will only be focusing on software released this year, not necessarily.

 

[LuuKyK]

This is kinda sad really. Its tradition to have all big three conferences.

Oh well, I guess they know what they are doing, so lets see.

 

[Anticitizen One]

its like Nintendo has given up completely

 

[Master Nairb]

Not having an E3 conference is bad... really bad.

Missed opportunity to say "hey! Look at all the cool shit we've got coming!"

Unless they've got nothing.

Or having a Nintendo Direct every month that speaks directly to the people who actually care.

 

[Kyoufu]

This is kinda sad really. Its tradition to have all big three conferences.

Oh well, I guess they know what they are doing, so lets see.

I look at the Wii U and I just can't agree.

 

[MisterSamMan]

That sounds crazy though it makes sense.

 

[Anticitizen One]

I swear I'm so disgusted with Nintendo I just want to throw my wii u in the garbage

 

[Dang0]

hmmmmmmm i dont know what to think.

Nintendo going wild card at E3



but i wanted to see/read meltdowns we have every year , oh Nintendo.

Most likely, Nintendo will simply be replacing their traditional E3 conference with a bigger Nintendo Direct, which makes sense as ND's are cheaper and easier to control. You shall have your meltdowns.

 

[SolarPowered]

Doesn't really matter to me as i'll have find the information I need, but will it work for the mainstream? Does Nintendo care?

They can't do anything to capture the imagination of the press or your average gamer when MS and Sony are unveiling their new hardware and launch games. All they can count on are Nintendo fans for this period.

 

[Takuya]

 

[Neiteio]

:-\

 

[polyh3dron]

So we will get the new game announcements..

DIE-RECT-RY

 

[Snakeyes]

Pretty stupid idea if you ask me. Seems like they're just digging themselves into a deeper hole.

 

[disappeared]

its like Nintendo has given up completely

No E3 conference is certainly going to take some wind out of their sails, at least when you're looking at it from a traditionalist point of view.

 

[Majine]

That's one way to fall to irrelevancy. Oh well, with MS and Sony both pushing their new hardware, it was probably gonna be lost anyway.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

Well, now that I think about it, it can turn out decently. Maybe have the demos uploaded in the eShop, as many have been suggesting, as well as different conferences based around one service (eShop, upcoming features and applications, 3DS software and WiiU software?).
I just hope Nintendo won't mess up. I want the Wii U to do nicely

 

[InsaneLuchador]

Whatever. I wouldn't care if E3 was completely scrapped and the industry just chose a day to send out a shit load of trailers and press releases about their upcoming projects. All I really care about knowing is that the games are coming and catching a glimpse of what they'll look like. Nintendo's new tactic is going to make covering their products a giant pain in the ass for the media (I think that's a way better term for them than "journalists")

 

[Schadenfreude]

I'll just repost what i've said elsewhere. This could be a good thing. A bunch of ND-sized presentations every day at E3. Maybe one that centers on new hardware stuff and one that centers on software stuff.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Weird to see nintendo look like they know what their are doing.

 

[StreetsAhead]

Reposting:

I think the logic here is that the conference was trying to appeal to 4 groups at once:

1. Gamers
2. The Press
3. Retailers
4. Investors

who all have very different expectations, needs, and wants about information. A gamer is less interested in sales charts than a retailer, for example.

So, rather than trying to cater to all four at once, they're splitting up the events in the hope of catering more directly to everyone.

1. Game information/announcements for Gamers via internet/NDs
2. Experiences & demos for the press, plus a specific closed event
3. Closed event for Retailers

 

[Neiteio]

Ah, I see, so the E3 2012 fireworks were like the grand finale to all Nintendo E3s ever.

 

[Anteo]

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/130425/04.html

Also, I would like to use this opportunity to talk about this year’s E3.

In the past we invited reporters, investors and analysts, industry partners, such as software publishers, and distributors who attended E3 to our large-scale presentations. We also used them as a communication tool in which we broadcast our presentations on the Internet to reach out to video game fans around the globe. I believe that many are expecting us to host a similar event this year.
On the other hand, since we set out on new endeavors such as Nintendo Direct two years ago in October, we have been paying special attention to the fact that different people demand different types of information from us. For example, as video game fans are looking for information about games, it seems that they are less interested in sales figures that investors and analysts on the other hand attach much greater importance to, and distribution partners are looking for information on how we are going to market our products in the immediate future. At previous financial briefing sessions we announced information about our products, showed videos and even uploaded the recording of these events onto our website, but given that we now have an established method such as Nintendo Direct, we feel that we will be able to deliver our messages more appropriately and effectively by doing so individually based on the various needs of different groups of people.
At E3 this year, we are not planning to launch new hardware, and our main activity at E3 will be to announce and have people experience our software. Many people are certainly very interested in learning more about the Wii U titles that we are going to announce. We will use E3 as an ideal opportunity to talk in detail mainly about the Wii U titles that we are going to launch this year, and we also plan to make it possible for visitors to try the games immediately. As a brand new challenge, we are working to establish a new presentation style for E3.

So there is going to be something at e3? I thought they would do nothing.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

E3 Conference:
Microsoft √
Sony √
Nintendo

 

[Dang0]

I imagine nintendo will still have a booth at E3, they just won't have a live conference.

 

[Revven]

I'll just move what I said in the other thread to here...

Honestly, I'm not upset by this. The Nintendo Directs themselves have proven to be working, both as a means to generate hype for consumers and to also reveal a stream of Nintendo information close to every month.

Remember all the years prior to Nintendo Directs? The best we could hope for news from Nintendo themselves about their upcoming games, or newly announced ones, outside of E3 were GDC, DICE Summit (for a little while), and one other outlet that escapes me.

Other than that, we got information that trickled out slowly. Since the Directs have started, we have a wealth of information that otherwise would have been saved for E3 instead if Directs didn't exist. Only for us to be then left in the dark in the summer until their supposed Fall conference(s).

Which brings me to my next observation: the Directs seem like an evolution of the Fall conferences Nintendo have done in the past (excluding the beginnings that included sales data and statistics). People seemed to like the Fall conferences (generally). So Nintendo decided to take it a step further and take advantage of the popularity of streaming resulting in Nintendo Direct.

This makes me wonder though what the purpose of them being at E3 will be, other than playable demos of their games. And, more importantly, how E3 will matter to the average consumer if there's no conference this time around. Will we get the same playable demos? Or just videos of the demos? I mean, the press can pretty much get footage of the demos anyway so...

This next month will sure be interesting....

 

[Fourth Storm]

Ah, I see, so the E3 2012 fireworks were like the grand finale to all Nintendo E3s ever.

Good god man. I am depressed enough as is.

 

[iyox]

I think this is a good thing. Except for new system reveals ( which require the excitement of a big reveal) trade shows are a huge time suck on Dev resources. I have been in situations where months leading up to a show removes developers from the core project to prepare content for an event. That time is better used to work on the actual product and get it ready for release.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Someone was going to do this eventually.

Not surprised it was Nintendo.

This doesn't imply I think this was a good idea or a natural evolution right this second, but eventually these conferences were going to be worth less in advertising than they pay out.

 

[DaBoss]

Posting what I was going to post in the other thread.

English version available: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/130425/index.html

Also, I would like to use this opportunity to talk about this year’s E3.

In the past we invited reporters, investors and analysts, industry partners, such as software publishers, and distributors who attended E3 to our large-scale presentations. We also used them as a communication tool in which we broadcast our presentations on the Internet to reach out to video game fans around the globe. I believe that many are expecting us to host a similar event this year.
On the other hand, since we set out on new endeavors such as Nintendo Direct two years ago in October, we have been paying special attention to the fact that different people demand different types of information from us. For example, as video game fans are looking for information about games, it seems that they are less interested in sales figures that investors and analysts on the other hand attach much greater importance to, and distribution partners are looking for information on how we are going to market our products in the immediate future. At previous financial briefing sessions we announced information about our products, showed videos and even uploaded the recording of these events onto our website, but given that we now have an established method such as Nintendo Direct, we feel that we will be able to deliver our messages more appropriately and effectively by doing so individually based on the various needs of different groups of people.
At E3 this year, we are not planning to launch new hardware, and our main activity at E3 will be to announce and have people experience our software. Many people are certainly very interested in learning more about the Wii U titles that we are going to announce. We will use E3 as an ideal opportunity to talk in detail mainly about the Wii U titles that we are going to launch this year, and we also plan to make it possible for visitors to try the games immediately. As a brand new challenge, we are working to establish a new presentation style for E3.

First, we decided not to host a large-scale presentation targeted at everyone in the international audience where we announce new information as we did in the past.
Instead, at the E3 show this year, we are planning to host a few smaller events that are specifically focused on our software lineup for the U.S. market. There will be one closed event for American distributors, and we will hold another closed hands-on experience event, for mainly the Western gaming media. Also, I did not speak at last year’s presentation, and I am not planning to speak at these events at the E3 show this year either. Apart from these exclusive events for visitors, we are continuing to investigate ways to deliver information about our games directly to our home audience around the time of E3. We will share more information about them once they have officially been decided.
During the E3 period, we will utilize our direct communication tools, such as Nintendo Direct, to deliver information to our Japanese audience, including those who are at this financial briefing, mainly focusing on the software that we are going to launch in Japan, and we will take the same approach outside Japan for the overseas fans as well.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

No E3 conference is certainly going to take some wind out of their sails, at least when you're looking at it from a traditionalist point of view.

Yeah. Might be a good choice but maybe not... It would have made more sense when they were in the Wii era and in some ways ''above'' E3. Now it just feels they are not part of the big 3 the same way as before. It just doesn't feel right even if we get all the same info in other ways

Ah, I see, so the E3 2012 fireworks were like the grand finale to all Nintendo E3s ever.

...fuck ;-;

 

[javac]

The return of SPACE WORLD!

lol no

 

[Master Nairb]

Nintendo Direct tomorrow confirmed

Is this true? Please be!

 

[Pappasman]

Everything is being unveiled before E3 anyways. E3 loses relevancy with each passing year.

 

[KojiKnight]

Way to lock the original thread as the dupe...


People seem to be confused and think that Nintendo is abandoning E3 for some reason... in reality, E3 has been a dying beast for YEARS and the E3 organizers have known this. That's why they tried redoing the rules, trying to truly make it press only. Banning booth babes for a year, etc etc etc. They keep caving because the E3 organizers are desperately trying to keep making money.

The thing is, NONE of the big 3 need E3 anymore. It's just become a costly (millions and millions of dollars) tradition. Nintendo is just the first to say "Meh... we don't really need E3 anymore." Sony and Microsoft will follow suit either this year, or in the coming years, you can be sure of it.

 

[cosmicblizzard]

Is this a good idea? I imagine more people would be aware of the conferences than whatever else goes on at E3. I mean, they're even televised. Just seems odd to me they would forego it when it's a great way to get people talking, which is exactly what they need right now.

 

[MechaX]

Given Nintendo's blase attitude to the last several E3s, why is everybody surprised by this? Hell, their E3 last year (meh conference, meh closed conference that evening, but with stealth reveals of core games like Fire Emblem) really reinforced the fact that E3 does not really matter all that much to Nintendo in the game scheme of things.

Plus, even the second coming of Christ on the Wii U probably wouldn't overshadow PS4/720 blow out stuff (even if the news is really, really bad).

Is this a good idea? I imagine more people would be aware of the conferences than whatever else goes on at E3. I mean, they're even televised. Just seems odd to me they would forego it when it's a great way to get people talking, which is exactly what they need right now.

If you mean broadcast TV and not site livestreams, there's Spike TV and there was G4, both of which were not really pushing the envelope for ratings and awareness.

 

[Tookay]

Well, now that I think about it, it can turn out decently. Maybe have the demos uploaded in the eShop, as many have been suggesting, as well as different conferences based around one service (eShop, upcoming features and applications, 3DS software and WiiU software?).
I just hope Nintendo won't mess up. I want the Wii U to do nicely

I think anyone hoping for them to put up E3 demos on eShop for games they are likely rushing to complete by the end of this year are setting themselves up for disappointment.

If it happens, I'd be blown away and consider this a great strategy.

But if they don't, this is short-sighted in how it appears (or doesn't appear at all) to the mainstream media.

It's important to put on appearances.

 

[royalan]

From the closed thread:

My one real concern is their image. E3 is a global GAMING event. Im concerned about them retreating from a conference where they have everyone's attention and holing themselves up in their Nintendo "Preaching to the Choir" Directs that only fans will be paying attention to.

Not to mention I'll be incredibly skeptical of the opinions of any press that get invited to play the software at these special events.

One positive of the E3 format is that everyone at the show gets a chance at your games, which usually results in more varied and objective opinions fed to us, the consumers.

Nintendo hording info on their products for these special events reeks of them trying to control the dialogue a bit too much.

 

[Articalys]

I'll be interested to see how this is going to work in practice.