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How Nintendo Directs Represent a New Direction and Improvment of Gaming Journalism

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
nintendo_direct_banner.png


Reality is never accessed in the raw, but is always represented.


This line above, this single truth has been the bane of gaming journalism in the modern gaming age. There is a system of power that dominates our access to gaming media, a system that often represents itself as 'transparent' and 'credible'. Specifically, this system of power is made up of many components - developers, publishers, gaming press, and users. First, developers are the laborers, indeed the hands that create the material we play. They have direct power over material. Second, publishers have power over developers to ensure financial sustainability. If they mandate the inclusion or exclusion of particular aspects of a game, the developer is hard pressed to argue. Third, gaming press has a power over publishers in that they are the outlets in which we access videogame media - they represent reality for and to us. This is the piece of the system I am most interested in as I think it is (thanks to the wild success of Nintendo Direct) the most fragile and in need of serious renovation. Lastly, users have power over all three previous powers, but are often (always) shaped and molded by the representations provided by gaming press. Let's talk specifically about the power of gaming press.

GameTrailers - IGN - Gamespot - G4TV - Kotaku - Destructoid - 1up - GamesRadar - the Escapist - Joystiq - Giant Bomb
You all have your favorite sites/sights to visit and see. Many gaming sites pride themselves on different strengths in order to garner specific audiences. All, however, do the same thing - they represent the reality of gaming for and to us. They are the insiders who have the most direct access to gaming media. They form relationships with publishers and fight for exclusive game reveals and information and reviews to demonstrate superiority in news-craft. To demonstrate this concept (skip it if you find it uninteresting), I'm going to analyze a brief IGN video that revealed the new "Legendary" difficulty emblem in Halo 4:

Gummb said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn61qe9UNqw

1. The video is advertised as a "daily fix," demonstrating its short, accessible nature (as opposed to in-depth and thorough).
2. It advertises an "exclusive Halo 4" reveal, one of the most anticipated games of 2012, but does not specify the nature of the exclusive. IGN now has power over Halo 4 fans with this statement.
3. "Excited for Halo 4?" the announcer queries. "Well we certainly are..." Immediately the talking head is put on the same level as the audience. This is accessible material meant for easy consumption.
4. "...and don't be shocked, but some things are changing this time around." - the head speaks as if the following will be shocking news. We are prepared to be shocked.
5. "So lets head over to [insert experts here] for more info" - these are the people who are informed and know. We trust their knowledge.
6. THE ACTUAL NEWS: Halo 4 has a new Legendary Crest that depicts a human's head instead of an Elite's head. They highlight the "first look," and they show an image to demonstrate their knowledge. Credibility, trustworthiness, and payoff.
7. What follows is perhaps most important: They frame the argument.
- They know this means that there will be a legendary difficulty
- They frame the news positively and hypothesize that it points to a special ending for those who complete legendary difficulty similar to those found in Halo 1 and 3.
- They frame the news negatively and wonder how people with the old legendary symbol tattoo'd to their body will react.​
8. We are transferred back to the first head who frames the news differently - she likes the changes Cortana has made. More framing.
9. Finally, the head promises more exclusive information and hand-on in the future... just in case you were worried they had run out.

Reality is never accessed in the raw, but is always represented.

What has happened here in that last 1:30 clip held power over us and relied on the past to frame the present, which then depicts the future in a particular way. The new Legendary icon is either good or bad, but it is also a new reason to discuss the game in particular ways. IGN frames the way we talk about it via "a new super special ending", or through a renegotiation of "tattoos". Either way, you are left with an opinion on all of these things and ready to intelligently articulate them to the world. IGN gave you that power of engagement and knowledge through their own power of representation.

One publisher where you will rarely, or perhaps never again, see exclusive content about is Nintendo. They have recently provided a new outlet for users to access news media - directly through Nintendo themselves. This was likely a long time coming as Nintendo is often framed negatively by gaming press and most likely wanted a way to speak directly to their audience without game sites re-representing their announcements.

What is important here (for me), however, is that we gamers have one fewer source of power in a system of power that dominates how and what we think about videogames. Indeed, Nintendo's most recent Nintendo Direct allowed users to hear messages directly from developers. In fact, all of the information came directly from the PRESIDENT of Nintendo - a full half-hour of direct information from the mouth that informs and powers the company. On top of this, Iwata has added "Iwata Asks" which allow even more access to the development process at Nintendo and other studios. While this does not mean that gaming media goes un-mediated (it is always represented), it does mean that we can create more varied reactions to Nintendo's announcements rather than the dichotomous "good vs. bad" approach popular gaming sites (representers) will often (always) make.

The most recent Nintendo Direct is representative of this process.

With the Nintendo Direct, users were left with a broad variety of topics to discuss, including the individual elements shown by each trailer with only Nintendo's filter and our own past opinions and dogmas (we all have them) as a guide. For gaming media, however, there was a level of disconnect between announcing these games themselves and not having the ability to frame their birth. Each site is now RUSHING to frame each and every game, and perhaps most interestingly, to frame the entire Nintendo Direct as a whole.

1. IGN: Wii U Strikes Back
2. EDGE: Promises, promises
3. Screen Digest: Nintendo behind the next-gen curve
4. Gamespot: Is Nintendo Trapped By Its Legacy?

Each of these present a good/bad scenario in terms of the "broader" picture of the Nintendo Direct. Each one presents age-old arguments about Nintendo, but recirculated for a new time, a new event, a new sight. These are easy arguments that are apparent to us because we are framed and accustomed to seeing them. While they are based in a material reality, they are nothing more than a limiting view of the world that constricts our possible discussion avenues. We talk about whether Nintendo is "trapped," "only promising," and "behind the times" because they tell us to.

SIDE NOTE said:
One of the more interesting opinions by Polygon (Titled: What Nintendo has learned from Kickstarter) almost completely side-stepped the dichotomy and focused on a unique topic of potential interest. Unsurprisingly, NeoGAF almost immediately rejected it as a topic of worthy discussion.

What is so interesting about this, however, is that credibility and transparency are dissolved from this process beyond simply "trusting the source" or "agreeing with the opinion." Starved of exclusive reveals and information, these gaming sites will likely rely more and more on these types of "framing" pieces, each more controversial than the last, until their transparency is all but mud. Indeed, if other publishers begin representing their materials directly to fans, there will be no "need" for game sites, but rather bloggers to follow and enjoy. Perhaps this will require gaming sites to put more thought and time into their articles beyond regurgitating old arguments for new events. Perhaps actual journalism will be required that looks at a realm of possibility beyond a dichotomous outcome. That is my hope.

TLDR - Please Go Back and Read
Nintendo has changed the way we view videogame media. We no longer need to rely on gaming "experts" to frame our viewing, but have direct access to the developers and publishers that control the game-making process. While our observations are still framed, there is one fewer level of control over our discussion process here at NeoGAF. Even better, it's fun to watch gaming sites scramble to frame our viewing of Nintendo's media events. Perhaps their disconnect from exclusive game reveals will force them to engage in contemplative journalism and not rely on simple dichotomous views of the industry. We (Read: I) can only hope.

Reality is never accessed in the raw, but is always represented.
 
Nintendo Direct is the best idea Nintendo has had in years and in many ways its surprising they were the ones to do it first

Sony and MS would do well to follow Nintendos lead on this. It builds hype and it connects you directly to the customers.

It also allows them to 100% control the message, having press conferences and the press writing about it to the consumer does not.

It's brilliant corporate strategy. Control the message whilst give the fans the impressions they are being spoken directly to and listened to.

Whoever came up with it at Nintendo deserves a promotion and raise, big time.
 

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
Okay seriously Nintendo direct is not that big deal.

It's representative of an entirely new way of viewing videogame media.

On a surface level, it can be a big deal/not a big deal for each individual depending on whether they enjoy/don't care about the announcements made. This does not change the fact that ND changes the way we access and frame videogame material.

[EDIT] Unfortunately, by highlighting this post, I've probably reduced this entire thread to discerning whether or not ND is a big deal or not (a dichotomous outcome I try and avoid in my original post). Sad day.
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
It's actually surprising to see Nintendo in the limelight regarding this presence of online material. Anyone can recall the amount of times a Microsoft E3 conference was available to Xbox Live subscribers or what have you, and yet here is Nintendo beating everyone to the punch and for a full calender year at that.

It's moving to a point where videogame conventions (i.e. the glitz of E3) are becoming a joke and direct publisher videos are the norm. Marketing is still there, but the whole feel of it is a little different. We are no longer subjected to Cloud diving through a black portal in CG for a magazine spread. We demand video feeds consisting of gameplay. If anything I am proud to see my fellow hobby enthusiasts take upon the mantle of scrutinisation.


As for the art of videogame journalism, maybe it is time for the kings of paper to begin an introspective. To look upon what makes readers gravitate towards a publication. Interviews, company profiles and features, development progress, whatever. The developer & kickstarter blogs only give us an example of feedback (funneled through PR mouthpieces?).

I have already gone on GAF record to commend Jason Schreier for the recent articles regarding Kotaku's "developer diaries" and would highly suggest others follow suit. The industry always changes, there is a story to tell in every nook and cranny. I grew up admiring gaming journalists during the early 90s and it'd be a shame to see it all disappear like a mote of dust.
 
Oh my god, this. How many deep amazing articles do we need about how revolutionary and new and groundbreaking Nintendo Direct is?

It represents a publisher making pretty significant announcements (hardware, mainline Pokemon, Xenoblade follow-up) while completely circumventing traditional outlets such as E3, gaming magazines, or gaming websites. How is that not significant?
 

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
Nintendo Direct is the best idea Nintendo has had in years and in many ways its surprising they were the ones to do it first

Sony and MS would do well to follow Nintendos lead on this. It builds hype and it connects you directly to the customers.

It also allows them to 100% control the message, having press conferences and the press writing about it to the consumer does not.

It's brilliant corporate strategy. Control the message whilst give the fans the impressions they are being spoken directly to and listened to.

Whoever came up with it at Nintendo deserves a promotion and raise, big time.

I completely agree. It is absurdly brilliant and allows Nintendo fans to discuss in new and exciting ways about their announcements beyond what gaming sites have to say.
 

remnant

Banned
Idk if they announce new hardware there a month after E3 it seems like it might be a big deal for Nintendo announcements.
If they do so what? The info is still regurgitated through all the media sites. ND has not changed anything except gave us a less predictable schedule for Nintendo announcements, and its not like this is the first time Nintendo caught people off guard with announcements. Monster Hunter Tri anyone.

Look I like ND but to me people are over blowing this to something it really isn't. To some this is a genius seismic shift for how Nintendo advertises their wares. Nintendo probably doesn't see it that way.
 
Great read OP.
I was thinking about it recently too. In this generation where Nintendo was already doomed by the media outleats, they came up with Iwata asks and the Nintendo Direct, a "new" way to get the message across to gamers.
 

IrishNinja

Member
pretty interesting OP. i don't necessarily subscribe to the central thesis here but there's some good points about...for one, with the other 2 joining the cycle soon, and having no such direct venue (we could argue E3 but there's fewer and fewer surprises there, i find) they don't have to deal with this dilemma as much in the near future, i'd imagine. part of me wonders how much has changed for them overall, given a) how much some of our press tends to sleep on nintendo anyway and b) the secrecy they managed to keep even before the great idea that is ND.

to address a few specifics:

Starved of exclusive reveals and information, these gaming sites will likely rely more and more on these types of "framing" pieces, each more controversial than the last, until their transparency is all but mud.

some will argue here that we're well past this point, as the laziest (and sadly, therefore most commonly talked about/examined on here) types of such framing tend to be:

1) simple cut & paste PR writeups/announcements
2) op-ed piece taking such a hyperbolic stance as to guarantee hits when the fanboys show up

based on gawker's model (i'm certain they're far from the only using this, of course) & the growing & continued support of publishers for what at times basically seem like extensions of their PR depts, this seems like a successful trend, and while i appreciate your optimism, nintendo alone is not nearly large enough to change this, i think.

Indeed, if other publishers begin representing their materials directly to fans, there will be no "need" for game sites, but rather bloggers to follow and enjoy.

i get a great deal of my news fro this very forum, so that's not at all alarming for me personally, but it's worth pointing out that some of the largest gaming sites are blogs themselves. nothing lasts forever (RIP the GIA), but even once we move beyond them i doubt it will be about personal sites anymore than simply YT videos/previews already, anyway. i could be wrong, of course.

*edit man it's always sad to see the 1st reply shit up the thread
 
Nintendo direct is an infomercial, nothing more. That's not journalism.

In what world a biased highly prettified PR propaganda is "better game journalism".
 

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
It's actually surprising to see Nintendo in the limelight regarding this presence of online material. Anyone can recall the amount of times a Microsoft E3 conference was available to Xbox Live subscribers or what have you, and yet here is Nintendo beating everyone to the punch and for a full calender year at that.

It's moving to a point where videogame conventions (i.e. the glitz of E3) are becoming a joke and direct publisher videos are the norm. Marketing is still there, but the whole feel of it is a little different. We are no longer subjected to Cloud diving through a black portal in CG for a magazine spread. We demand video feeds consisting of gameplay. If anything I am proud to see my fellow hobby enthusiasts take upon the mantle of scrutinisation.


As for the art of videogame journalism, maybe it is time for the kings of paper to begin an introspective. To look upon what makes readers gravitate towards a publication. Interviews, company profiles and features, development progress, whatever. The developer & kickstarter blogs only give us an example of feedback (funneled through PR mouthpieces?).

I have already gone on GAF record to commend Jason Schreier for the recent articles regarding Kotaku's "developer diaries" and would highly suggest others follow suit. The industry always changes, there is a story to tell in every nook and cranny. I grew up admiring gaming journalists during the early 90s and it'd be a shame to see it all disappear like a mote of dust.

Oh my god this, please! Getting back to the written word unfortunately seems to be the best way to create multiple outcomes of framing, but I would love for this to happen.
 

TDLink

Member
Completely agree. Nintendo Directs are fantastic and have really helped to make Nintendo as a company more transparent to their fans. There also is no longer such a thing as "wait for E3" with them since big announcements can drop at any time. It's fantastic and I am glad it is keeping "traditional games journalism" on their toes.

Nintendo Direct is the best idea Nintendo has had in years and in many ways its surprising they were the ones to do it first

Sony and MS would do well to follow Nintendos lead on this. It builds hype and it connects you directly to the customers.

It also allows them to 100% control the message, having press conferences and the press writing about it to the consumer does not.

It's brilliant corporate strategy. Control the message whilst give the fans the impressions they are being spoken directly to and listened to.

Whoever came up with it at Nintendo deserves a promotion and raise, big time.

How do you promote the dude who is already at the top?

Iwata has been great and both this idea plus "Iwata Asks" have really helped Nintendo's image.
 

netBuff

Member
You Nintendo people know Microsoft and Sony have had weekly podcasts about their systems as well as written blogs for years? And they both produce video segments? And various publishers produce YouTube shows to advertise their games? Nintendo Direct really isn't all that novel a concept.
 

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
I don't think it has changed anything. Maybe for the hardcore fans, yes. Every Nintendo Direct announcement brings on the hype train almost every time they get announced. This is just another info dump straight from the company like any other press release, only this time it's in video form. That's the innovation of Nintendo Direct, having all that info in a single video with information, trailers, and gameplay videos.

I actually haven't watched the latest Nintendo Direct. I didn't want to spend time to (it was streaming live too early for me to catch it). I caught up on the info quickly by looking at threads on this forum and checking the usual Twitter feed and gaming sites. Once I got my info, I went on my business. This isn't any different than how news is delivered right now. But for hardcore fans, hype levels are through the roof and everyone is totally excited.

It's just another source of information. Just like how I listen to the PlayStation Blogcast every Thursday to find out what's coming out in the following week on PSN. So what?
 

remnant

Banned
It's representative of an entirely new way of viewing videogame media.

On a surface level, it can be a big deal/not a big deal for each individual depending on whether they enjoy/don't care about the announcements made. This does not change the fact that ND changes the way we access and frame videogame material.

[EDIT] Unfortunately, by highlighting this post, I've probably reduced this entire thread to discerning whether or not ND is a big deal or not (a dichotomous outcome I try and avoid in my original post). Sad day.
Sorry for bringing down your genius thread by dissenting, but this is just not true. Gaming sites are still how the majority of consumers find their content, and press shows are still very popular to not just gamers but also retailers.

If anything ND just allows Nintendo to more closely control their propaganda and avoid the console war BS they fall into at E3
 

GCX

Member
You Nintendo people know Microsoft and Sony have had weekly podcasts about their systems as well as written blogs for years? And various publishers produce YouTube shows to advertise their games? Nintendo Direct really isn't all that novel a concept.
It's not about the idea really, it's the execution of how the CEO brings the news straight to the consumer.
 

netBuff

Member
the fact that this isn't discussed much tells you about both the quality and importance of said podcasts, versus the scope of what ND has been doing

I see their videos and information linked all the time, the same for the publisher shows produced about specific games.
 
And when was the last time you visited a website dedicated to gaming?

Gamasutra? Rock Paper Shotgun? TIGSource? The GIA (j/k)

There's nothing wrong with having an opinion and a little bias as long as it's criticisms are backed up by facts. But hearing someone praising their own product is not journalism, it's just pretty PR.
 

Ardenyal

Member
So Nintendo is not only shunning away third parties now but also the free marketing from the enthusiast press... Ok then! :lol

Direct communication with your audience is great but why not have both?
 

Loofy

Member
Iwata is just so awkward on camera. Get Yamauchi out of retirement and make him Nintendo's mascot and spokesperson.
 

miksar

Member
Nintendo direct is an infomercial, nothing more. That's not journalism.

In what world a biased highly prettified PR propaganda is "better game journalism".
Contemporary game journalism is nothing but a series of infomercials too. The thing about Nintendo Direct is that gaming press will have to raise standards of criticism or it'll become largely irrelevant as an unneeded barrier between customers and publishers.
 

Spazznid

Member
"TLDR - Please Go Back and Read"

lol


I agree to everything you said.

This is why I despise all gaming sites except for those like Gamersyde, who provides a service the others do not.
(uncompressed videos, or at least 'Less' compressed than anywhere else.)
 

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
pretty interesting OP. i don't necessarily subscribe to the central thesis here but there's some good points about...for one, with the other 2 joining the cycle soon, and having no such direct venue (we could argue E3 but there's fewer and fewer surprises there, i find) they don't have to deal with this dilemma as much in the near future, i'd imagine. part of me wonders how much has changed for them overall, given a) how much some of our press tends to sleep on nintendo anyway and b) the secrecy they managed to keep even before the great idea that is ND.

to address a few specifics:



some will argue here that we're well past this point, as the laziest (and sadly, therefore most commonly talked about/examined on here) types of such framing tend to be:

1) simple cut & paste PR writeups/announcements
2) op-ed piece taking such a hyperbolic stance as to guarantee hits when the fanboys show up

based on gawker's model (i'm certain they're far from the only using this, of course) & the growing & continued support of publishers for what at times basically seem like extensions of their PR depts, this seems like a successful trend, and while i appreciate your optimism, nintendo alone is not nearly large enough to change this, i think.



i get a great deal of my news fro this very forum, so that's not at all alarming for me personally, but it's worth pointing out that some of the largest gaming sites are blogs themselves. nothing lasts forever (RIP the GIA), but even once we move beyond them i doubt it will be about personal sites anymore than simply YT videos/previews already, anyway. i could be wrong, of course.

*edit man it's always sad to see the 1st reply shit up the thread

Great response, thank you.

I agree that nothing substantial has changed yet with only Nintendo embracing major announcements in "Direct" form, but I do have optimism.

My main point is about framing news, so the line for where information begins and ends is crucial for me. What is key about ND is that the line begins at the developer/publisher and ends at the users. Framing pieces by journalists are reduced in power as they have to play catch up to do anything more than simply "report" the news. This is good for me.

I don't think it has changed anything. Maybe for the hardcore fans, yes. Every Nintendo Direct announcement brings on the hype train almost every time they get announced. This is just another info dump straight from the company like any other press release, only this time it's in video form. That's the innovation of Nintendo Direct, having all that info in a single video with information, trailers, and gameplay videos.

I actually haven't watched the latest Nintendo Direct. I didn't want to spend time to (it was streaming live too early for me to catch it). I caught up on the info quickly by looking at threads on this forum and checking the usual Twitter feed and gaming sites. Once I got my info, I went on my business. This isn't any different than how news is delivered right now. But for hardcore fans, hype levels are through the roof and everyone is totally excited.

It's just another source of information. Just like how I listen to the PlayStation Blogcast every Thursday to find out what's coming out in the following week on PSN. So what?

See my answer above. For me, its' about the line of information people take. Nintendo Direct popularizes coming to Nintendo for the material rather than coming to a gaming site. It's more than just "information," but about framing that information.
 

@MUWANdo

Banned
So Nintendo is not only shunning away third parties now but also the free marketing from the enthusiast press... Ok then! :lol

Direct communication with your audience is great but why not have both?

What makes you think they're not getting both?
 

BillyBats

Banned
They came up with such a revolutionary way to announce another Mario, Zelda, and HD remake. But really, you seem like you really like Nintendo and that's cool I guess.
 

Famassu

Member
I like Nintendo Direct, but come on dudes, it's a HYPE MACHINE for the publisher, it's not some voice of truth amongst lying/corrupt game journalists. It's Nintendo's way of being all "hey, look at dem awesome games we have", when many of those games aren't anything special. I'd rather take impressions from game journalists than watch Iwata being fake-impressed with every game on Nintendo Direct. It's not game journalism and neither does it replace anything. It's no different than publishers having press releases on their websites and putting trailers to Youtube.

See my answer above. For me, its' about the line of information people take. Nintendo Direct popularizes coming to Nintendo for the material rather than coming to a gaming site. It's more than just "information," but about framing that information.
I don't see how this "improves" anything. Nintendo has more interest in lying/hyping up shit than any gaming site ever will.
 

IrishNinja

Member
I actually haven't watched the latest Nintendo Direct. I didn't want to spend time to

...Just like how I listen to the PlayStation Blogcast every Thursday

haha, i had to
for real though, i think it's about ND more monopolizing the release of information than anything else, but i don't know how much of this is speaking to the OP

I see their videos and information linked all the time, the same for the publisher shows produced about specific games.

*shrug* i rarely do, typically it's stuff that leaks elsehwere and once in a while the PS blog will be involved in the topic. outside of say PSABR i don't think i saw them much here last year

So Nintendo is not only shunning away third parties now but also the free marketing from the enthusiast press... Ok then! :lol

Direct communication with your audience is great but why not have both?

when all the gaming press is lining up to regurgitate the announcements from the last ND, how are you arriving at this conclusion?

They came up with such a revolutionary way to announce another Mario, Zelda, and HD remake. But really, you seem like you really like Nintendo and that's cool I guess.

i bet you couldn't even pick out the OP in a lineup
 
They came up with such a revolutionary way to announce another Mario, Zelda, and HD remake. But really, you seem like you really like Nintendo and that's cool I guess.

Yeah when they showed X, Yoshi and especially SMT x FE in the last one, all I could think was "here we go again!" Probably the most predictable was when they used ND to announce Bayonetta 2.

Those Nintendo HD remakes are becoming pretty tiresome, though.
 

Ardenyal

Member
What makes you think they're not getting both?

As the OP stated gaming websites want exclusives, no matter how small the "reveal" they will hype it up. Nintendo keeps most things under wraps up until release, they aren't getting that exposure doing this.
 

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
Sorry for bringing down your genius thread by dissenting, but this is just not true. Gaming sites are still how the majority of consumers find their content, and press shows are still very popular to not just gamers but also retailers.

If anything ND just allows Nintendo to more closely control their propaganda and avoid the console war BS they fall into at E3

It's certainly not genius, but it has a direct point that goes beyond what you're arguing. I agree that most news still comes from gaming sites and people go to them for information. I also agree that trade shows are incredibly popular.

However, this concept of a direct video stream of information that is accessible and re-watchable at any time coming from the mouth of the most authoritative person at Nintendo is an incredible change in the way we view videogame media. In the future (omg!!), it could potential change just how popular gaming sites are and trade shows are. We will see. :)
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
I like Nintendo Direct, but come on dudes, it's a HYPE MACHINE for the publisher, it's not some voice of truth amongst lying . It's Nintendo's way of being all "hey, look at dem awesome games we have", when many of those games aren't anything special. I'd rather take impressions from game journalists than watch Iwata being fake-impressed with every game on Nintendo Direct. It's not game journalism and neither does it replace anything. It's no different than publishers having press releases on their websites and putting trailers to Youtube.

I don't understand this viewpoint. How is it any different from an E3 press conference when Sony and Microsoft are throwing celebrities at your way? Except, you know, minus the hoopla and magic. All you see is Iwata et al announcing shit written by an official spokesperson that got a degree in marketing and showing videos.

Nintendo Direct always seems concise and to the point. 15mins, 30mins, maybe 1hr.

I would prefer all publishers to go the Nintendo Direct way instead of having gaming websites gush over previews or what have you. Let the writers do what they are supposed to do - give them the benefit of the doubt, accept their invitation of scrutiny, and let the public decide from there. It's so fucking wrong that the fansites should be dedicated to giving positive feedback regardless of their initial experience. Fuck that.
 

MisterHero

Super Member
A customer's ultimate judgment comes from playing the final product. Journalism, in any age of the industry, cannot change that.

Regarding your point about wanting real journalism that doesn't frame news as good or bad, Iwata may even be outstripping them with Iwata Asks. There's nothing more informative about Nintendo's processes than those interviews. Iwata Asks deals with the games and hardware directly. They don't discuss topics that are really tangential, like "What will Nintendo do about iTunes?".

It also helps that Iwata Asks are consistently delivered with a sense of levity. *laughs*
 
The market leader cut out the media. How is this not big? There won't be a nintendo themed "World Exclusive" with 5 Doritos commercial before it ever again.

Because it changes nothing about Nintendo. They've never really given the game media much attention.

With that said, Nintendo did allow Game Trailers to reveal The Wonderful 101. So they haven't closed the door on the media entirely.
 

Gummb

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about Rayman Legends Wii U.
Gamasutra? Rock Paper Shotgun? TIGSource? The GIA (j/k)

There's nothing wrong with having an opinion and a little bias as long as it's criticisms are backed up by facts. But hearing someone praising their own product is not journalism, it's just pretty PR.

I'm not saying that a Nintendo Direct is journalism... but that it will change the way journalism is conducted. Please read my original post. :)
 
Contemporary game journalism is nothing but a series of infomercials too. The thing about Nintendo Direct is that gaming press will have to raise standards of criticism or it'll become largely irrelevant as an unneeded barrier between customers and publishers.

Not every site is like this and that's no excuse.

"Every big site is just copy & past of PR so let's just skip the big sites completely" is the worst fucking idea ever. Let's shut down all the press and hear the news directly from the government then.

I'm not saying that a Nintendo Direct is journalism... but that it will change the way journalism is conducted. Please read my original post. :)

I did, it's just a bad idea. Sorry.
 

z0m3le

Banned
Really nice post OP, I have been thinking similarly about the things you bring up and I ultimately agree and hope we see change from these bigger sites and/or publishers taking on a more direct approach to their audience.

One thing that was quite a bit shocking to me, was when Shane Shatterfield left GameTrailers, while he was looking back on it, he mentioned that GameTrailers has always been MTV, and it made me see that site in a different light. MTV is a perception filter, and while I am not saying that they make Nintendo look bad, I do think they tell us what music, movies and games are cool. I personally don't need to see that happen and could be why genres have more or less seemed to start looking and feeling the same. (IMO)
 

ArtHands

Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
If they do so what? The info is still regurgitated through all the media sites. ND has not changed anything except gave us a less predictable schedule for Nintendo announcements, and its not like this is the first time Nintendo caught people off guard with announcements. Monster Hunter Tri anyone.

Look I like ND but to me people are over blowing this to something it really isn't. To some this is a genius seismic shift for how Nintendo advertises their wares. Nintendo probably doesn't see it that way.

I think its because this is the first time Nintendo Direct exceeded the expectation, and the journalists are unhappy that they got bypassed and didn't have a chance to pass down the information with a negative spin to it.

Those who insisted (like chris kohler commenting those games to be vaporwares) got ridiculated. people were destroying him in the comment section.
 
As far as presenting games Playstation blog is much better because one can interact with the developers, ask questions and getting more info. Nintendo direct only shows trailers/gameplay. There's no interactions between gaming fans and devs.

Nintendo Direct is just a method to do PR for their games.
 
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