Nintendo has become famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) for ditching on-stage presentations of their products in favor of scripted, pre-recorded footage known as “Directs”. We recently learned that this upcoming E3 would be a bit barren, with no NX and a focus on the upcoming Zelda title. But a recent press release and Nintendo’s E3 webpage suggest that there will be no accompanying Direct, either.
In addition to the demos that will be present on the show floor for the new Zelda, Nintendo has stated there will be a livestream for those at home. Beginning at 9:00 am PT, Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime will join the Nintendo Treehouse in both streaming the game and providing a behind-the-scenes look from the show floor with game developer commentary.
However, neither the press release nor the website make any mention of the traditional Nintendo Direct that takes the place of a traditional conference. This may come as a sucker punch to those hoping that Nintendo might at least talk about some plans they have for the remainder of 2016, which looks fairly dry right now in terms of software. That being said, this is not a confirmation that there will be no Direct, merely that as of now the plans that have been made public make no mention of one happening.
For all we know, Nintendo could surprise their fans when they least expected it. However, that seems unlikely. Nintendo recently reported a 61% drop in profits for the fiscal year ending in March 2016. With the NX not coming until March 2017, the company will most likely bide their time and invest all resources they have into preventing this type of situation from happening again by fostering a strong console launch. Sorry folks, but that means Wii U news will probably be light this E3.
