E3 won't be happening this year, but game companies throughout the world are still prepared to make their announcements and reveals this June. And ever since Nintendo moved their E3 Showcase into the digital Nintendo Direct format in 2013, they've always had a showcase in June. But this year might break that uninterrupted track record. A report from VentureBeat claims that Nintendo is telling developers that they will no longer be holding their annual June Direct, due to the difficulties of COVID-19 and their staff being forced to work from home. The report also claims that the difficulties may stem from Japan's work culture relying on respectful face-to-face meetings, and that workers in the country are not prepared for a work-from-home lifestyle.

VentureBeat's rumor track record has been fairly steady as of late, with the media outlet getting the dates for both March 26's Nintendo Direct and the Indie World Showcase correct a week prior to the official announcement.

Source

 

[pedro702]

well so no direct this year, we get to know games as they come now like the old days xD im guessing 3rd party devs might want to start releasing trailers of their own on twiter or something.

 

[James_]

We all saw this coming




right

 

[deinonychus71]

And of course they won't announce it publicly, so around E3 people are gonna start asking for it again and Nintendo will just ignore them like they did for months before the mini.
I get it, there's a worldwide situation. This situation does not prevent a company from communicating its issues.

 

[xbmcuser]

I think they are accumulating games to release. They wont want PS5 and xbox to get all the limelight when they are released.
Roll on 2021

 

[JuanMena]

I think they are accumulating games to release. They wont want PS5 and xbox to get all the limelight when they are released.
Roll on 2021

Games like Persona... Fire Emblem... Persona... did I said Fire Emblem?

 

[chartube12]

And of course they won't announce it publicly, so around E3 people are gonna start asking for it again and Nintendo will just ignore them like they did for months before the mini.
I get it, there's a worldwide situation. This situation does not prevent a company from communicating its issues.

You are forgetting Nintendo’s new goal of being anti-consumer. As well as anti-announcement-ism ever since the PR failures of the pokemon company. Nintendo’s biggest investors want them to be the new ea with a stretch goal of being the new_disney/old_microsoft.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

The report also claims that the difficulties may stem from Japan's work culture relying on respectful face-to-face meetings, and that workers in the country are not prepared for a work-from-home lifestyle.

So these guys never heard of video calling and still use IRC or texting on their phones... even worst, E-MAIL for messaging?

Clearly working in the same room is a lot easier but it seems like they never tried working from home ever. That's the kind of thing people should prepare for in case stuff like THIS happens.

 

[deinonychus71]

You are forgetting Nintendo’s new goal of being anti-consumer. As well as anti-announcement-ism ever since the PR failures of the pokemon company. Nintendo’s biggest investors want them to be the new ea with a stretch goal of being the new_disney/old_microsoft.

That's pushing it. But I do think they suck at communicating their issues properly.
And their pacing has always been awful the first half of the year. It's not just a covid thing.

 

[relauby]

This sucks, but it seems like whenever a Direct is cancelled (or at least thought to be cancelled, I don’t think they’ve ever officially cancelled one they already had announced) all the third-party stuff just sort of gets dumped out pretty much immediately, so if this is true we’ll probably be hit with a bunch of announcements soon anyway.

 

[gaga941021]

why live

 

[xatzimi]

Strange Japanese business practices strike again!

 

[Clydefrosch]

so?

has anyone ever actually gained anything from knowing about releases 12-48 months in advance?

 

[x65943]

so?

has anyone ever actually gained anything from knowing about releases 12-48 months in advance?

I need my BOTW 2 fix

 

[DuoForce]

This really is just a shitty year from Nintendo. My biggest fear was the June direct getting delayed. Hope they are just rumors and nothing else!

 

[daddu3]

Oof... this is only going to make the drought of big announcements from Big Ninty's even longer after Xenoblade Definitve comes out.

In case rumor being indeed true in the end, may heavens be with them... cuz' luck won't be around to save them for now on like it did with the such a timing regarding sales of New Horizons.

 

[ChaosEternal]

So these guys never heard of video calling and still use IRC or texting on their phones... even worst, E-MAIL for messaging?

Clearly working in the same room is a lot easier but it seems like they never tried working from home ever. That's the kind of thing people should prepare for in case stuff like THIS happens.

It seems that Japan tends to move pretty slowly when it comes to cultural changes. Knowing how to and actually shifting workplace culture are two very different things. Even initiatives from the Prime Minister have difficulty shifting workplace culture, as seen in the challenges his attempts to reduce chronic overwork among the Japanese working population have faced.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

It seems that Japan tends to move pretty slowly when it comes to cultural changes. Knowing how to and actually shifting workplace culture are two very different things. Even initiatives from the Prime Minister have difficulty shifting workplace culture, as seen in the challenges his attempts to reduce chronic overwork among the Japanese working population have faced.

I just think they prefer having them work at a office cubicle all day so they can keep tabs on them and make sure no one is slacking off and stuff. That's the worst kind of environment, being harrassed by supervisor or micromanaged.

Maybe I'm paranoid, everytime I hear about japanese work environment, makes me remember how sakurai got sick from working too much. Wondering if it was his own free will. Did he choose to work that much or was he doing crunch time for some other reason?

I just don't like thinking about it. Businesses... the less you can pay someone to do the most work, that's basically what people think which probably leaves bad impression.

 

[ShadowOne333]

So Metroid Prime 4 release on 2022.
Pretty much that's all I care.
Anything else Nintendo outside of that and BotW sequel I don't give a fuck.

 

[Deleted member 512337]

Oh no a massive multi million dollar company cant upscale old mario games boo hoo.