It's time to kill the Nintendo Direct | Opinion
I do often struggle with these digital showcase events.
I am told this is the future of game announcements, but why do they have to be so dull? The very nature of them requires me to sit through reams and reams of games that really aren't for me, before getting the one or two products that do suit my tastes. In this digital age, surely we can come up with something more creative or entertaining or bespoke? This is the video games industry after all.
It didn’t help that last night’s Nintendo Direct, sitting in its usual February slot, was lacking in big surprises. It was a Direct full of remasters and DLC, its Nintendo Switch Online service has been enhanced with Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games (both the base and enhanced tiers), and the big games that opened and closed the show were known to us already.
It won't have reassured nervous shareholders who are concerned about how Nintendo plans to build on the success of Switch. But if the rumours are true that Nintendo has a quieter line-up this year (post-Zelda), that's okay. It happens. COVID-19 lockdowns had slowed down development for everyone, and gaps in the schedule are inevitable. And at least they've got digital options, like its subscription service and DLC, to keep its players engaged.
It wasn’t all the remasters, or the endless stream of JRPGs, or the lack of big surprises that had me frustrated with last night’s Direct. It was something far more fundamental, and something epitomised by the reveal of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's collector's edition.
Nintendo has a formula for special editions these days. It’s basically you get the base game, a steelbook, an artbook and some other small trinket. This is then released in limited quantities
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