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[CyberPanda]

This week saw Sony and Microsoft both getting in on the video news show format. Sony had its first PlayStation “State of Play” video, focused on PSVR titles. And Xbox put out the first episode of its “ID@Xbox Game Pass,” a mouthful of a name for a presentation that included both announcements and developer interviews. Neither of them were as good as a Nintendo Direct.

Xbox has been on the video scene for a while with its monthly “Inside Xbox” showcases, which tend to go on too long and be too light on news. While these video announcements can be charming and even occasionally useful, they don’t hold a candle to Nintendo’s Directs. Directs are usually fun and personality-driven, but most importantly, they tend to contain actual news, like release dates and demos or games you can play that day. Paul and I sat down to talk about what we thought of these new direct-alikes, and why we like Nintendo’s presentations so much.

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[Breakfast at Noon]

Imagine a world where people cared for the likes of Kotaku and polygons opinions?

 

[Barakov]

As of right now, yeah. Nintendo has been doing it so long they've gotten to be pros at it. Sony and MS need to do them when they actually having meaningful news to share. Right now they're copying Nintendo and doing it badly.

 

[Kagey K]

Does anyone really care?

Do you think MS and Sony are going “Oh shit, Nintendo is making internet videos, we should too?”

Or are they all just doing their own thing as far as marketing goes?

They all are trying to find a new way to market to the masses and streaming seems to be it. Why aren’t they calling out that terrible Square video from last year as it seems to be the one that wants to be a direct the most.

Every audience has different targets and every brand has different audiences. I’d be very disappointed if they all became the same homogeneous shit.

 

[klosos]

Sony have done one so far, granted it was not very good (unless you like VR), but I think it's a bit early to make snap judgements and click bait articles.

For me I like the little bite sized information then like E3 a information overload for a weekend.

 

[Kagey K]

Sony have done one so far, granted it was not very good (unless you like VR), but I think it's a bit early to make snap judgements and click bait articles.

For me I like the little bite sized information then like E3 a information overload for a weekend.

I have to admit I like the E3, kid at Cristmas cycle. It was my fav part of the year, and I hope to see that tradition kept alive, even if Sony decides to be Scrooge.

The rest of the industry needs to show them it will go on without them, and I think they will in spectacular numbers.

 

[Spukc]

You beter clickity click yoself befo the link is gone
Clickity click bait ass kotaku craptastic site.

10 reasons you will never believe why kotaku is so shit​

CLICKITY CLICK ME
​

 

[bosnianpie]

Kotaku clickbait article. Sony has had one show so far, so it's a bit ridiculous to make this claim and compare it with Direct that has been on for years. Give it some time, when PS5 launches every slide will be "actual news" and I'm sure the show will grow into a relevant and appreciated source of information.

 

[klosos]

I have to admit I like the E3, kid at Cristmas cycle. It was my fav part of the year, and I hope to see that tradition kept alive, even if Sony decides to be Scrooge.

The rest of the industry needs to show them it will go on without them, and I think they will in spectacular numbers.

I hear that mate, I just think at E3 traditionally is so big, that amount of smaller games that get buried deep and forgotten because of the big boys, and media who tend to focus on the bigger devs/publishers.

This direct style shows can really give the smaller devs some massive exposure that they won't get at E3.

 

[Kagey K]

I hear that mate, I just think at E3 traditionally is so big, that amount of smaller games that get buried deep and forgotten because of the big boys, and media who tend to focus on the bigger devs/publishers.

This direct style shows can really give the smaller devs some massive exposure that they won't get at E3.

That’s why these shows have all the developers on, whether it was Giantbomb, MS, Sony, Nintendo, IGN, Polygon, or anyone else.

They get to show off gameplay and talk about their games on all the streams. Some of the biggest indie games made their names off their E3 showings.

Sony deciding to sit this one out, will leave their name off some of these developers tongues.

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again. Even if they didn’t want to do a presser, they should have had a space to show their wares on the floor.

 

[klosos]

Fair point, I can't disagree with you there.

 

[Gamernyc78]

Most Nintendo Directs are pure boredom. So idk what he's hollering about. Besides the last psx Sony owns them in conferences. This shit fanboy dribble.

 

[mejin]

there are good and terrible Directs from nintendo.

 

[Gavin Stevens]

Kotaku shitting in MS? That’s a n... oh wait no business as usual.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

So, Sony showed A LOT of VR games but the journalists doesnt like VR so it sucked.

Jesus fucking Christ. "Journalists"

 

[LuvOfThaGame]

Negatory, Ghost Riders.

 

[PocoJoe]

Yes because Sony/ms fanboys arent as Bad as Nintendos

"Something about boring smash bros for 30mins, face of mario and new cardboard thingy"

OMG OMG OMG IM GONNA DIEEEEEEE!!! SMASH IS LIFE!!

 

[Sparda]

From era

I think they can but they will never have the same impact as NDs.
The standards for Nintendo are lower.
If Nintendo brings a ND filled with indies, and some of them old, people will still say "look how many good indies are coming to Switch". If MS or Sony makes a SoP/Inside based on indies, including old ones, people will be mad asking where are the big guns.
If Nintendo brings a ND with smaller 1P titles people will say "look how many good games are coming to Switch". If Sony or MS makes a SoP/Inside based on smaller titles people will be mad with "where are my AAA games?".
If Nintendo brings a ND with updates on 3P announced games, even old ones, people will be like "look at the 3P support is getting". If MS or Sony brings 3P annoumced games to their Inside/SoP shows people will be like "we already know this is coming to PS/Xbox give us new AAA announcements".
So yeah it's kinda impossible for State ofPlay or Inside Xbox to have the same impact as NDs simply because what people would expect to be a good SoP/Inside is a mini E3 show while Nintendo can get away with a simple presentation.
So it's not a matter of being as good as a ND, because they can easily match most of NDs, it's a matter of higher expectations that obviously will not be matched 99% of the time.
Nintendo themselves wouldn't able to have "good NDs" if people expected them to show new AAA announcements at every ND. People expect and doesn't accept less than that from Sony and MS.
And this first State of Play is a proof of this.

Nailed it

 

[michaelius]

Imagine a world where people cared for the likes of Kotaku and polygons opinions?

Well we don't but it's not like they are wrong here. Both Sony and Microsoft "directs" were shit

 

[zenspider]

I hear that mate, I just think at E3 traditionally is so big, that amount of smaller games that get buried deep and forgotten because of the big boys, and media who tend to focus on the bigger devs/publishers.

This direct style shows can really give the smaller devs some massive exposure that they won't get at E3.

Same here. Especially with so many leaks. E3 is fun and all, but the Directs (and hopefully Sony and MS' takes on it) can surprise and delight like E3 and CES used to. Those Direct "shadow drops" of Hollow Knight, Tetris 99, and Blaster Master Zero were so good.

 

[Revolutionary]

edit: wrong thread

 

[TeamGhobad]

a whole conference based one one game? and they think MS and sony can't compete?

 

[TLZ]

This is so damn childish.

 

[Fake]

Nobody can match Labo. Its biologic impossible.

 

[ExpandKong]

I like that they’re finally following suit on this because nothing is more drawn-out and cringe-inducing than your typical E3 press conference, but yeah they still need some work. Sony’s, in particular, felt downright sterile compared to a typical Direct for some reason.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

This doesn’t make any sense. Sony has no incentive to make a splash when they clearing holding all their cards. PS4 is in the bag.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

a whole conference based one one game? and they think MS and sony can't compete?

Definitely this. I mean, even when talking specifically about Nintendo Directs, Nintendo has had many lackluster ones as well. Sony has had how many? One? That's a lot to base an opinion off of. It is also depends on what the purpose of the show is. Microsoft talks about what is happening within the company and their presentations are not always meant to blow you away with surprises and new game announcements.

 

[gt86]

Yea Nintendo announces remakes every direct and people ohhhhh and ahhhhhhh in amazement.

 

[Ding_Dong007]

For now? No. It took Nintendo a couple of years to make them right and get to the good formula they've been doing in the last years. But it doesn't mean that Microsoft and Sony can't find a way to improve their "Directs".

 

[ExpandKong]

This doesn’t make any sense. Sony has no incentive to make a splash when they clearing holding all their cards. PS4 is in the bag.

Yeah I’m sure that’s how they felt transitioning from the PS2 to the PS3 and that attitude worked out well for them.

 

[FStubbs]

Sony gets more third party exclusives than Nintendo and has some serious first party games as well. They could easily do a Direct that beat Nintendo's. That's just not how they do things.

... at least right now. It's starting to look like the PS5 will be revealed via a "Direct".

 

[Zannegan]

I think the better position to take would be that they haven't matched Nintendo's directs... yet. Either way, it's a pretty subjective statement, but saying something as difinitive as "can't" when Sony and even MS are just spinning up their direct-style shows is both premature and bad for discussion. You're far more likely to piss people off than convince them with that approach (hence some of the more vitriolic replies in this thread).

I guess anger generates more clicks than reasoned discussion though. *shrug*

 

[Fbh]

I think the big difference and why the format doesn't work as well for Sony and MS is that there is a fundamental difference in their software strategy compared to Nintendo.

Nintendo tends to focus on a lot of mid budget games every year while Sony/MS focus on 1-2 big AAA releases. This, IMO, makes the Nintendo strategy of multiple small event (the directs) work really well for them while MS and Sony are better suited for 1 or 2 big showings.

For example:
From the top of my head, this year for Switch there is: Yoshi, Fire Emblem, Pokemon, Astral Chain, Demon X Machina, Links Awakening, Ultimate Alliance 3 and Mario Maker 2.
What does Sony have? Days gone, TLOU2, Ghosts of Tsushima and Death Stranding. Half of which will probably not even release this year.

Then you have the timing:
Nintendo: Astral Chain, Pokemon, Links Awakening and Mario Maker 2 have all been announced this year for a 2019 release.
Sony: Days Gone, death stranding and TLOU2 were all announced in 2016. Ghosts of Tsushima in 2017.
I think that also makes a difference. A new direct which shows new Astral Chain or Pokemon footage will feel exciting. Seeing Days Gone for the 30th time doesn't

 

[DoubleJTripleDistilled]

Imagine a world where people cared for the likes of Kotaku and polygons opinions?

I agree with you, but it is a refreshing change of pace to see them say something about videogames instead of gender.

 

[Rugabuga]

Funny. People where shitting on directs last years from e3 to january.
Outside of Smash Bros, there wasn't much in the latter half of the year.

 

[Codes 208]

Imagine a world where people cared for the likes of Kotaku and polygons opinions?

“Game informer and IGN can’t match Kotaku articles!”

 

[Codes 208]

Jokes aside I actually enjoy The directs, but the last few E3’s have been rather absymal from Nintendo since they tend to focus on a single game here and there (like BotW back in 2016 and smash bros last year)

 

[Oddvintagechap]

Yeah I’m sure that’s how they felt transitioning from the PS2 to the PS3 and that attitude worked out well for them.

Sony’s only issue during the PS3 phase was the cell processor.

 

[mcjmetroid]

I'm pretty sure it's not too hard to make a video of your upcoming games. Sony were clearly testing the waters before doing something more serious. They'll have one around e3 and that'll be a good indicator.

Amongst other things I didn't realise Nintendo were the unrivalled video editing masters of the gaming world. Get real.

I would agree with the personality bit though. Nintendo are able to have more fun with their directs than the other 2.

 

[zackmorris]

Directs are also Nintendos primary way of delivering game news. MS is still having an E3 conference and Sony still does some stage shows and will probably do another large show this year. Their intentions are very different.

 

[Javthusiast]

Microsofts Inside Xbox are trash yes, but this was sony's first state of play, so it can only get better. Obviously directs are better at the moment cause they've been doing them for a while.

 

[ExpandKong]

Sony’s only issue during the PS3 phase was the cell processor.

“You will work more hours.”

 

[Moses85]

Never say never. Depends on WHO is presenting the shows and what blockbusters they can offer.

Imagine Kaz is presenting new gameplay for TLOU2, HZD2...

Phil, new Conker, Perfect Dark or Banjo.

 

[Mochilador]

Never say never. Depends on WHO is presenting the shows and what blockbusters they can offer.

Imagine Kaz is presenting new gameplay for TLOU2, HZD2...

Phil, new Conker, Perfect Dark or Banjo.

Imagine Kevin Butler doing the presentation.

 

[Kagey K]

Never say never. Depends on WHO is presenting the shows and what blockbusters they can offer.

Imagine Kaz is presenting new gameplay for TLOU2, HZD2...

Phil, new Conker, Perfect Dark or Banjo.

Imagine Kevin Butler doing the presentation.

Now imagine real people (Kaz) and not actors (Kevin) who are still with Sony.

There aren’t many that can deliver the same kind of confidence through those videos.

Are Ryan or House going to be the faces you want to see on these videos?

 

[Oddvintagechap]

“You will work more hours.”

So? Sold twice as much as the Xbox One, and as much as the Xbox 360. If your biggest failure is your main competitor’s biggest success, what does that say. Only issue with PS3 was the Cell Processor.

 

[Dontero]

Didn't they bail out of E3 precisely because they didn't have enough content to cover actual conference ?

 

[ExpandKong]

So? Sold twice as much as the Xbox One, and as much as the Xbox 360. If your biggest failure is your main competitor’s biggest success, what does that say. Only issue with PS3 was the Cell Processor.

The focus of this thread isn’t engineering, it’s marketing and PR. And while yes, the PS3 ended up doing well in the end, it took them ages to get there - especially coming off the ridiculous success of the PS2.

PS2 - PS3 Arrogant Sony is a well-known truth.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

PS3 hard to develop for bc of the cell processor. Sony can be as egoistic as they want. PS3 was extremely good value. All that matters are games.

 

[ROMhack]

I think it's because Nintendo know their audience better. I don't doubt that Sony and MS think they know their audience but it doesn't appear they actually do.

Does anybody though? I don't think I could tell you who MS and Sony's core audience are anymore. B2C marketing relies on a strong understanding of it.