A Nintendo Direct, like any game conference, comes with the potential to announce a broad range of information on video games and game consoles. Nintendo proved that very recently, releasing a Direct in which it revealed a new Kirby game, a new trailer for the long awaited Bayonetta 3, and much more. Nintendo fans have a lot to look forward to over the coming months, meaning conversation around the Switch and Nintendo consoles won't be slowing down anytime soon. However, there's another type of announcement that the latest Nintendo Direct featured that most fans probably didn't see coming: more Directs.
Announcing more Nintendo Directs during a Nintendo Direct sounds counterintuitive, but it's actually a pretty smart move by Nintendo. Most of the time, fans know very little about when Nintendo will release a Direct and give updates on games, since it habitually announces Directs mere days before the Directs actually happen. This time, Nintendo is planning ahead, telling fans to mark their calendars and look forward to the next announcement. It's a great way to preserve excitement around their games and stimulate conversations about Nintendo products. In other words, making Direct release dates public generates hype when Nintendo fans might otherwise have very little information to discuss.
Nintendo Fans are Hungry for News
No matter what happens in a Nintendo Direct, fans always wonder when the next one will take place. Their dates can be hard to predict sometimes; sometimes Nintendo releases Directs in back to back months, and sometimes it goes many months without making a major announcement. In contrast to this, there's always Nintendo projects that fans want to hear about. Whether it's games like Bayonetta 3 or Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 that take a long time to release, or unconfirmed titles like Super Mario Odyssey 2 that could always get surprise reveals, fans never run out of things to hope for.
That's why it's important to have Nintendo Directs publically scheduled in advance. Fans won't get to hear about everything that they're waiting for, since the upcoming Directs are specialized. Still, they'll at least know when Nintendo's next big presentation is taking place, which is inherently uncommon. It's a major improvement over the famous Nintendo Direct drought of 2020; Nintendo released some miniature Directs, but it largely stopped making major announcements as the game industry grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. A Nintendo Direct that reveals more Directs inspires optimism about the internal state of Nintendo, suggesting the company is on the mend after a difficult 2020.
The Upcoming Directs are Valuable
The newly announced Directs seem like a good way to wrap up Nintendo's 2021 news cycle. One of the Directs focuses on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; game director Masahiro Sakurai will reveal the game's last DLC fighter and explain their kit, giving the game a proper sendoff. The other Direct is about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, another title with a lot of influence on the Switch brand. The New Horizons Direct announcement suggests that fan favorite character Brewster will finally join the game, and that's sure to be only one part of a new wave of content announced at the Direct.
Hopefully Nintendo makes a habit of announcing Directs well in advance, even if they're Directs with special topics like these. Announcements scheduled in advance keep fans excited, even if there won't be any major announcements in the meantime. Hype is an extremely valuable resource to any video game company, and it's a lot easier to keep fan hype in high supply when they can count down the days to the next big announcement. Nintendo doesn't have to make a new reveal every single week, but it should consider letting fans in on Direct dates more often. After all, Direct dates can go a long way in lifting a Nintendo fan's spirits.
