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Nintendo E3 Directs
In June 2013, in lieu of its traditional large-scale E3 press conference, Nintendo opted to utilize the Nintendo Direct platform as an alternative method of conveying its news. Speaking at an annual March financial results briefing just two month prior, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata stated that the company’s decision was determined by the fact that “different people demand different types of information”, and that the Nintendo direct platform had established itself to the point that Nintendo would “be able to deliver [their] messages more appropriately and effectively … based on the various needs of different groups of people”. During the stream of the prerecorded broadcast, Nintendo’s website suffered from technical difficulties in the form of overloaded servers, rendering the live video unwatchable for many viewers, and prompting an official apology from Mr. Iwata.

Within a week of the presentation, gaming journalism website Polygon interviewed Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Amie, regarding the live online broadcast. When questioned as to viability of Nintendo’s direct-to-consumer type marketing, Fils-Amie emphasized the growth of social media, and how secondary viewership works to popularize product promotion; citing that viewership numbers have steadily risen three to four weeks after the initial airing of past Nintendo Direct broadcasts. This claim coincides with CEO Iwata’s previous statements that platforms such as YouTube provide an opportunity for broader market reach, as videos uploaded to dedicated channels offer potential consumers a method of access, regardless of if they were aware of the initial live broadcast. Iwata backed up his assertion by highlighting the 1 million views garnered by a past, Japan exclusive Nintendo Direct, which “even made its way into the charts on YouTube”. In essence, Nintendo’s utilization of the Direct platform, showcases the companies faith in peer to peer marketing. Bypassing media outlets, by delivering news content straight to consumers, lessens the possibility for potential miscommunications, while simultaneously increasing the chance for the unmediated transference of a message.

Following suit with its 2013 E3 presentation format, Nintendo announced on April 24, 2014, that it intends to, once again, forgo its Los Angeles stage presence in favor of a special “Digital Event”, which will include both an extended Nintendo Direct presentation, as well as live coverage of the expo’s show floor. Additionally, although Nintendo has decided to skip the large scale press conference, the company still holds a commanding presence at the expo, as well as throughout retail chains across America. In 2013, Nintendo pushed its direct marketing further by allowing unreleased video games that were announced during the E3 Nintendo Direct, to be playable at select Best Buy locations throughout the United States. Nintendo’s new form of direct marketing, that social media and online interactivity have allowed for, benefits from the fact that it exists within a controlled environment, rather than on a stage where technical difficulties and miscommunication are not uncommon. The traditional nature that the Electronic Entertainment Expo presents, with large multinational companies trying to outspend one another to advertise their latest and greatest games is becoming increasingly irrelevant due to the changing landscape of the media industries, where information is easier and more efficiently acquired through various online sources.