Nintendo Direct facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nintendo Direct
Main logo since 2017
Script error: The function "name_from_code" does not exist.	ニンテンドーダイレクト
Genre	Presentation
Created by	Satoru Iwata
Developed by	Nintendo
Presented by	Various, presently: [[WW|Yoshiaki Koizumi (2017–present)]] WW Previous presenters [[WW|Satoru Iwata (2011–2015)]] NA
Country of origin	Japan North America Europe Australia South Korea
Original language(s)	Japanese English Korean
Production
Executive producer(s)	Satoru Iwata (2011–2015) Tatsumi Kimishima (2015–2018) Shuntaro Furukawa (2018–present)
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	5–60 minutes
Production company(s)	Nintendo
Release
Original network	YouTube Niconico Twitch Ustream (discontinued)
Original release	October 21, 2011 (2011-10-21) – present
Chronology
Related shows	Nintendo Power Nintendo Space World Nintendo Week

Nintendo Direct is a special online show from Nintendo. It's where Nintendo shares exciting news about their upcoming games and consoles. These shows started in Japan and North America on October 21, 2011. Later, they expanded to Europe, Australia, and South Korea.

How Nintendo Direct Works

Nintendo Direct shows can be different depending on the presentation and where you live.

Shows Around the World

For big announcements that everyone wants to know about, Nintendo often makes one show. This show is then translated for different countries. These worldwide shows are usually recorded in Japanese. A Japanese presenter hosts them.

Before Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata, passed away, he would host these shows in both English and Japanese. Other languages would get subtitles. After his passing, there wasn't a single worldwide host until 2017. That's when Yoshiaki Koizumi from Nintendo EPD took over. Since 2018, Shinya Takahashi has also helped host these shows.

Today, the Japanese presenters' voices are usually dubbed into English or other languages. Sometimes, subtitles are used instead.

Shows in Different Regions

Nintendo also creates shows just for certain parts of the world.

Japan's Nintendo Directs

In Japan, Satoru Iwata used to host most Nintendo Directs until 2015. Now, Yoshiaki Koizumi and Shinya Takahashi often share the hosting duties.

Japan also has special "Indie World" shows. These shows started in 2017. They focus on cool indie games made for the Nintendo Switch. If there's a Direct about Super Smash Bros., the series creator, Masahiro Sakurai, usually hosts it.

North America's Nintendo Directs

In North America, the shows were often hosted by Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, and Bill Trinen. Reggie retired in 2019.

For worldwide shows from Japan, Nintendo of America usually dubs them into English. However, some Mr. Sakurai Presents shows for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate were subtitled instead. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It made it hard to record new voices.

North America also has shows about indie games for the Nintendo Switch. These started in 2017. They were first called "Nindies Showcase" but are now known as "Indie World."

Europe and Australia's Nintendo Directs

In Europe, former Nintendo of Europe president, Satoru Shibata, and Ed Valiente hosted the shows. Australia usually aired the same shows as Europe. However, one special Direct was made just for Australia on September 24, 2014. Tom Enoki hosted that one.

For worldwide shows from Japan, Europe and Australia usually keep the original Japanese voices for the presenters. But the narrated parts are dubbed into English. Then, subtitles are added for other languages. Pokémon Directs are often fully dubbed into English for these regions.

Europe also broadcasts shows about indie games for the Nintendo Switch. They used to show the American "Nindies Showcase" and then had their own "Indie Highlights." Now, they also show the "Indie World" presentations.

South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

South Korea has had its own special Nintendo Directs. Hiroyuki Fukuda, the president of Nintendo of Korea, hosted these. Hong Kong and Taiwan have also had a few special Nintendo Directs made just for them.

Different Kinds of Nintendo Direct Shows

Besides the main Nintendo Directs that cover many games, there are also shows about specific games or series. The producer or director of that game usually hosts these.

• Nintendo Direct: This is the main type of show. It lasts about 25 to 50 minutes. It shares news about games and consoles for all Nintendo systems.
• Nintendo Direct Mini: These are shorter shows, usually 5 to 30 minutes long. They also cover games and consoles but might focus on smaller releases. Since 2018, these shows don't have hosts. There's also a "Partner Showcase" version that features games from other companies.
• Nintendo Direct Special: These shows focus on one specific game or series. They can be from Nintendo or other game makers. The game's producer or director often hosts them.
• Pokémon Presents: These shows are all about the Pokémon series. They include games for Nintendo Switch and mobile phones. The Pokémon Company organizes these, not Nintendo directly. They were called "Pokémon Direct" until 2020.
• Indie World: These shows focus on games made by independent developers for the Nintendo Switch. They started in Japan and are now shown in North America and Europe too.

Past Nintendo Direct Shows

Some types of Nintendo Direct shows are no longer made:

• Nintendo Direct Micro: This was a one-time show in 2015 for North America. It was 17 minutes long and covered games and hardware.
• Nintendo 3DS Direct: These shows were only about games and hardware for the Nintendo 3DS family of consoles. They ran from 2013 to 2016.
• Wii U Direct: These shows focused on games and hardware for the Wii U console. They ran in 2012 and 2013. They stopped when the Nintendo Switch came out.
• Nindies Showcase / Indie Highlights: These were earlier names for shows about indie games on Nintendo Switch. "Nindies Showcase" was for North America and Europe. "Indie Highlights" was just for Europe. Both were replaced by "Indie World."
• Nintendo E3 Presentations/Directs: These shows happened during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). They shared news about upcoming games. E3 itself was permanently stopped in December 2023.

Nintendo at E3 Events

From 2013 to 2021, Nintendo used Nintendo Directs instead of big press conferences at E3. Satoru Iwata said this was because different people want different kinds of information. He felt Nintendo Directs could share messages better.

In 2014, Nintendo added "Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3" streams. These were live shows from the E3 event floor. Nintendo staff and game creators would show off and talk about games announced in the Direct. Nintendo also started hosting game tournaments during E3 week. Players would compete in games that hadn't been released yet.

List of Nintendo E3 Tournaments

Nintendo held special tournaments at E3:

• 2014: Super Smash Bros. Invitational
  • Sixteen pro Super Smash Bros. players competed in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• 2015: Nintendo World Championships 2015
  • Sixteen players competed in various Nintendo games. The final game was Super Mario Maker.
• 2017: Splatoon 2 World Inkling Invitational
  • Pro Splatoon teams from different regions competed in Splatoon 2.
• 2017: Pokkén Tournament DX Invitational
  • Four teams of YouTube and Twitch stars competed.
• 2017: Arms Open Invitational
  • Four E3 attendees competed against four pro fighting game players in Arms.
• 2018: Splatoon 2 World Championship Finals
  • Splatoon teams from different regions competed in Splatoon 2.
• 2018: Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018
  • Pro Super Smash Bros. players and some E3 attendees played the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• 2019: Super Mario Maker 2 Invitational 2019
  • Special guests played new courses in Super Mario Maker 2.
• 2019: Splatoon 2 World Championship 2019
  • Splatoon teams from around the world battled in Splatoon 2.
• 2019: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate World Championship 2019 3v3
  • Teams of three from different regions competed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

After E3 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the video game industry. E3 events were canceled or held online. Nintendo also decided not to join E3 in its final years. E3 was permanently stopped in December 2023. Now, many game companies, including Nintendo, hold their own online shows.

List of Nintendo Direct Presentations

This is a list of some Nintendo Direct presentations and other Nintendo online shows.      Nintendo Direct      Nintendo Direct held at E3      Nintendo Direct Mini      Nintendo Direct for a single game or game series      Pokémon Direct/Pokémon Presents      Nindies Showcase/Indie Highlights/Indie World

Images for kids

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  Nintendo Direct Presentation logo

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  Nintendo Direct Mini presentation logo

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  Nintendo Direct Micro presentation logo

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  3DS Direct Presentation logo

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  Wii U Direct presentation logo

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  Nindies Showcase presentation logo

See Also

• List of Iwata Asks interviews