A satirical post on X drew some attention last week, and admittedly, I almost fell for it. The post, which is shared below, plays with the idea of phasing out Nintendo Directs. Even though that post was a complete farce, it does make me wonder: what would happen if Nintendo did stop sharing new game announcements and updates via their Directs? What kind of impact, if any, would it have? And lastly, would that even be a smart move for the company?
Acknowledging this was a spoof post, let’s imagine what would happen if Nintendo went in this direction. Nintendo was one of the first big companies to step back from showcases like E3 (R.I.P.) to shift their focus to their own Directs. This was beneficial for Nintendo in many ways, including the ability to fully control the content and messaging of what they wanted to promote.
Fast forward to 2025, Nintendo launched the Nintendo Today! app. This app is intended to deliver Nintendo content, including news updates, directly to their fans. The Nintendo Today! app has increasingly been the used as the method to deliver announcements such as The Legend of Zelda movie and a Star Fox Direct.
If Nintendo truly phased out Directs all together and made announcements only via the Nintendo Today! app, there would be some positives but also a lot of negatives. A means to connect directly with the consumer may cut down on risks of leaks, and it also would likely cut costs for Nintendo.
The downside comes from a fan’s perspective. A Nintendo Direct is an event that the gaming community can come together and enjoy. There is a production value to it, and it’s always fun to familiar faces like Shigeru Miyamoto or Eiji Aeonuma and guess what will be announced. If new games are revealed only via the Nintendo Today! app, the job will get done, but it would make things dreadfully dull. While not everyone was a fan of E3, we would continue to see the death of hype and excitement than an event (physical or digital) could drum up more than an alert on a cell phone. Additionally, if other larger companies see Nintendo making this move and saving money, we may see the disappearance of not just the Nintendo Direct but maybe PlayStation’s State of Play and the Xbox Showcase.
On top of that, Nintendo has a way to go when it comes to apps and other digital interfaces. On top of the Nintendo Today! app, they also have the Nintendo Music app, Nintendo Switch app, and Switch Parental Controls app. Also, the digital store still is subpar to other digital storefronts. If Nintendo did away with Directs, they would need to tighten up their superfluous apps and overall digital presence.
In the end, this was all just a hypothetical discussion. Thankfully, there is no mention from Nintendo that they plan on changing course when it comes to game announcements. The satirical post did come at a sensitive time however, given that Nintendo hasn’t had a first party Direct that wasn’t focused on a singular title since September 2025. Since then, we’ve had third-party Nintendo Directs, game focused Directs, and announcements via the Nintendo Today! app. While Directs are still very much a thing, it’s clear Nintendo does want to shake up how announcements are delivered. Fingers crossed we get a Nintendo Direct in June!
Do you think Nintendo should stop creating Directs and only deliver announcements directly to consumers via the Nintendo Today! app? Do you think that would be a net positive or a detriment to the industry? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
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