The Wii U is floundering.  Last Janurary we got a massive Nintendo Direct, and this January we didn't even get one.  Sales forecasts are abysmal.  Nintendo needs to act.  They need to reveal big stuff.  Last year everyone kept saying that they were just waiting to reveal stuff until the holidays were over.  So the holidays are over, and now we're an entire month overdue for a Nintendo Direct, and now, more than ever in the console's life, they need to give it to us.  All over the internet people are making the same old threads we get every time an ND comes around, listing not only their hopes, but their expectations.  They list many reasonable things, stating games and services that Nintendo would be stupid not to be working on.  We all hold our breath, waiting for the big stuff...

For the 3DS we get some meh stuff.  For the Wii U, nothing.  New trailers, but no announcements.  Not a single piece of information about any new (retail) Wii U games that we don't already know about.  Not one.

The sad thing is, I went into this expecting nothing.  Literally nothing.  And that's what we got.  So I ask, why do people still have expectations?  Nintendo has delivered before, but since last E3 it's just been garbage.  "They've got to reveal something even slightly new, don't they?"  Nope, nothing.  "They've got to at least give us a release date for that game that was announced a million years ago, right?"  Nope, not even that.  "Well, maybe they'll--"  Nope.  Whatever you were just about to say, they won't do it.

Will there come a time when people just stop?  And I'm not even saying Nintendo will never deliver again; just that until they do, we've got no reason to expect it.  They don't listen to their fans, and they don't use logic.  Why do we all pretend that they do?  It just sets us up for disappointment.

Too you maybe

I was happy with mk8 trailer with little mac debut and bayo2! Also X gameplay, free to play games and of course a release date for my Kirby!!!

Anyway, too many people expect too much. Its either a direct or no direct at all, i dont see why people complain so much but thats just me i guess

You still had expectations, you know. They were just low expectations. Hopefully E3 gives us release dates for games this year, a (great) Zelda U trailer, and some new game announcements. I guess they don't want to make directs mini E3's, so they're saving stuff for E3.

Hope springs eternal.

Anyway, is the Direct approach (heh) a mistake? Should Nintendo go back to the traditional methods such as using magazine reveals and press releases for normal announcements and conventions for big announcements? Or do people enjoy the format?

"They don't listen to their fans, and they don't use logic."


That's a self-contradicting statement right there. If Nintendo listened to their fans their bank would be empty by now.

Nintendo surely wants a big E3 this year so they are not going all out like last years Jan Direct

Actually, I think the unrealistic hype for the Directs is a great thing. It draws viewers in, who become aware of games that they otherwise wouldn't know about, regardless of their potential interest in said games.

People will always have  expectations for something. Half-Life 3 is a good example. People are having expectations even if the game is never coming out. That's simply how gamers are.

Always go into a direct with zero (or very low) expectations. If someoe expects Nintendo to unveil Zelda, F-Zero and Star fox in one Direct and is then disappointed afterwards, it's his own fault.

They clearly stated that they were only going to talk about Wii U and 3ds games that are being released this spring.
(I was actually surprised by the fact that they showed Bayonetta II and X)

This being said, the Direction was a total win for me the second I saw little Mac. Also the Mario Kart 8 trailer was delicious.

Some people just have unrealistic views of what to expect.