Let me get this out of the way – being at Summer Game Fest was amazing.
The people were amazing. The variety of games, both big and small, were amazing. I was lucky enough to go to E3 twice back when I wrote for a different site, and I would take the laid-back vibes, the layout, and the ability to socialise at my own pace any day of the week over the crowded convention centre of E3.
But there was one noticeable difference between Summer Game Fest and E3. Over the course of the week that encompassed the SGF Opening Showcase and the Play Dates that followed, I’d bump into colleagues and friends and catch up with them – many in person for the first time in years – and they’d all ask the same sort of question: “What’s your week been like what with Nintendo and all that?” That is to say, Nintendo’s lack of presence at Summer Game Fest, for a second year in a row, was noticeable to everyone.
We know that Nintendo will be holding a Direct sometime in June, and we know the Big N has been marching to the beat of its own drum for a while. But there’s just a little bit of magic missing from the Summer Game Fest proceedings without some joyous new trailer for a Mario, or a Pokémon, or Smash Bros, or something.
Perhaps I’m a bit spoilt in that regard. 2019 was the last E3 I went to, and I was staying in a house-share with all my friends. This was also the first time I met my now-partner in person. We put the Nintendo Direct on the TV and relished the joy of it. This was the Direct that revealed both Hero from Dragon Quest and Banjo-Kazooie for Smash Ultimate, the Collection of Mana shadow-drop, Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ release date, and a teaser for “Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”. Remember those days?
In 2024, there were plenty of fantastic Switch-bound games at Summer Game Fest, but watching the big Summer Game Fest Live showcase in person, it was missing some of that child-like glee that a Nintendo game can bring. LEGO Horizon Adventures, the very first game during that showcase, was really the only one that delivered that, mainly because the fact it's coming to Switch was such a surprise.
Wandering around the Play Days “campus”, there were still little moments of joy peppered throughout. Devolver’s area had a full-blown bar celebrating mascot Volvy’s 15th birthday, complete with fake grass, cocktails, mocktails, and birthday hats. And a stained-glass Volvy for good measure. Huge wall art featuring Monster Hunter Wilds, Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Zero, and a whole greenhouse-like building full of Sega and Atlus games.
Summer Game Fest is a trade event. Some games are tucked away behind the fancy art and bar fronts, while others are in nicely-packed rooms with lighting, air conditioning, and another of those free bars. Don’t worry, iced tea, water, and other soft drinks were on the menu – not even I can live off of margaritas all week. This year, some appointments were off-site, hiding behind hotel doors and tucked in theatre basements, adding to that sense of mystery.
A lot of the stuff I covered is all locked away behind an embargo, too. So to readers, Nintendo SGF offerings probably feel even lighter. I also miss snapping pictures with Pokémon statues at E3 or peering past the queues to Link’s Awakening just to take a photo of the adorable Zelda dioramas.
But, because this is a press- and influencer-exclusive event, it was a lot easier to spot the people I knew, and, more importantly, the faces. Shigenori Soejima, artist for the Persona series, was tucked away in the Sega area, holding interviews for the upcoming PS5, Xbox, and PC RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio (which I was lucky enough to play and cover for Push Square). But he popped out a few times to just walk around, talk, and grab a drink. Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team, was also wandering around the campus, perhaps taking a break from all of those weird Shadow the Hedgehog questions.
Shuhei Yoshida, former President of SIE Worldwide Studios and now the man known for nurturing and celebrating independent games for Sony, was spotted multiple times wandering around, more than happy to take pictures with fans and friends alike. I saw Swen Vincke, founder and head of Larian Studios, enjoying a glass of something at the Summer Game Fest live afterparty.
Creators, developers, and journalists that I’ve respected and loved for years surrounded me, and it’s something I’ll always find a bit dizzying. But, from the outside looking in, Summer Game Fest probably feels very different. It’s just a collection of livestreams, announcements, and press previews that barely give a taste of the experience.
As someone who needs to do work at the event, I don’t think the show should be open to anyone who buys a ticket – if it ever is, then there needs to be a separate day where the campus is open to the public. Plus, the space just isn’t big enough to accommodate the E3-level crowds that the final few years invited through the doors.
But right now, there’s a real disconnect between what we as the press see and what the wider public sees. There are lots of events and demos that we’re invited to that aren’t as public as events like Summer Game Fest or Gamescom. And for the former, many people still view it as a wannabe E3 replacement. But Summer Game Fest is an entirely different beast – one lacking the presence of Nintendo and Sony, right now (except, once again, for LEGO Horizon Adventures for the latter). For Nintendo, it just feels a bit strange that the company isn’t at the show in any capacity.
But 2024 is a weird year for the Big N, and we’re right before the Direct where the developer will be laying out its plans for the rest of 2024 for the Switch – presumably for the last time before the “successor” is announced.
And, arguably, if Nintendo used Summer Game Fest as a platform, it might just dominate the event as it exists today. I love Nintendo’s games – there’s a reason I write for Nintendo Life, obviously – but Nintendo’s announcements would drown out all of the cool indies and unique announcements that the variety of showcases offered this year. I wouldn’t want incentives like Innersloth’s indie fund, OuterSloth, to be overshadowed.
But the public response to Summer Game Fest Live, in particular, is a little damning. It doesn’t matter how much organiser Geoff Keighley sets people’s expectations, but people were still upset when Silksong didn’t show up, or that Square Enix’s presence (outside of the Xbox showcase, and for anything RPG-related) was minimal.
It might be because I was in Los Angeles for the event, but I thought the Live show was pretty good. There was a nice variety of titles and surprises on offer, like Digital Eclipse's new Power Rangers beat ‘em up (the crowd went nuts for it, and rightly so), Sonic X Shadow Generations’ new trailer, Boy and Deer, Neva, and Civilization VII. At this point, I know not every showcase is going to be for me, so I’m happy with just seeing a mixture of things. But if you’re a Nintendo fan in particular, it’s easy to feel rather let down.
And yet, I don’t think Summer Game Fest is the replacement for E3. It’s something fairly different, and that’s okay! E3 had 20+ years before it shut its doors for good last year; Summer Game Fest is only on its fourth year. There’s still plenty of time for it to improve, grow, and perhaps – one day – for Nintendo to join in.
Besides, that Switch successor? Next year could be the perfect time for Nintendo to make its Summer Game Fest debut.
Are you missing Nintendo's presence at the Big Summer Show™? Do you want to see something closer to the E3 of old? Vote in our polls below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Comments 60
My opinion:
Wholesome Direct 2024 = 7 / 10
Summer Games Fest = 0 / 10
It needs a lot less commercialism & product placement and actual games + gameplay trailers. Nintendo or not, SFG is a joke and an ego trip for Geoff.
Geogf keally treated everyone so horribly at the game awards except for the random celebrities and Kojima. I think Nintendo would want less to do with him, not more
I was conjured by the subheading.
I'd like Nintendo to have a presence any place where video games are front and center, I'd imagine even more so if I was a journalist who covers or a person who attends conventions like these. I'm neither, though, so as is, although it would be fun to have more Nintendo stuff to read and hear about, the Directs work just fine for me.
@Anti-Matter We get it, none of the games at the Summer Games Fest was for you. That's perfectly fine, but you don't have to keep repeating it and acting like it's horrible.
And besides, Killer Bean made it at least a 10/10.
Why would Nintendo pay to show their games on an internet advert when they have invented the best games internet advert in the Nintendo Direct? The only reason you pay to show your game is you want to expose your game to an audience who may not see it otherwise. This is the reason E3 also became financially unviable.
While it would probably rejuvenate interest in the event, I don’t think I’d want Nintendo or any of the other big video game companies to be at a game show littered with ads and commercialism. I think the uninterrupted pacing of Directs and the other showcases from console manufacturers (like Sony and Microsoft) are more preferable than what Summer Games Fest does by focusing on advertising, not to mention that I’m sure some of the people behind SGF and the Game Awards (which Keighly also hosts) don’t care about games and the art of them. It’s just really those two things that make me not interested in SGF.
What I think makes Directs the best aside from the lack of ads has to be how they are pretty much straightforward with the games they announce and how much more genuine the Directs are about video games. There are no interruptions during the events too, so that’s a plus as well.
Nope, Sony's got us covered with Lego Horizon. Until Nintendo's Direct comes along, of course.
"Is Summer Game Fest a good replacement for E3? (64 votes)
Yes, I like this more than E3
2%"
= "1 vote (1.6%)"
Is that you Geoff?
The real question to me is "Is Nintendo missing out by not participating in SGF?" and the answer to me is a hard "no". I'd always be down for a Nintendo surprise here and there, be it in SGF or TGAs, but they're doing just fine on their own and it's worked wonders for them. The Switch barely had any presence in any of Keighley's events throughout it's life outside of Smash and some smaller titles. Didn't stop it from claiming the #2 spot in console sales. Not to mention that once SGF/TGAs are over, people move on immediately. Whereas most Directs have people's attention for a solid week, especially if there's a massive reveal like Smash or Mario.
Geoff probably sees it the other way around (Is Nintendo really missing Summer Game Fest's presence?)
EDIT:
There goes any hope I have to take SGF seriously.
I don't think Summer Game Fest is a good replacement to E3 but considering E3 is gone, I think it's a very good strategy that Nintendo chooses to be completely absent from Summer Game Fest and do their own thing later on in June.
Summer Game Fest and E3 are equally trash it’s where you go and dangle a bunch of shiny objects and suddenly people pathetically stop caring about layoffs and studio closures.
I don't know if it is Nintendo specifically that is missing but the industry is in such bad shape right now the highlight was Xbox once again telling people that they do have games coming.... honest...
From what I've read people have to pay $250k to submit a 1 minute trailer to SGF.
Considering Nintendo is already able to garner sometimes tens of millions of views with standalone trailers or Directs it probably isn't worth it for them. Why pay for the same level of attention they already get?
It's probably good for smaller name companies and suspiciously rich indie developers with access to 100's of thousands of dollars to get eyes on their games. But not anyone else.
It’d be nice to get some Nintendo exclusives at Summer Game Fest. It’s a fun dopamine hit when you can plan what to play on ALL of your consoles in a short time period. Variety is the spice of life!
Btw what’s with all this negativity towards Geoff? We wouldn’t have an E3 fill in or a Game Awards without him
With youtube and immediate information I think e3, comic con movie announcements, summer game fest have all not been interesting to me. Commercials for games almost never get me interested for games, I still mainly wait for reviews. The main reason for this is a game announcement does not guarantee a came coming out this decade (joke kinda). Metroid prime 4, the blade movie, and others were announced 5 years ago or more.
I do like that Nintendo focuses mostly on games coming soon, and farming games all the farming games haha.
Summer Games Fest was pretty bad, the Xbox showcase was rather excellent though
The recent lack of challenge-friendly games from Nintendo makes me ambivalent about this. I don't care either way. Direct will always be there anyway.
From what you described it seems Geoffrey' little hoop-la is more E3 like than I gave it credit for, but therein lies the problem. Summer Games Fest is still, and will always be seen as GEOFF'S show. The ESA were perhaps a bit overpriced and behind the times, but they still had a professional reputation. Geoff, as a single person with a known sketchy, Frito-Lay sponsored past? Not so much. SGF will always be held back by its association with Geoff, and that's why Nintendo stays away. It's not like Geoff hasn't made it known time and again he doesn't respect Nintendo as crasftmen; it's the main thing he and his one way crush Kojima disagree on, so they don't respect him. His only connection was knowing how to talk to Reggie, but with Reggie gone and him being seemingly unable or unwilling to make the same connection with Junior that bridge will never exist again.
@rvcolem1 Nintendo Directs have nothing on indie showcases. Those are all 3 flavors of clone nowadays; Vampire Survivor, Hades, or Harvest Moon and/or Animal Crossing.
Nintendo doesn’t need SGF, especially at the exorbitant price they’re charging. It would only benefit the show if they showed up.
@Dr_Lugae Nintendo wouldn't have to pay. They don't make big companies pay if they reveal huge things at SGF.
Jeez, that’s rough that Geoff’s fans gave it a D, but yes, I’m absolutely hungry for Nintendo news and the lack of Nintendo at these events is rough. It’s especially compounded by the fact that Nintendo waits til everything else is done to announce anything too.
Geoff keighlys show is always the same, i would not expect more and it's fine that Nintendo does their own thing. keighly shouldn't get more controle than what he has already
Well since the E3 week is no more I try and consider the whole of June to now be associated with gaming events, so Nintendo are still taking part, along with Playstation, Xbox, Ubisoft, Devolver, PC Gaming Show, Summer Games Fest, a few other indie showcases and even Devs are putting on presentations for certain games like EA with Dragon Age, Atlus with Metaphor Re Fantazio and ABK with Call of Duty.
So Summer Game Fest isn't the main attraction, it's just a part of a bigger event that lasts for a few weeks, an event Nintendo are still very much apart of.
@Zeebor15
but the reason for that is the indie world team at NoA. they pick those always the same games ander other cool games come into the sizzle real or are not picked at all
@Zeebor15 yeah man! I burn my fast forward button on those. You forgot dating sims...to each their own. Have a good weekend sir
@jojobar I kind of blame the whole ecosystem. Store, indie advertising, indie directs etc. If I don't read a review here it is very hard to find a game on the store. You can scroll down for an hour and get a billion anime girl puzzle things, those weird live action interviewish games, anime girl shooting games, anime girl dating games, anime girls special edition games, anime girl mega collectors edition...
I find the polls difficult to answer. Like, I only ever paid attention to E3 for Nintendo's briefings and later Directs. It was less about E3 the event and more just ooo what Nintendo games are we getting? So it makes no difference to me what events are happening because Nintendo just does their own thing. Could Summer Game Fest benefit from Nintendo's participation? Big time. But I'd be watching solely for the Direct with not a care given to the surrounding event. So essentially what I'm experiencing now.
As someone who for various reasons has never and probably will never be able to attend an event I'm all for Nintendo continuing to keep their magic in the Direct and making it accessible to everyone rather than us still just having to hear about the events.
They may be missing Nintendo but Nintendo sure ain't missing them!
From the beginning, I've felt that Summer Game Fest honestly kinda sucks. I haven't tuned into a single live show and don't feel like I've missed out on anything. The only announcement to come out of one of these that ever piqued my interest was Balan Wonderworld, but that game was apparently a disaster.
You know how when there's a nuclear blast, people's shadows get left behind, etched into the ground? That's what SGF is to me--a shadowy remnant in the midst of the aftermath of the E3 fallout, nothing more. June is still an exciting time for the games industry, but it's not the same without E3. It's like getting rid of the Olympics and saying, "but hey, there's still other sporting events during the summer!" That cohesive glue tying the whole industry together in one venue isn't there anymore.
Without E3, Nintendo is better off doing their own thing. I wouldn't want them at SGF because such a lackluster event is beneath them. Same with Sony and Xbox and all the big names. I do hope E3 can someday rise again from the ashes. I know it was poorly managed and there were ethical issues like tracking attendees' data or whatever. (I never really knew the full story on that.) But it always broke my heart when people would say, "E3 is a relic of the past, it's time to let it die and move on." I still don't understand what made people feel that way.
E3 was more than just a trade show--although it was more focused on press than the fan interactions, in many ways it was to the games industry what Comic Con is to TV and cinema. One unified place where people congregated to get all the latest trailers and updates on their favorite media, with live audience reactions and in-person appearances by the talented creators who made it possible.
@Pastellioli you'll forgive me as I haven't watched Sommer Game Fest at all, but how can you say Nintento Directs have a "lack of ads"? Aren't Directs one big ad?
Does Nintendo’s/Sony’s absence leave more oxygen for smaller outfits at a trade event?
@MrGawain We have a winner. That’s the only response that matters. Nintendo doesn’t need a show to advertise their games. All they need to do is drop a Direct and every gaming media site out there will advertise for them. Shows like this are irrelevant for them.
Nontendo 4DS
@Dr_Lugae It's 250k for the first minute and another 250k for every 30 more seconds.
@spacely_sprockets Actually, yeah they could be considered a whole big ad. I don’t really think about that much.
I think I should have specified with the “lack of ads” part. What I think I meant was the type of ads that are put into game shows and events in-between and interrupting the flow of game info and reveals. I’m not a fan of ads being put into bigger ads, and I feel ads put into game shows sort of detracts from the actual game event and forgets the entire point of what it’s about.
I think it’s just that Directs seem more genuine with gaming and not really money-grabbing or full of commercialism like Summer Games Fest and The Game Awards. I think that reason is probably why I don’t see Directs like ads and think of them as a more genuine video game event, or a game advert done better than other adverts. I can see your point, and it does make sense.
The Direct should have been this last Tuesday at the latest in order for this time of year to come close to feeling like E3. IGN published an article about how this year really felt like E3 again. I call BS. Without a more unified schedule for the big presentations it will not feel like E3 week again. And TBH, I feel Microsoft takes it seriously every year. So while this particular presentation was packed with hits, it still continues Microsoft's 'claim' of valuing gamer culture. They still know how to bring the hype.
@Chibi_Manny
Legit.
IMO this event needs to have some more public facing things. I get that it’s a work event for press, and that’s all well and good, but it also markets itself very much as a big showcase for gamers and fans, and the presentations do not reflect that. Not only did Geoff’s show cater to a specific kind of big CG experience, it felt extremely detached from what people want to see in general. And calling this a “fest” and then blocking off your big in-person event to the public? Bizarre. They need to either add a few public days, or move to a bigger convention center. Really, if anything, I think this shows that fans would be happy to attend a more well-managed, fan-focused E3, even if the showcases remain livestreams.
@Ashunera84 You rang?
@jojobar I was referring to the actual directs the indies put on themselves; iii, wholesome direct, Future Games, PC Gamer, etc.
Yes it is missing Nintendo, but Nintendo is better off on there own. Also, SGF is a sad imitation of E3, but so was E3 at it's end, so...
None of these ad showcases needs each other. Would be nice if I got my Nintendo news at the same time, but I can wait.
Also, fighting over which evil corpo's ad showcase is better is silly. Yes, even Nintendo's, and even though I am personally more hype for Nintendo Directs.
Where the ***** is this direct?
Only news about Nintendo right now is the stupid mistakes they've made remaking Luigi's Mansion 2.
Nintendo are a games developer.
Why is their absence not a bad thing?
Just brainless bait posting.
It’s not a gaming event it’s an exclusive circle jerk for Geoff and all his friends. The lines it’s only open to industry and influencers, and it wouldn’t work with normal people, what an out of touch thing to say. I hope this show fades fast.
You asked "Do you think Summer Game Fest needs Nintendo?". You should be asking, does Nintendo need Summer Game Fest?
And the answer, to me, is a clear NO. Nintendo's presence would elevate SGF but I don't see it offering any benefit to Nintendo. We already have the Nintendo Direct.
Take no part of it, if the biggies drop out then it’s just Geoff left to his own devices twiddling his knob to Doritos adverts.
Nintendo doesn’t need Summer Game Fest. Sony doesn’t need Summer Game Fest. It seems like the only developers willing to pay to participate in this are developers who can’t get publicity on their own. Maybe some of these are indie developers with quality products, but they’re the exception, not the rule. Maybe I’m missing something, but was anything important announced at this thing? At all? That’s not a question that would have ever been asked about even the lamest E3.
As stated in the article, the event is only for press and influencers. So why should I care if Nintendo turns up? I can't go. Everyone will get their reveals when a Direct drops. No need for "influencers" or the like to tell us what we should be excited for.
I would like a game show / E3 replacement that’s not directed or dominated by Geoff Keighley. And without so so many advertisements.
Yeah no, Nintendo is fine without Summer Game Fest and while I'm happy there's some good to the latter there's no reason for Nintendo to pay way too much money to be part of it when they have their own Directs, considering all the ads and commercialism instead of being focused exclusively on the games along with how their and other creators were treated during Keighley's Game Awards last time.
It's a pretty nothing event that most companies don't bring their A-game to anyway. There's no reason for Nintendo to bother with it and Nintendo alone wouldn't fix it.
The Summer Games Festival was missing AAA games. That was the problem. It just felt like an extended indie showcase, which is good and is necessary, but that does not fill the void the E3 left behind.
In order for the Summer Game Festival to work IMO, you are gonna need major announcements for major games from major studios. ALL of them.
What Geoff Keighly needs to do, is to go to every major 3rd party, as well as go to Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, and make a deal where he can announce just ONE GAME from each of them that is a surprise. It doesn't have to be a AAA 1st-party title, but it can be if they want it to be. Just one title from each major console company, one title from each major 3rd party studio, and all the indie stuff, then I think the Summer Game Festival can cook, and everyone can still do their own events with plenty of surprises.
everytime Nintendo do a Nintendo Direct/indie world showcase, everyone is eeying this event, with just a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo got everyone attention, why they need a Summer Game Fest, if they drop a reveal of a new Donkey Kong, that is more inpactiful then participating in Summer Game Fest.
Summer Snooze Fest needs Nintendo, and for $250K fee to display a trailer, Nintendo doesn't need the Fest.
Direct >>>>> Fest.
And after the way Geoff handled TGA with "wrap it up" BS, I won't even bother watching anything he touches anymore.
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