@rallydefault You know what the old saying is about assumptions. Again, no debate that it's highly likely, but there's a difference between highly likely and confirmed. "Bonkers" is still a mathematical possibility until Nintendo comes out and says when the thing is coming. Until we get that confirmation, we shouldn't really be saying that it will absolutely, definitely, positively be coming in 2025, because that's incorrect.
My original response that set us on this path was in response to your post where you, correctly, pointed out that the Switch didn't have a full reveal until just over 4 months before release. All I was saying was that while that's technically true it's a bit apples and oranges. The NX announcement was well before then and we haven't even had that for "Switch 2" yet. And I don't remember the exact date but we definitely knew before E3 2016 that BotW was going to be on Switch also. Which hasn't happened for Switch 2 yet either
While true, I don't think this difference is significant because again, the reveal phase is what matters most.
In any case, I think we can be super confident that the Switch 2 reveal is not a parallel of the Switch reveal. The Switch isn't the Wii U and 3DS, the Switch 2 is not NX, the transition won't be the same, the strategy won't be the same. We don't know much but we do know this. With a lot of confidence. Lock this in
I agree, and beyond the likelihood that the existence of next gen hardware will be confirmed much later than it has in the past, as I mentioned above I believe they won't wait until January this time to have a presentation or reveal key aspects of the console such as the price and launch lineup. My reasoning for thinking the June reveal is incorrect go much farther than "the Switch did it". I do think the reveal cycle is going to be far closer to the Switch than other past consoles, but repeating the Switch's reveal cycle is not the sole reason for a Fall reveal, a Fall reveal just makes more sense under the current conditions.
First of all, Nintendo seems to have nothing of significance planned for this Fall. They probably don't have nothing, but it's very telling that they opted not to have a full February Direct and instead only did a Partner Showcase. If there were a big Holiday title for this year that is most likely when we would've heard about it. Odds are they just have remakes/remasters and smaller titles until the Switch 2 launch (which makes sense because the Holiday was originally planned to be the launch, so they probably expected these smaller games to only last the first half of the year and then the second half of the year would focus on big Switch 2 launch titles), so that leaves a giant dead spot during the Holiday. If they were to blow their load in June like the rumors suggest, Nintendo would likely be forgotten altogether during the Holiday as other companies have actual games to sell. But if they wait until Fall, Nintendo can steal that attention away and keep the Switch 2 fresher in people's minds during the Holiday and that would better convince people to save their money for or preorder the Switch 2 and its launch games instead of buying games from their competitors. If they need to have a dead spot in their marketing/release pipeline, Summer would be much better than Fall/Holiday.
Second, Nintendo typically has a major Direct in September so having a big Switch 2 reveal in place of that would be more convenient for their marketing schedules.
Lastly, and related to my first point, Nintendo's biggest problem right now isn't hardware. It's software. The Switch is selling just fine for now, there's a few niggling issues with third parties but for the most part there's no immediate urgency for stronger hardware for the sake of stronger hardware (medium and long term, yes, but short term the Switch is still selling well and as the Switch could probably continue to sell well for at least another year or two). The problem is that Nintendo hasn't had a lot of big games lately, and that's what people are most waiting for. And in a situation like this one where they can't do much about having big games because development has likely shifted to next gen, the next best thing to releasing big games is revealing big games. Revealing the console in June when they're probably not going to be ready to show off the games (because they're all 9+ months away, and Nintendo doesn't typically have much to show that far out) is relatively pointless in the current situation. You're showing off a device that maybe might do some cool stuff, but without the games to show them off it's going to feel like a glorified paperweight. There's no practical applications being shown off. They're going to want to align the reveal of both hardware AND software this time and past patterns have shown software mostly isn't ready until about 6 months away.
The other wrinkle in the crankyness that has unfurled onto this thread is the bit about the reveal of the codename and how much it matters or not. How much a full reveal will impact the sales of the Switch itself. But again, I'm not particularly fussed about any predictions of when the codename comes out. I don't think the reveal of the codename matters. What I'm saying is that I think people are putting WAY too much weight on this idea that Nintendo would be super concerned about hurting Switch sales closing in on 8 years into the console's life with ~140mill units sold and a new console that probably has not just backwards compatibility but a fairly significant library of "cross-gen" titles
People are putting out this idea of teasing out a codename to quiet investors while keeping the masses happily buying Switch consoles deep into 2024. I think people are seriously overestimating how much OG Switch hardware sales matter to Nintendo going forward. What matters is how well the Switch 2 launches. Doubly so if it also plays original Switch games. I can't see them putting the Switch 2 launch in a tighter spot for the sake of holiday Switch sales
There's a bit of a misconception here and I think this is probably my fault for confusing you. To be clear, I do not think the codename is that important. It's just what Nintendo is going to put out for the time being to communicate that they're setting things in motion and keep people from abandoning them in droves. The main event is going to be the full reveal.
As for the impact on OG hardware sales, BC and cross-gen are great things but they're not going to help keep OG Switch hardware sales up. They're going to help keep OG Switch GAME sales up. Doubly so if you're focusing on the hardware more than the games. The reveal of new hardware spreading around every corner of the internet and social media is inevitably going to cause people that were considering buying an OG Switch to hold off, so you're already shooting yourself in the foot for this Holiday. And then if they don't like what they see from the Switch 2? Then you didn't get them to convert to Switch 2, you pushed them away from the Switch ENTIRELY. They need to strategically time the reveal so that the Switch keeps selling before they're ready to reveal and then when they do there's immediate interest in the Switch 2 and desire to buy it and its games. And a June reveal just doesn't seem like it's it.
I don't know why people think a Switch 2 so late is bonkers. Again, I can only go by Japanese sales because they are the most transparent) but the PS4 was sitting on about 1.3M units prior to the PS5 launching. The Switch is currently on track for above 3M this year. The need for alarm is clearly manufactured by Youtubers hoping they get something new to talk about (easy 'content') and make their channels look shinier (again, easy 'content'). It simply doesn't reflect the state of the forecasts. It's currently number one in Japan, titles as 'niche' as Princess Peach hit number one. But to nurture this narrative that Nintendo desperately need a Switch because it's outstayed it's welcome is bonkers to me. They have a userbase approaching 150M. It's not surprising they have a game a month so far this year (and I've seen people suggest it's a quiet year.)
You're putting too much stock in lifetime sales, there are other factors involved here. Yes it's sold close to 150 million, but how many of those 150 million are still playing now? And how many would still be playing in a year or two? That success can't last forever, and Nintendo should know that. They've seen the same thing happen with the Wii and if they're smart, they won't wait too long to release their successor and see Switch sales totally collapse. And there is one big reason (besides the general feeling of "this console is old") to think that sales could collapse, it's because the competition is copying them. There's the Steam Deck which is a direct competitor, mobile whose hardware is getting more powerful and can make the Switch seem less appealing as a handheld, Microsoft and Sony are pushing for stronger and stronger hardware and now are rumored to be dabbling in handheld. The Switch may lose its niche in the next year or two because there's too many other devices that are too close to what Nintendo is currently doing, so now would be the ideal time to make their next move.
I dunno. I wouldn't be surprised if there was no delay and this is all part of Nintendo's 10 year life cycle road map (which they were transparent enough to say a couple of years ago!) After all the years of hyping a pro / 2 model and practically self willing an announcement last month...it just sounds like a get out of jail card to me for many of these rumour mills. (And let's face it, there is only one that everyone echoes really lol. - Pyoro is in another league of his own like 3D Mario games.)
That 10 year cycle might not actually mean 10 years of the Switch being the primary console on the market. No gaming console has lasted that long and with the factors I've mentioned, I don't see even the Switch being an exception. Nintendo has not said anything that directly deconfirms a successor launching next year (saying vague statements that don't deconfirm anything is PR 101). I could see 10 years meaning the Switch sticks around for a few years getting cross gen games like the 3DS did in the early years of the Switch, but I highly doubt we're going to be waiting until 2027 for the Switch's successor.
And yeah, I get there will be some people quick to say that's just Japan and has the momentum in the West. And I'll agree...but look how businesses are struggling trying to maintain that. It's not like Switch has disappeared lol. And the more AAA titles that release, the more "proven third party titles" we'll get for the next hardware. Sony and Microsoft let the third party AAA tail wag the dog decades ago. Look at how they fought over Activision. Nintendo don't let that happen and it is increasingly infuriating hearing folk discuss how they should (it not only would be disasterous for Nintendo, but it also betrays their Playstation bias.)
Well there's third parties, but it seems like even the first parties might be running into limitations on what they can do with the Switch's hardware. We've seen this with some of the performance niggles some recent first party games have suffered. Additionally, they may just be running out of creative gameplay ideas for what to do with the current hardware and want the new hardware gimmick to open up new ideas for them. I don't think it's just the third parties pushing for it now, first parties feel ready to move on as well.
@GrailUK Recall that Nintendo stock dropped significantly in the Tokyo Stock Exchange the second the rumour of a 3 month delay hit. So even if Switch is selling well in Japan, their financials will be hurt by more delays. I imagine if they said there wasn't new hardware coming out this fiscal year during the May financial meeting, the stocks would go down pretty massively and Japanese investors would not be happy.
From the investor side of things, this. If Nintendo announces that the Switch is going to be the primary console for the foreseeable future and there's no new hardware announced or coming in the next fiscal year, Nintendo's stock is going to plummet. Meanwhile from the gamer side, no games and near radio silence on major new games in the next 6+ months is going to encourage them to look to Nintendo's competition. It's going to be a major dropoff in userbase if they don't say anything on new hardware in the next 6 months or so.
@Bolt_Strike
Honestly I agree with the vast majority of your response so I'm not going to labour the point. But I will respond to this bit in particular just to highlight a miscommunication here:
What I'm saying is that I think people are putting WAY too much weight on this idea that Nintendo would be super concerned about hurting Switch sales closing in on 8 years into the console's life with ~140mill units sold and a new console that probably has not just backwards compatibility but a fairly significant library of "cross-gen" titles
People are putting out this idea of teasing out a codename to quiet investors while keeping the masses happily buying Switch consoles deep into 2024. I think people are seriously overestimating how much OG Switch hardware sales matter to Nintendo going forward. What matters is how well the Switch 2 launches. Doubly so if it also plays original Switch games. I can't see them putting the Switch 2 launch in a tighter spot for the sake of holiday Switch sales
As for the impact on OG hardware sales, BC and cross-gen are great things but they're not going to help keep OG Switch hardware sales up. They're going to help keep OG Switch GAME sales up. Doubly so if you're focusing on the hardware more than the games. The reveal of new hardware spreading around every corner of the internet and social media is inevitably going to cause people that were considering buying an OG Switch to hold off, so you're already shooting yourself in the foot for this Holiday
Yes. 100%. A new console launch would put a handbrake on hardware sales as people put a handbrake on buying Switch hardware waiting for Switch 2. But as I was saying, with ~140mill consoles out there and closing in on 8 years on the market? Hardware sales are not really a huge concern. Software sales are the big game here and, as you said, if there's backwards compatibility and cross-buy implemented well and well communicated? I don't think there'll be much of a dip on Switch software sales post-announcement. If anything there'll be a boost in Switch software sales post-launch
The problem I have with the very, very short lead is that it doesn't give much time to communicate these things. People will fill in the gaps themselves. They'll fill it in with what will be unfavourable assumptions. They'll decide that rather than waiting for a Switch 2 that will seemingly never come they'll grab a PS5 or Steam Deck or maybe by years end an XBox Portable. To be clear, I don't think an announcement as late as even October falls into that category because the bulk of sales are in November/December. But if they drag it as far out as January next year? I think at that point they're protecting Switch hardware sales, which at this point don't really matter, at the expense of a better Switch 2 launch
My guess at the timeline
A very general guess. It's impossible to say but I think there are some boundaries that do exist. I think they do have to say something at their investor meeting in May. That could be as little as just a confirmation of existence and a timeframe. There could be a full on April Direct reveal showing it off but, frankly, I'm with you here and I think if this thing truly is Q1 2025 now is way too early for that. I'm not ruling it out but I think it's unlikely
The other boundary that exists is Black Friday. I think they need to announce Switch 2, in the proper announcement sense, before people start making their big purchasing decisions for this year. They want little Jimmy to be saying to their parents that they want to wait for Switch 2, they don't want little Jimmy to be talking about the PS5 Pro. They're not selling over the holidays but they are selling holiday-adjacent, they want Switch 2 to be in people's minds over that period
The last bounding box is the hardest one to guess because it depends on when the hardware actually releases. My gut-feel is that you do a proper reveal ~6 months before launch and you can't really get that much tighter. Yes, the Switch was marginally tighter but E3 2016 was basically just used as platform for the big Switch launch title. But the problem we have is..... when will it launch? If it's March/April then they could push it as far out as October and still have a fair gap there. If it's as early as January then something like a July reveal makes more sense
All this is to say.... your guess is a September full reveal with the Investor meeting in May being nothing more than just confirmation? That tracks. That's a middle of the bell-curve prediction I think. I'm just.... still open to the possibility of something as early as June with the investor meeting giving us maybe as much as an intended date. And my other feeling is that if they refuse to mention Switch 2 until very late in the year these Nintendo Directs are going to get very empty very fast
@Bolt_Strike
Honestly I agree with the vast majority of your response so I'm not going to labour the point. But I will respond to this bit in particular just to highlight a miscommunication here:
What I'm saying is that I think people are putting WAY too much weight on this idea that Nintendo would be super concerned about hurting Switch sales closing in on 8 years into the console's life with ~140mill units sold and a new console that probably has not just backwards compatibility but a fairly significant library of "cross-gen" titles
People are putting out this idea of teasing out a codename to quiet investors while keeping the masses happily buying Switch consoles deep into 2024. I think people are seriously overestimating how much OG Switch hardware sales matter to Nintendo going forward. What matters is how well the Switch 2 launches. Doubly so if it also plays original Switch games. I can't see them putting the Switch 2 launch in a tighter spot for the sake of holiday Switch sales
As for the impact on OG hardware sales, BC and cross-gen are great things but they're not going to help keep OG Switch hardware sales up. They're going to help keep OG Switch GAME sales up. Doubly so if you're focusing on the hardware more than the games. The reveal of new hardware spreading around every corner of the internet and social media is inevitably going to cause people that were considering buying an OG Switch to hold off, so you're already shooting yourself in the foot for this Holiday
Yes. 100%. A new console launch would put a handbrake on hardware sales as people put a handbrake on buying Switch hardware waiting for Switch 2. But as I was saying, with ~140mill consoles out there and closing in on 8 years on the market? Hardware sales are not really a huge concern. Software sales are the big game here and, as you said, if there's backwards compatibility and cross-buy implemented well and well communicated? I don't think there'll be much of a dip on Switch software sales post-announcement. If anything there'll be a boost in Switch software sales post-launch
The problem I have with the very, very short lead is that it doesn't give much time to communicate these things. People will fill in the gaps themselves. They'll fill it in with what will be unfavourable assumptions. They'll decide that rather than waiting for a Switch 2 that will seemingly never come they'll grab a PS5 or Steam Deck or maybe by years end an XBox Portable. To be clear, I don't think an announcement as late as even October falls into that category because the bulk of sales are in November/December. But if they drag it as far out as January next year? I think at that point they're protecting Switch hardware sales, which at this point don't really matter, at the expense of a better Switch 2 launch
My guess at the timeline
A very general guess. It's impossible to say but I think there are some boundaries that do exist. I think they do have to say something at their investor meeting in May. That could be as little as just a confirmation of existence and a timeframe. There could be a full on April Direct reveal showing it off but, frankly, I'm with you here and I think if this thing truly is Q1 2025 now is way too early for that. I'm not ruling it out but I think it's unlikely
The other boundary that exists is Black Friday. I think they need to announce Switch 2, in the proper announcement sense, before people start making their big purchasing decisions for this year. They want little Jimmy to be saying to their parents that they want to wait for Switch 2, they don't want little Jimmy to be talking about the PS5 Pro. They're not selling over the holidays but they are selling holiday-adjacent, they want Switch 2 to be in people's minds over that period
The last bounding box is the hardest one to guess because it depends on when the hardware actually releases. My gut-feel is that you do a proper reveal ~6 months before launch and you can't really get that much tighter. Yes, the Switch was marginally tighter but E3 2016 was basically just used as platform for the big Switch launch title. But the problem we have is..... when will it launch? If it's March/April then they could push it as far out as October and still have a fair gap there. If it's as early as January then something like a July reveal makes more sense
All this is to say.... your guess is a September full reveal with the Investor meeting in May being nothing more than just confirmation? That tracks. That's a middle of the bell-curve prediction I think. I'm just.... still open to the possibility of something as early as June with the investor meeting giving us maybe as much as an intended date. And my other feeling is that if they refuse to mention Switch 2 until very late in the year these Nintendo Directs are going to get very empty very fast
Okay yeah, I agree much more with this much. I do think that in the earlier parts of that boundary, they'd be more likely to give vaguer details like a confirmation of the hardware's existence, codename, and release window and I think the more likely boundary for a full reveal is more August to Black Friday (for whatever reason, July never seems to be a big month for gaming news so I can't see it, August is a bit early but it's not so early that I'd think it's highly unlikely, so maaaybe August for more of a January/February release).
As far as Nintendo Directs I don't think we'll see a full Direct again until Spring 2025. They just don't seem to have much left before launch. I think we'll see a presentation similar to the January one in the Fall and that will take the place of the usual September Direct and I don't think they have enough titles until then to justify a Direct, so the next full Direct would probably be the usual Spring Direct where they give us more details on Switch 2 launch titles and show a few Holiday 2025 games. Until the reveal, I think whatever titles they might have left will probably be announced through social media drops, maybe a Mini at best. We'll probably just have to endure another lengthy Direct drought until after the reveal, I don't think there's much they can do about that.
It's always so funny to me how every single year, you have people going "the second half of Nintendo's year looks sparse...guess things might be winding down for the Switch," and then Nintendo eventually announces several games to fill out the rest of the release schedule.
Nintendo didn't have a full-fledged Direct early this year because there was no need for it. They had everything through March covered before then. Endless Ocean Luminous got forced into the Partner Showcase, presumably on the basis that it's co-credited to both Nintendo and Arika, while both TTYD and Luigi's Mansion 2 HD fit nicely into commemorating Mario Day specifically because they're both coming before the second half of the year. If Nintendo had nothing else planned for this year, they would've 100% spaced the current lineup of games out more. The reports of the Switch successor being pushed back into 2025 came before the Partner Showcase did, and thus any word of release dates past Princess Peach: Showtime!. They could've internally pushed back Endless Ocean, TTYD, and Luigi's Mansion 2 HD back to stretch the lineup out (e.g. Endless Ocean could've been in the middle of summer, LM2HD could've been an October release, and TTYD could've served as the November holiday release) - and they didn't. Last time people were talking like this, it was when Pikmin 4 was the only game on the horizon - and Nintendo went and announced another 6 games for 2023 in the June 2023 Direct. There's going to be more this year. The rumor mill has even already suggested some kind of Direct may be happening fairly soon, with Nintendo preparing to begin a heavy marketing campaign for Metroid Prime 4 (and we know they've already begun preparing a trailer for it, if they haven't finished it, given Retro is listed as a client on some trailer creation company's site now).
I think we all just need to relax. We already have 3 releases down for this year, with 3 more to go, and odds are, we'll see another 5-7 throughout the rest of the year. Nintendo is literally known to complete projects and reserve them for later. We've seen clear evidence of this throughout the Switch's lifespan, most notoriously with Fire Emblem Engage being rated over a year before it was released in Germany and then having all its DLC release in like 3 months. If the second half of the year looks empty now when the first half has a game per month on average, then I think we can safely assume there's more on the way - possibly enough to carry another full Direct, even if it's the last purely Switch-focused one.
@PikaPhantom
My view from the start is that it makes more sense for this transition to be a soft transition. You can see me making posts along those lines back in the "Switch Pro" rumour days. Hell, I was making posts saying that's where Nintendo needed to go back in the NX rumour days. So I'm not at all sold on the idea that the tap of Switch titles will turn off anytime soon
However even if these games start being cross-gen in that way, even if these games are on both, even if it's literally the same box. I think Nintendo holds back some of the big hitters for a Switch 2 launch. They want that launch to look like the Switch launch in that respect. New 3D Mario, Metroid Prime 4, Mario Kart 9, title after title after title. And if they're doing that then it just logically means the period before that has to be comparatively dry
I mean look at Nintendo's 2016 lineup. I know, I know, Wii U was Wii U but that year was what... Star Fox Zero and Twilight Princess HD early in the year and then Paper Mario Color Splash at the tail end. And the 3DS was Pokemon Sun/Moon, Rhythm Heaven, Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Fire Emblem Fates. I would expect this year to look somewhat similar. Not nothing just..... I wouldn't be expecting something as big as the end of 2023 was
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@skywake I think the quantity could be comparable, but it'd be made up of mostly remakes and remasters, if not just re-issues. I do think Metroid Prime 4 isn't going to be reserved for Switch 2, though. Not only do I think what happened with Twilight Princess and BOTW doesn't exactly set a firm precedent, and that Metroid ultimately isn't very well-suited to being a premier launch title (especially if it's available on the earlier system), but it's also an idea that's only really come up in fan circles. The only decently reputable leaker who's discussed it, at least from what I remember and somewhat recently, has even said he's only heard about Prime 4 being planned for Switch and not its successor (NatetheHate). It's possible it was intended as cross-gen, but if Nintendo's scrambling for a holiday release this year in the wake of the Switch successor delay, then Prime 4 is undoubtedly a suitable candidate, and they could simply tout it as "plays better on Switch 2" after the fact or something along those lines.
@PikaPhantom
I think there will be a small handful of games but they'll mostly be GC/Wii/3DS remasters or smaller titles. And honestly probably Kirby in there somewhere because there's always a Kirby game somewhere. I could see something at the scale of a Punchout, Wario Land, Rhythm Heaven or something. Not those titles specifically, although they've been absent for a while, but something of that scale. And I know it's been repeated to death for years but..... Wind Waker would be a great title to fill that gap
In terms of Metroid Prime 4? I've said it before but I think people are wrong to dismiss the idea of it being a Switch 2 launch-window title on the basis that it's not Mario or Zelda. I mean, it's not, without question. But most of the games in the Switch's first year weren't Breath of the Wild. Some people in the first year of the Switch picked it up for Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey. Some people picked it up for Skyrim or Doom. Some people got it for Puyo Puyo Tetris, Mario Kart and Snipperclips. Metroid Prime 4 is not a Breath of the Wild but it will pull in some people that a Mario Kart 9 will not
Also, as much as I love the idea of "plays better on Switch 2" and I'm all for it, that only really works if you haven't already beaten the game. If they do Metroid Prime 4 on Switch in October and then release Switch 2 in February next year? If I'm super into Metroid the idea that this game I've already beaten plays better on Switch 2 means nothing. I've already beaten it. If Switch 2 is already out when Metroid Prime 4 launches though? I probably pick up a Switch 2 for it. Metroid Prime 4 is more useful as a tool to drive Switch 2 adoption, IMO
I mean, the flipside is that Metroid Prime 4 launching alongside Switch 2 with potentially something like Mario Kart 9 and a new 3D Mario in the scene around the same period? Metroid Prime 4 gets lost in that mix. But as the star of the last holiday sales period for Switch it probably does well. So there's that
..... honestly, I just feel like Metroid Prime 4 could be a real graphical showpiece and a way to show off stuff like HDR, DLSS and post-1080p resolutions. It feels like a bit of a waste of potential if most people play that game on Switch with Switch 2 just around the corner
@skywake Conversely, if Metroid Prime 4 uses up all the potential of the Switch, then the game will be very well respected. Let folk who dream of updated graphics buy the remake in 10 years lol
You guys sure know your stuff. Or pretend to know, at least. Lol.
I'm not someone who goes into searching every possible rumor, cross references sources or studies Nintendo's history for every minute detail. But the upcoming investors meeting and Nintendo possibly wanting to reveal the Switch's successor at or shortly before said meeting, seems credible to me.
As for the launch lineup, might Pokémon Legends: Z-A be one by any chance? I feel like it'd have been the perfect holiday title for 2024, but it's coming out in 2025 instead. Has me wondering a bit.
That 10 year cycle might not actually mean 10 years of the Switch being the primary console on the market. No gaming console has lasted that long and with the factors I've mentioned, I don't see even the Switch being an exception. Nintendo has not said anything that directly deconfirms a successor launching next year (saying vague statements that don't deconfirm anything is PR 101). I could see 10 years meaning the Switch sticks around for a few years getting cross gen games like the 3DS did in the early years of the Switch, but I highly doubt we're going to be waiting until 2027 for the Switch's successor.
2 year cross over is quite long for Nintendo. I think they have been exaggerated in recent years whatwith the necessity of needing to do it due to the Pandemic for current gen. Their main strength now comes from having all their devs working towards a single platform. I would have thought there would be rumblings of restructure if they are supporting both. Maybe someone smarter than me will raise this at the investor's meeting. "You are always developing new hardware, are you planning on stil supporting Switch and if so, what hurdles might have to be jumped?" (or something.)
@steruphan Pokemon has been very rigid with release patterns for the Switch so I figure Pokemon Legends Z-A is late January like with Pokemon Legends Arceus in 2022. Maybe the whole Scarlet/Violet situation has changed things such that there ends up being longer gaps between Pokemon games but I don’t have much hope. I think it’s more likely that there’s unannounced Pokemon remakes being announced within the next few months for November and the usual pattern of 2021/2022 repeats (2024/2025 being 3 years after 2021/2022).
@Grumblevolcano It was probably mentioned earlier but, If they truly have games for this year they could've announced them at the last Pokemon Presents. BDSP was announced at the same time as Legends Arceus after all. I just don't get why would they skip announcing it there.
Although I agree with you that Legends ZA is probably for early next year. I do wonder how would they fit it in the schedule if the "Switch 2" is actually planned fot early next year as well. They would do like Fire Emblem Echoes SoV and just launch a month earlier exclusively on the previous platform?
@jowy_sw There’s a key thing that was missing from February which does need to be announced soon. Usually there’s a segment about Pokemon Worlds detailing when it takes place, what the venue is, the games being present, merch, prizes, etc. Worlds usually takes place in August so time is running out.
Also taking into account the creation of Pokemon Works and the 3DS/Wii U online shutdowns (affects Gens 6 and 7), it feels like The Pokemon Company split their announcements this year between events with the February one only existing because tradition (it’s Pokemon Day).
Considering BDSP and Legends Arceus release date was announced as a random tweet in late May, I think there’d be some event around April/May/early June that reveals remakes alongside a release date for Legends Z-A.
@Grumblevolcano I mean... sure, they COULD announce a game for this year in June if they wanted. Nintendo themselves announce games in june that release that very year and If we follow patterns, we could say that arround the same time they announced more info about Legends Arceus and BDSP they could announce that they actually have a mainline game for this very year.
But what I dont get is why they wouldn't mention it in Pokemon Day if they already announced Pokemon ZA. I just don't see why would they announce a future game while at the same time hide that they have one for this very year.
@steruphan Pokemon has been very rigid with release patterns for the Switch so I figure Pokemon Legends Z-A is late January like with Pokemon Legends Arceus in 2022. Maybe the whole Scarlet/Violet situation has changed things such that there ends up being longer gaps between Pokemon games but I don’t have much hope. I think it’s more likely that there’s unannounced Pokemon remakes being announced within the next few months for November and the usual pattern of 2021/2022 repeats (2024/2025 being 3 years after 2021/2022).
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Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?
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