Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

Normal or even slightly high, but there are so many bundles which Nintendo used to remove from their curated weekly list that I'm not really sure how to count it accurately anymore so I am not confident in my numbers.

Does anyone here have a handy cvs file of all previous Switch eshop releases and release dates so I can re-run my numbers? I wonder if NL would be willing to share theirs.

There is a Nintendo Switch eShop maintenance tomorrow, doesn't necessarily mean anything but sometimes they do kind of relate to Nintendo Directs.

@NinChocolate You don't think it's worth putting resources into selling games to an audience of about 129million? Interestesting.

@GrailUK A third party focused Direct makes sense to do. A lot less resources needed for that. But I don’t think Nintendo are going to announce any new games and I think Xenoblade Chronicles X is gonna be shadow dropped trailers. Any new games will be held back for April.

@GrailUK I'm expecting Nintendo to focus on doing whatever they think will maximise Switch 2 hardware sales over trying to squeeze a few extra software sales out of the Switch 1. There might be some announced games that they'll use to help fill the release schedule at some point but probably nothing that justifies a full on Switch 1 general Direct.

@FragRed I dunno. I think DLSS will change how cross gen titles work. Nintendo don't have to make 2 versions of the same game. They can release something on Switch then have DLSS do the work to make it better. They can basically support 2 consoles with the same game. As such, I would have thought they still need to communicate games to Switch 1 users and that they look better on Switch 2 when the time comes.

@BenAV Squeeze out software sales on such a huge install base? Why on Earth do they sell consoles in the fiorst place lol. The money isn't in the hardware. And it's not like 150 million Switchs will become Switch 2s overnight. I think I disagree with your sentiment (I think - I am always wrong mate lol.)

That's an interesting question. Nintendo's last financial release said that 46% of their gross profit comes from hardware and 54% from software at least this fiscal year. That's gross profit so subtracts off the cost of the materials.

@NinChocolate While this is true, Nintendo kept the 3DS alive for a bit after the Switch came out as a sort of safety net. This is why I can't really believe they're stopping full advertisement for the Switch, given the Switch 2 has yet to prove itself. It has a slight chance of failure.

This being said, we've already seen a good amount of Switch titles lined up for this year anyways. We know Pokemon is getting a new game for the original Switch, and we know Metroid Prime 4 is at least going to be released on the original switch if it isn't cross-gen. Xenoblade Chronicles X is getting a remaster that adds in a bunch of cut content that was only ever showcased in the artbook for the game. There's a few third party offerings as well, like Fantasy Life i (although it isn't exclusive anymore, given they delayed the game to make sure it wouldn't be).

I don't think there's much for anyone here to be worried about. There's enough titles to act as a safety net, even if Nintendo didn't fill out the entirety of their year with Switch 1 games. I feel like Prime 4 is definitely going to be something Nintendo waits to showcase with the Switch 2 presentation, along with all the new games they've been sitting on.

@GrailUK I think you are putting way too much faith into what DLSS actually does. It won’t make games look better. They’ll still look like Switch games, but it will give allow developers to artificially upscale their resolution to 4K. So for it to look like a Switch 2 game, Nintendo would indeed need to create a second version with improved graphics and lighting.

@NinChocolate Do we know when the Switch 2 will launch? It could be a couple of months after the Direct. The hands on events will let people play it early. I wonder how early. If so, that's an awfully long time to neglect Switch. To the point of it almost feeling like they have abandoned it lol.

@GrailUK They won’t abandon the Switch but at the same time, they have to push you to upgrade to Switch 2 as early as possible. That’s the aim of Nintendo going forward. That’s the same thing Sony and Microsoft do during the lead up to their next generation consoles. Even if there are cross generation games, it’s all about selling you on the idea of playing it on the new console instead.

It’s why Sony were all about reveal trailers showing and talking about PS5 versions and then later, almost like a side note, saying it’s also coming to PS4.

@FragRed @NinChocolate Well, they don't need to overthink it lol. I'll be (trying) to buy a Switch 2 day one...but I would like Switch games too.

@GrailUK There will be Switch games but they’ll advertised as the Switch 2 version with better graphics and better lighting etc etc. But with the exception of Metroid Prime 4, I think all advertising will be almost like Switch doesn’t exist.

@FishyS The profit margin from hardware is likely as high as it is because the price of materials will have come down since first release, so it probably costs a lot less to make a Switch in 2025 than it did in 2017.

Plus there's all those drifting Joy-Cons that many will have replaced instead of repairing 😛

They don't seem to list that information where I can easily find it for the first Switch year, but for April 2019 - Mar 2020, they have hardware as 52% of their gross profits and 58% for April 2018 - Mar 2019. That number has dropped to 46% this year, but it was evidently above 50% for much of Switch's lifespan.

Judging by that maybe Nintendo makes games purely as an excuse to sell hardware. 😆 @GrailUK

I'll be curious to see if the trend continues for Switch 2 or if the profit margins for hardware will be massively lower. Nintendo's slow but steady push towards digital sales presumably is making the profit margin higher for games as well. (ignoring the industry trend to spend more on game development which isn't really encompassed in these profit numbers).

The Nintendo silence that usually is associated with Direct announcement the next day is back.

@Grumblevolcano Don’t they usually announce it by now if there is one? Or are you suggesting it’s a shadow drop Direct Mini?

@FragRed I'm on about today seemingly being the silence so if Direct is responsible, it would suggest announcement on the 18th for airing on the 19th.

@Grumblevolcano I didn’t realise Nintendo were normally quiet the day before an an announcement, I thought it was normally on the day of the announcement that this happens.