Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

Nintendo is skipping Gamescom now. Ya'll still think it's not a quiet year?

@Sigran102 You could only play already released 1st party games on the Gamescom 2023 showfloor (no sign of Detective Pikachu Returns, SMB Wonder, WarioWare Move It, Super Mario RPG remake) so Nintendo skipping Gamescom doesn't say anything about the 2nd half of 2024 for the current Switch.

If it suggests anything about the future, it would be that Switch 2 isn't being announced until September at the absolute earliest.

@Sigran102 Wasn't 2023 the only year Nintendo's showed up for since COVID anyways? Even in 2022, when there really wasn't much of an excuse?
Nintendo has also never revealed anything at Gamescom in recent years, at least publicly. I think Grumblevolcano's right on the money - this just means we won't be seeing Switch 2 until September at the earliest.

@Sigran102 Depends how noisy they were going to be at Gamescon. (They aren't usually loud there.)

@PikaPhantom it probably does mean the switch 2 announcement will be later, but iirc they usually have a booth there even if they don't announce anything.

MUST...RESIST...URGE...TO SAY...I TOLD YOU SO!

No, it is too early to definitively conclude that, but it does seem likely that things are progressing as I expected. Little until September is exactly what I was expecting. Nintendo's just sort of like this now where they're mostly allergic to revealing anything 6 months ahead of release (and the reasons for that are likely because their products aren't in a playable state until that point and they don't want to leave too much time for potential delays and competitors planning around their moves). I didn't think we'd be getting 9 months of Switch 2 marketing. Looking like May might be little more than Switch 2 codename and release date (or maybe even just a window) and full reveal is sometime between September and Black Friday, and until then no games except social media drops of remakes/remasters. I'd put money on it at this point.

So last year at the May 9th financial meeting, Nintendo said relatively clearly that there would be no new hardware that fiscal year. Imagine the outcry if Nintendo said the same thing this year on May 8th. Our corner of the internet would go crazy.

Granted if Nintendo has some super vague comment about new hardware which is perhaps the most likely, everyone will also go crazy.

Yeah, I think the shareholders meeting will just amount to "We're releasing new hardware called insert codename here releasing in March/Spring 2025" and maybe throw in a vague PR statement about it being "innovative" and "will run alongside the Switch" (read: we're going to keep the Switch around for a few more years alongside it but this is the successor to the Switch) and that's about all they'll tell us about it until Fall.

@Bolt_Strike this seems like the most likely scenario imo

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if all we get is something along the lines of "we will have more to say about new hardware at a later date but we intend to continue supporting Switch with new software alongside any new hardware release"

@skywake That wouldn't be enough to appease investors and consumers. Nintendo has literally nothing confirmed after Luigi's Mansion 2, if the investor's meeting comes and goes and they something like that, not giving us any indication of a light at the end of the tunnel, then everyone's patience is going to run out. Investors are going to jump ship and stocks would plummet, and gamers would get bored waiting for new games and move on to competitors. I think at a bare minimum they have to explicitly confirm new hardware and give us a timeframe for when they currently expect it to release. That at least gives people an idea of when they can expect more information.

@Bolt_Strike If investors are that twitchy prior to Nintendo releasing a new system, then they aren't worth worrying about lol.

@GrailUK The share price was at an all time high leading up the last Direct in anticipation of an announcement of a new system (based on nothing more that rumours and speculation), then dropped off quite a bit when there was no announcement and reports (rumours) that it had been delayed until 2025. Investors are always twitchy.

Indie World tomorrow!

Wow, Indie Direct due tomorrow.
Hopefully some good 3D indie games.

An Indie world. Really, Nintendo? Everybody just wants first party newwwws.
Also no prediction from Pyoro-has the poor red bird been caught?
welp, at least it’s healthy for my wallet. this is probably exciting for hollow knight fans since it’s basically Silksong confirmed news.
Guess we’ll be getting our big direct in June ! Also who predicted an indie world in April? they’re amazing

@OctolingKing13 Maybe he’s just so uninspired by what Nintendo shows at these indie showcases he just gave up.

Grumblevolcano was predicting a April Indie World weeks ago, though not quite this date. Very good track record for predicting things though.

Pyoro didn't say much about the indie direct last year... I recall us wondering if they basically only knew about first party stuff or close partners.

GASP Poyoro failed us?!

Pyoro has just responded to someone on Twitter that they never know about indie games so whatever is announced will be news to him/her also.