So if this revision is launching in September, how is BotW2 supposed to be a launch title?
Are we really suggesting that it's going to launch just 2 months after Skyward Sword HD? That would be completely insane. I mean, I guess there's precedent with Pokemon, but I think those games won't cannibalize each other all that much. Zelda absolutely would.
With rumors of there being third party exclusives for Switch Pro, anyone else wondering if this will be an iPhone type of business model, where there is no "next gen" and they just phase out older Switch models? If they can find out a good way to convey which games work with which models, it'd be a good way to keep them from falling too far behind and losing third party support.
@VoidofLight
The chip shortage doesn't mean there is low supply for every product. It means it's harder to secure supply. It's very possible Nintendo, with their large volumes and less than bleeding edge soc, has secured supply. Which is what that Bloomberg article was saying has happened.
If you don't believe this... Have you noticed how there isn't a shortage of iPhones? Or any phones really. It's things like cars, high end GPUs and such
Apparently Amazon Mexico had a “New Nintendo Switch Pro” listed for a very very short time.
The listing name has now been changed to “DUMMY ASIN” (ASIN means “Amazon Standard Identification Number”), though the model number listed still includes “NNSW-2021-014”.
Note that the shortage is purely a production line shortage, not a shortage of materials. So it behaves in strange ways. Car manufacturing was hit very hard because at the start of the pandemic they cut back their orders. Because COVID meant assembly lines had to shut down and it was assumed demand for cards would drop. But then assembly lines re-opened and demand for cars skyrocketed as people had stimulus money and wanted to avoid public transport. So they increased their orders.
But chip manufacturing isn't the kind of thing that you can just ramp up and down production. It works well at scale and with a predictable volume. You know what has been incredibly predictable? Switch sales. If you were a chip manufacturer and late last year Nintendo said we are making a "Switch Pro" and we need this many SoC packages over the next 3 years starting with a certain volume by mid 2021? You say ok. Because COVID isn't hurting Nintendo.....
@Bolt_Strike Except that you'll have to buy a new system every 3-4 years to keep accessibility to all games, instead of the usual 6-7 years. Even though those games probably wouldn't have come to the system, I would create the feeling of missing out. I don't know if that's a good idea. I wasn't a fan of the exclusive stuff they did on new 3DS, I'm hoping they won't make that same mistake again.
Note that the shortage is purely a production line shortage, not a shortage of materials. So it behaves in strange ways. Car manufacturing was hit very hard because at the start of the pandemic they cut back their orders. Because COVID meant assembly lines had to shut down and it was assumed demand for cards would drop. But then assembly lines re-opened and demand for cars skyrocketed as people had stimulus money and wanted to avoid public transport. So they increased their orders.
But chip manufacturing isn't the kind of thing that you can just ramp up and down production. It works well at scale and with a predictable volume. You know what has been incredibly predictable? Switch sales. If you were a chip manufacturer and late last year Nintendo said we are making a "Switch Pro" and we need this many SoC packages over the next 3 years starting with a certain volume by mid 2021? You say ok. Because COVID isn't hurting Nintendo.....
Really good post. I've seen this referred to once or twice, but not in any major way. It wouldn't be a big shock if chips for the pro have been in production since the start of the year. Nintendo seem to plan this type of stuff quite far in advance.
I'm just hoping that whenever they announce it, it'll be possible to go to a physical Gamestop to pre order it. I'd rather not deal with online scalpers ruining everyone's chances of getting them.
The most recent Nintendo Life article on the rumours suggests Nintendo's workaround for the chip shortage may be to completely prioritize Japan and NA over the rest of the world.
@Slowdive Here is another reason why I don't think its happening, all the leaks on stores and junk, but They all call it a switch pro, We were calling the damn switch lite a switch mini before they showed it off, we never called it the switch lite, It just adds to the load of BS for me bc I doubt big time that they are going to call it a pro, when all there other names for upgraded consoles, have always been basic and pro is I guess? And ya I know they called it a wii mini, so why in the world would they use the same name twice?
This is just my opinion so I could be wrong as I don't really have facts to back this up at all.
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@Grumblevolcano Ninty did that with the New 3DS. Instead of a world wide same day release the non-Japan gamers got it the following year.
Technically with the New 3DS Japan got it first, followed by Australia soon after. Then Europe and a partial US release (XL only) a few months before releasing the regular size in the US almost a year later. Reason being that 3DS sales in Japan were starting to slow a bit and Australia is a small test market. Not sure that really works for the Switch but as sales are up in pretty much all regions.
Here is another reason why I don't think its happening, all the leaks on stores and junk, but They all call it a switch pro
The Switch was called the NX by everyone right up until the announcement trailer. And at that point we had a VERY good understanding of what the hardware was. The same was true with the 3DS from memory. A bit less so with the Wii U.
Except that you'll have to buy a new system every 3-4 years to keep accessibility to all games, instead of the usual 6-7 years.
Well the Switch has already been out for as long as the Wii U was before the Switch launched so it's not exactly less time. And even if it was, while our monkey brains can't stand the FOMO the reality is the console model cutoff is objectively worse. You're talking about 4-5 years of life for hardware before being cut out of some titles via incrementally better but compatible hardware? The console model is 5-6 years of life for hardware before the doors slam shut on the previous hardware.
If you were a Wii U owner who didn't pick up a Switch at launch? Within the first year you missed out on Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Mario + Rabbids and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. These games, for the most part, could've existed on Wii U. And on the other side people who picked up the Switch and didn't have a Wii U? They'd have to wait for ports of Wii U games if they wanted to play them on their new hardware.
@skywake The Wii U's sales may have been a factor...
In the end, you're either buying a console every 3-4 years, or every 6-7 years. I know which one I prefer. And with BC, new adopters don't have to miss out on previous titles either.
@Octane No, you're not getting what I mean by iPhone business model. Smartphones release models every year and support multiple of them. iPhone 12 is the latest last time I checked, but they're still supporting past iPhone models all the way back to like... iPhone 7 or something.
Now I don't think Nintendo will go that extreme, but something where games could be compatible with the Switch and Switch Pro for another 4 or 5 years (although unfortunately third parties would probably insist on Switch Pro exclusivity, but Nintendo would probably make most of their games compatible with both), then release a new model and phase out the current Switch and retain the Switch Pro and the next Switch model. Then after another 4 or 5 years, phase out the Switch Pro and retain the newest models. Again, the main hurdle here would be communicating which models are compatible with which games, but if they can find a way to make that clear to gamers, that might be the way to go here.
Well the Switch has already been out for as long as the Wii U was before the Switch launched so it's not exactly less time. And even if it was, while our monkey brains can't stand the FOMO the reality is the console model cutoff is objectively worse. You're talking about 4-5 years of life for hardware before being cut out of some titles via incrementally better but compatible hardware? The console model is 5-6 years of life for hardware before the doors slam shut on the previous hardware.
If you were a Wii U owner who didn't pick up a Switch at launch? Within the first year you missed out on Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Mario + Rabbids and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. These games, for the most part, could've existed on Wii U. And on the other side people who picked up the Switch and didn't have a Wii U? They'd have to wait for ports of Wii U games if they wanted to play them on their new hardware.
The console model isn't great for consumers.
This too. The console model really doesn't make a lot of sense for consumers, especially since hardware improvements have been experiencing diminishing returns to the point where I haven't been able to tell the difference between a past gen game and a next gen game since like... the 360 and PS3. Having these arbitrary cutoff dates when console manufacturers stop supporting hardware is very anti-consumer, if you had more of an iPhone model there's less pressure to get the newest model and you would just upgrade when your old model is naturally incapable of running newer games. I see this as a win-win for gamers and developers, developers can sell more models, capitalize more on collectors, and can develop higher end games without having to arbitrarily wait until the manufacturers decide they want to release their next gen hardware, and consumers can hold onto their devices and only upgrade on an as-needed basis.
@Bolt_Strike I mean, if they can assure that ALL games will be compatible with the OG Switch until at least the Switch Pro 2 comes out in, say, 2025, then I have no problem with it. But Nintendo has pushed mid-gen exclusives before with the new 3DS, so I'll probably have to buy their consoles more often if I want to be guaranteed I can play all their games. The way I see it is just an additional 300 purchase every couple of years. So it really depends on whether there are exclusives from day one or not.
This idea of exclusive games is pony. Monster Hunter Rise has just reached 7mill. If it had released as an exclusive to the new Switch iteration it would be sitting around 1-2mill. tops.
There might be exclusives, but I doubt they'll be the big hitters.
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