Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

I feel like Banjo would make more sense. I mean, Grunty’s Revenge was still published by THQ after Microsoft bought Rare.

I don’t feel like Cuphead or Ori are earth shattering things, but that’s just me.

I think Banjo is a pipe dream it won’t appeal to any significant number of people aside from a small minority of diehard Nintendo old-schoolers. Nobody really cares about that franchise anymore (not to be harsh, but it’s true). Maybe as part of Rare Replay, but not as a sole focus.

@FragRed
You never know. They were developing a Halo for the DS at one point. I could definitely see an agreement where Nintendo and MS try to leverage each other’s fanbase on the presumption Switch owners still want to own a power console and Xbox owners may still want to game portably.

Drop a Halo on Switch and throw Master Chief in Smash. Nintendo wins because, Halo on Switch. MasterChief in Smash brings in Xbox gamers. Xbox wins because Nintendo fans see what MS has to offer, and a percentage convert to Xbox One owners, or will have potential preference toward Xbox over PS if/when they decide to buy a secondary console.

Not that I believe that’s what it is. But I do believe it’s possible. And I don’t think I would’ve said “I believe it’s possible” a few years ago.

@AlohaPizzaJack
Ori and Cuphead aren’t earth shattering in and of themselves. Nonetheless, they are MS 1st party games, and thus, if they came to Switch, it would indeed be earth shattering. It would be the first time in recent memory (potentially ever?) A first party game from a platform manufacturer was brought to another console. If that’s not earth shattering I don’t know what is.

@JaxonH You say Banjo doesn't have any real appeal outside the old school Nintendo fans, yet Microsoft seemed to be happy enough to reveal a new Battletoads game during E3 last year which I would argue has even less appeal than Banjo Kazooie right now. I think with 3D platformers making somewhat of a comeback with remakes and sequels, in some cases in dormant franchises, if it is going to happen then now is the time. That said, I feel it would make most sense to be something to bulk out the launch library for the next generation Xbox than be for the Switch.

Regarding Halo, yeah I forgot Microsoft planned a DS game and though it would be a great win win situation for it to be on the Switch, I also agree it's not what we should be expecting. It would also have to be all the games from the Master Chief collection or go home and I think they may struggle to get the second game's anniversary to run on the Switch, even if down scaled.

It could be something as simple as Rare Replay coming to the Switch, which I don't feel is too far fetched, and it could be seen as a great way to promote the whole Microsoft/Nintendo relationship seeing Rare was a second party Nintendo developer for a while.

@FragRed
Sure, right alongside 3 dozen other games. Not as a sole selling point. If they’re gonna bring a game to Switch, I seriously, seriously doubt its Banjo. We’re not talking about potential comebacks from the retro era here, we’re talking about MS debuting a 1st party game on another console. And that isn’t the right game to debut. If they want to make another entry that’s great but that’s another discussion entirely.

I think Rare Replay is a prime candidate. And a good fit. That said I don’t believe it has to be the entire MCC or nothing. Though if it was, it could use the original version of Halo 2, Remastered in HD. Just like every other remaster on Switch. Put the last gen version on and remaster it as good as you can. No 4K assets, no multiplayer (at least, not on cart), just the main entries 1-4 and I bet that entire collection could fit on a 32gb cart. Definitely 64gb, which if there’s a partnership I’m willing to bet they’d foot the bill if need be.

Idk. I’m not really inclined to go too far deep down the Halo rabbit hole. I really think it’s Ori, possibly Rare Replay. Buuuut... if they want to leverage fanbases, even I won’t deny Halo is the way to go. So we’ll see.

@JaxonH I definitely feel Rare Replay is the better fit especially if you are to judge what is selling well on the Switch and the market that is buying into the system apart from Nintendo fans - those who in many cases haven't owned a console in a few generations but may well remember Rare games. Halo would be something I think even Microsoft would want to hold back to sell their own Xbox lineup. Maybe when Xcloud comes along that will be the time to make it available on Switch.

As for Ori, THQ are rumoured to be handling that right? So it's not really something I feel Microsoft will be shouting about too much, even if it is first party. Whatever Microsoft are doing, it will be published through them.

And about 64gb carts? Are they still coming this year? I know they were pushed back due to technical difficulties but there hasn't been anything said about it since start of last year when that was announced.

@FragRed I could honestly see the 1st party next gen Xbox launch window lineup be something small in quantity like Halo Infinite, Forza Motorsport 8 and 1 surprise game (the launch window lineup for the XB1X was Forza Motorsport 7 and Super Lucky's Tale). Even @NEStalgia's theory of XB1X being able to play next gen Xbox games seems somewhat realistic now (there was a big discussion about this in the Xbox thread last year) given Microsoft's focus is increasingly on getting games in any many places as possible.

@FragRed
Well, we don’t know Microsoft is the one for sure in the first place, nor that they’re going to be shouting about anything.

All we know is that a game is coming that previously would have been perceived as impossible. That could very well be Ori and the Blind Forest, and Microsoft is letting another publisher handle it so it’s not their name on the box, which they may want to avoid for one reason or another. We don’t know if it’ll be published through them or not, because we don’t really know anything aside from “a game that would have previously been seen as impossible a few years ago is coming”. It could be Microsoft publishing it, or it could be THQ publishing. We have no evidence that leans one way or the other.

I don’t know about the 64gb carts, but I do know that if they needed one for something like Halo MCC on Switch, Nintendo would make it happen, one way or another. They get manufactured when Nintendo tells them to. And if they needed them to fit Halo MCC on a cart, Nintendo would definitely be telling them to manufacture. One of the few situations where I am utterly confident Nintendo would do whatever they have to do to accommodate.

I’d say there’s just about as much buzz around the Ori and Cuphead franchises as there is Banjo.
In the hypothetical that Microsoft would put something on another platform, it’d be a safer bet to put money in a franchise already known by fans of the platform. It can’t be said that folks wouldn’t be interested in a Banjo game because it’s old when there’s millions of folks playing SNK, Neo Geo, arcade, and NES games.

Or we could all get duped and get stuck with Kameo 2. 😂

There’s really not millions of people playing retro games. That’s a very, very small subset of the gaming population.

If they’re trying to bring people in, they’re going to try to bring in the masses, not an extremely niche subset. I’m sorry, but this is exactly the type of wishful thinking I’m talking about that’s not grounded in actual evidence or reason. It’s just an “I wish this were true so I’m going to pretend that it might happen”.

Banjo is irrelevant and has been for a long time. More importantly, there’s not a new game to bring. If there was a brand new Banjo game, then I might consider the possibility. But there’s not. And nobody’s going to get excited for a port of an N64 game they played 20 years ago. Certainly not anymore than any other virtual console game that released in the last 20 years. It’s like Turok releasing. Ya, it’s cool, but nobody really cares.

Ori, on the other hand, is most definitely relevant. And was unanimously scored as a masterpiece. The game has sold millions of copies (among current generation gamers, not gamers 20 years ago where 75% of them have dropped off the face of the map, don’t play games anymore or are dispersed among the various modern platforms), has modern gameplay, modern graphics, and is a perfect fit for the modern fanbase (all of them, not just the extremely niche, underground NES-game-loving subset of the fanbase). Furthermore, it has a brand new sequel on the horizon, a game which will drum up hype and attention. And if Nintendo fans experience the first game, they very well may go buy an Xbox to play the sequel (the kind of strategy companies actually use).

And sure, some people still like Banjo. Some people still like F-Zero. Some people still like all the old classics. The question isn’t whether people still exist in the world that like something, the question is how many people would it appeal to NOW. So 100,000 people go out and buy a 20 year old N64 virtual console game on Switch off the eShop? Somehow I get the feeling that’s not what Microsoft would have in mind. You could make an argument for any game on the planet based on “ there’s people that like it”. Just because there’s people that like some 20-year-old game from a bygone era doesn’t mean Microsoft is going to debut that 20-year-old game on the Switch when they’ve got actual new games they’re using to sell their new hardware with, that can be used to do exactly that. Switch isn’t selling millions of units off the back of some N64 game, and neither is Xbox One. Get out of the bubble people.

8 million Switch Online subscribers says otherwise. As do the sales of NES and SNES Classic combined.

Says the guy saying based on some anonymous source who may or may not be spewing BS for cred that MS will put games on Switch in such a capacity. With what basis exactly beyond baseless hearsay?

Who says there isn't? You just said Xbox games would be coming based solely on baseless speculation. It stands to reason another Banjo game could happen in your own eyes if someone random said so on a board.

Ori, on the other hand, is most definitely relevant. And was unanimously scored as a masterpiece. The game has sold millions of copies (among current generation gamers, not gamers 20 years ago where 75% of them have dropped off the face of the map, don’t play games anymore or are dispersed among the various modern platforms), has modern gameplay, modern graphics, and is a perfect fit for the modern fanbase (all of them, not just the extremely niche, underground NES-game-loving subset of the fanbase). Furthermore, it has a brand new sequel on the horizon, a game which will drum up hype and attention. And if Nintendo fans experience the first game, they very well may go buy an Xbox to play the sequel (the kind of strategy companies actually use).

You haven't seen the Switch full of ports both from current generation, going back as far as the N64? Some from the 360 even. Heck, here comes Resident Evil 4 again, surely old games won't sell.

@Knuckles-Fajita I kinda don't think Switch Online subs show how many people play Retro. I myself went in because

1. Family plan
2. Friend said will pay my share for it

so I figure why not kind of thing. And I'm reaaaally sure there's a lot of people doing the same thing, don't care about the retro, but because online is locked, have to join in. At least $4-5 per year for Online isn't bad

I thought the ACA, Hamster, and Johnny things sold well too. There’s also those folks that keep buying those 8-16-32 bit style indies fueling retro type sales.

To be clear, I couldn’t be bothered over BK/BT coming to Switch or not. I played them again on 360 and again on X1 and again on replay, so I’ve definitely gotten my fill multiple times over. Im just putting it out there that it is something that’s been released multiple times to draw safe money. Like capcom and their REreleases.

But I figured it out. Sneak King. It’s coming.

1 Online subscribers sub for the cloud saves and the online more than the retro games. You have no data to prove 8 million people subbed for retro games, and until you do your argument is moot. Even Mega Man Collection barely just hit 1 million sold across 6 different platforms, selling for years and years. The retro market is small.

2 May or may not be spewing BS for cred
Dude’s track record speaks for itself, unlike anyone else here.

3 Banjo could happen
Oh sure, tons of things COULD happen. Nintendo might wake up in the morning and announce they’re no longer making hardware, they’ve decided to move to the north pole and start mining for elf fossils. Just because something COULD happen doesn’t give us any reason to believe it actually will. Show evidence, or logical reasoning why. “Because it could happen” doesn’t cut it in any serious conversation.

4 Old games do sell, most definitely. In fact every game “sells”. The worst games ever created “sell”. Yet again, nobody is making the argument old games don’t sell. The question is HOW MUCH do they sell. 50k? 100k? 200k? 500k? And HOW MUCH is a N64 port going to sell, when Rare Replay couldn’t even hit 1 million bundled with 2 dozen other games? But sure, let’s keep pretending THAT’S what it is. Because we live in a world where what we want to believe is more important than how realistic it actually is. Let’s just stay in make believe land! Yayyyy!!!

@SamusLv7
So... saying that bringing a 20 year old retro game is probably not what they have in mind... is now self proclaiming as the “voice of God”.

Tell ya what, I’ll be over here living in reality, and you sit over there with your hands out waiting for your Banjo port and let me know how that goes for you 😁

No, he’s not leaking anything of actual substance, just an N64 port of Banjo. Why? Well because uh... old games sell. And uh... it could happen. And uh... because you’re not the voice of God! Lol lol You guys kill me. Immaculate articulation of evidence and reasoning. Well done. Only the most foolish of the foolhardy would dare contest such sound logic.

@SamusLv7
I’m not getting anyone’s hopes up or down, at least, not maliciously or as a matter of manipulation. I’m just here having discussion about reasonable and realistic possibilities. It’s not my job to lie to people just because they want their hopes kept afloat. In fact that’s the worst possible thing somebody could do.

If it really is likely to happen I’ll be happy to say so. And, I’ll be more than happy to cheer fans on in hoping they get what they want. Which, I do hope you and others get what you want. Truly. But just because I hope you get what you want doesn’t mean I’m going to lie to you and tell you something that’s not true- something that’s not actually going to happen, just to make you feel good inside.

All we can do is call it how we see it. Anyone who’s hopes died after Federation Force wasn’t paying attention. The fact they made a new game under the series banner was proof enough they weren’t done with it. Whether a series continues has nothing to do whatsoever with people’s hopes. And what people choose to put hope in is of no consequence to me.

I’m all up for mature conversation and realistic prospects being put forward. But I’m not going to entertain outlandish notions without any reason or logic to back it up. If we’re going to discuss something, then let’s discuss it on planet earth. It doesn’t mean we’re going to be right about everything we predict but we can at least let logic and reason guide us. We can at least filter out 95% of the BS by applying some simple filtering of unlogical conclusions. And when you can narrow it down to the remaining 5% we can actually have a productive conversation. If you so choose to believe Banjo is coming, against all reason and logic, then Godspeed on your journey. That’s your prerogative. But if you propagate that claim in serious discussion without providing tangible evidence or logic or reason to back up why it’s likely to happen, don’t be surprised when people shoot it down.

@SamusLv7
OK for one, that statement did not call you anything.

For two, there are plenty of fools in this world. Me being a Christian doesn’t make that any less true.

For three, if you’re going to debate me then I suggest you do it without bringing up my religious beliefs. Because they have nothing to do with anything in this discussion- it’s strawmanning, something people do when they’ve no leg to stand on in a debate.

@SamusLv7
So please forgive me for what I said

Of course. That is one thing I can actively do- always forgive someone who asks.

At the end of the day, you might get what you want via Rare Replay. That seems like a reasonable contender, if they’re going to play the nostalgia card. It would certainly do better on Switch than Xbox, of that I’m certain. But so would Ori and Cuphead. I guess this begs the question, is it going to be one game or is it going to be multiple games?

Or, are we off in left field already? Could be something with Valve. We recently heard about that canceled Half Life game. Something like that would also fit the bill.

@JaxonH Source on Ori and the Blind Forest selling millions of copies?

Banjo Kazooie/Banjo Tooie would make the perfect “available after this direct” type announcement, like FF IX. But as of right now there are no signs of that happening.

When it comes to what is relevant, how truly relevant is Halo now days? I don't think outside of the hardcore Xbox fans, whom bought the Xbox One no matter what, it's actually as relevant as people think it is. Even hardcore fans don't all believe it to be as important as it was say 10 years ago. Halo 5 sold millions but it didn't shift shifting units like the games did on the original Xbox or the 360. It sells to the Xbox fan base but that's about it. Same with Gears of War - a franchise that was a huge deal during the last generation for the Xbox 360. It really doesn't have that pulling power outside the Xbox fans. Microsoft have learned this the hard way and it's largely why so much is now having to be invested in new studios.

If either those 2 franchises made their way to the Switch, I am sure people would buy them but I am not expecting people to go out and want to buy an Xbox One because of them. They don't have that brand power they once had.

Ori and the Blind Forest while I do believe is certainly coming to the Switch, is defiantly not going to get people to buy an Xbox One regardless of whether a sequel is on the way. It's a 2D platform game of which there are hundreds being produced all the time even if this has won critical reception and awards. If people buy it on the Switch great, but like Hellblade which is now by a developer owned by Microsoft - it isn't going to entice people over.

I think we are all looking in the wrong franchises as to what this "Mario on PlayStation" game might be. I just don't know what franchise it could be.

The NES and SNES classic consoles sold quite a lot (over 10 million combined), so I wouldn’t say that retro games don’t sell that well anymore. Banjo could potentially sell quite well.

2000 pages, and no celebrations?!? (does that rhyme?)

Anyway, I'll just expect nothing. I think people are raising their expectations based on rumours, which are in turn based on rumours. There's cross-play between a handful of games, and now people are expecting Microsoft to develop a completely new Banjo-Kazooie game for Switch. So I'm going to say it's a whole bunch of nothing, unless proven otherwise.