Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

could Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom have the darkest/mature plot of the franchise?(i higly doubt that)

@JaxonH if Nintendo bring all it big games to Switch right now, it could heavily impact the launch of it sucessor, they cant release all it big games on Switch, they need to save some like a 2D/3D Mario for it sucessor or we gonna have another Wii U situation, with huge gaps between releases(surely Nintendo want to avoid this, they want the Switch sucessor to have a similar or a higher sucess then Switch, since sadly all Nintendo sucessor sadly underfemed(Game Cube, Wii U, N64.

@JaxonH @GrailUK Yeah I did used to think 2024 would be the year the successor launches but if Nintendo are able to up the number of systems they produce (and actually manage to sell them. That’s gonna depend what holiday games they have other than DLC) then I do think 2025 maybe when it doe’s finally happen. The final year, which would be 2024 for the Switch, is usually quiet first party wise in terms of heavy hitters because they’re gonna be focusing on a strong year 1 lineup for the next system.

The biggest problem will be keeping third party support coming in the meantime, especially as the hardware is so old compared to what the competitors have. And that statistic of only 18% actively developing anything for the Switch seems concerning.

@FragRed First party games, indies and 'proven third party games' seem to be serving them well. Sure the odd miracle port doesn't hurt either.

I would have thought their biggest problem is remaining as prolific. Especially with any move to next gen what with development time increasing.

I think we’ll see something like:

• New Switch revision in 2023 announced a few months before its launch like the other revisions (either launching with TotK or a new Mario game)
• Announcement of some sorts for Switch 2 in April/May 2025
• Proper reveal at E3 2025 (if E3 still exists by then)
• Release in Holiday 2025

Releasing March 2025 would harm Holiday 2024 Switch sales which seems a bit foolish unless Switch momentum has plummeted which doesn’t seem to be the case given how Switch production is increasing.

@Grumblevolcano Ow, you still reckon we will see a new Switch this year?

@GrailUK A revision, yes but not sure what it would be. Digital Foundry seems to have debunked the more powerful Switch revision theories in the sense that it did exist but got cancelled but I’m not sure something like a Switch Lite OLED would result in that much more production.

@Grumblevolcano Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't down for a Zelda edition Switch

@Grumblevolcano the only revision i could imagine Nintendo could do is Switch Lite OLED, also a price cut help Switch keep selling well

@GrailUK
That's true. Nintendo flat out stated they wanted a longer generation. I guess the question was, how does Nintendo define that timespan?

But ya, most Nintendo consoles are dead by the time they're going into their 7th year. So it made sense to usher in new hardware after 5-6 years. But when your console is still selling 21 million units in its 6th year and projections are to sell even more in the 7th year... like... it's a business. Of course they're gonna keep selling a console that's doing numbers like that.

I think we all kind of expected Switch to start slowing down by now, and even late into last fall there were a lot of reports of Switch sales slowing down and momentum waning, thus arguments supporting the viability of new hardware sooner than later. But it seems those reports were inaccurate. It wasn't declining demand, it was the chip shortage. Now that supply constraints are rectified, they're pressing full throttle again.

I think it's time we all just accept 2025 is the year, forget about it for now, and enjoy this golden era of gaming we're in. After all, Switch is in the pinnacle of its lifespan and the games releasing are rapid fire knockouts, one after another.

Dokapon Kingdom Connect according to play-asia.

@JaxonH WHAT? Switch momentum was slowing down due to the chip shortage,but in 2020 Switch have it best year in renevue, how is this possible? will this increase in Switch production not impact it sucessor launch? Nikkei even stated Nintendo seen to have begun the production of Switch sucessor, all of this dont aling, how can the sucessor of Switch only release in 2025, if Nintendo is asking for them supliers to begin the production of Switch sucessor?

I think the story is potentially a bit more complicated than this. For one I'm not entirely sure the Switch has been particularly supply constrained, maybe I'm out of the loop but I don't really recall many stories of people not being able to get Switch hardware. Certainly not to the extent of the PS5 or GPUs. I mean in 2021 they basically moved more Switch than all of the other consoles combined

As I said in the other thread I think the supply constraints for Switch, to the extent they have existed, have presented themselves to consumers more as a stubbornly stable price point and the value-added OLED SKU. What I suspect this ramp up in production signals is that yes, supply constraints have eased but they'll want to fill in that extra supply with price cuts and/or new SKUs

I also think we need to be open to the possibility that this ramp up IS for new hardware. I'd argue it's still entirely possible that when new hardware releases it'll also be "Switch" and not a new platform. Until we see factory leaks and/or hear confirmation and/or time passes and nothing happens? We have no idea

@Giancarlothomaz
I mean it could, but it would be hard to beat Majora’s Mask. That game is messed up when you think about it.

@skywake I think it's safe to say it's the OG / OLED Switch guys. Might be limited editions for Zelda and Pikmin.

@GrailUK
If I was betting on it I'd put money on an OLED Lite/Mini and a price cut for 2023. New hardware in 2024. But either way, we have no idea at this point. It could simply be nothing new at all and no price change but just an expected bump in sales off the back of a solid software line-up

@skywake Software sells consoles. And they do have a beaut lined up for later this year

@skywake
It was

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/04/tech/nintendo-switch-earnings-...

https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/3/23290085/nintendo-switch-q1...

When they downgraded their forecast from 21m to 19m, they attributed this to the chip shortage. They even told investors this. Of course, most people just refused to believe them and assumed they were making excuses for declining demand... clearly, were telling the truth, as this recent increase ramping up supply demonstrates.

And it is for current Switch. That's not to say another revision couldn't release that boosts sales, but if that's the case, it's still Switch, regardless of variant or model.

@SlashFuture
We do have an idea. The ramp up is for current Switch. They specifically stated current Switch will increase production. There is no new hardware involved. At least, not a successor. Translation: we could see a Lite OLED model or some other in-family revision, but this is not for "new hardware" outside of the Switch family.

And the reason we know this, beyond simple context, is the fact they also stated if demand turns out not being as strong as suspected, they will simply downgrade forecasts later.

@skywake in severals financials reports, Shuntaro Furukawa stated the chip shortage impacted Nintendo Switch and they are trying to find solution, to avoid a drastic slowdown on Switch sales momentum, the chip shortage impacted everyone not just Nintendo, Sony e Microsoft, only now Jim Ryan has stated they managed to normalize the problem with chip shortage, PS5 was suffering since it launch in novembre 2020, @JaxonH also Nintendo can adjust it sales forecast, if Nintendo Switch didnt meet they sale forecast, is better to set a realistic sale forecast like 15 milions consoles sold this fiscal year, then set a unrealistic sale forecast such as 20/25 milions hardware sold this fiscal year, @Slashfuture, or we could see the long rumored Switch Pro releasing this year(hopefully not, i tired of this Switch Pro bull☆☆☆hit

@skywake An OLED Lite would make sense. Or even a home-only device. I don't see them cutting the price of the base unit, though. Not when it's still selling like this.