Nintendo Reveals Splatoon 3, Coming To Switch In 2022

Splatoon: Fallout

more Splatoon!

The music was great

Splatoon: Borderlands

Too soon ......... at least for me

Time to renew my NSO

One word Woomy

The Ink’s already running through my veins.

Hmmm... needs to show more, what I seen looks like just another expansion pack for Splatoon 2.

Looked great. Booyah

That definitely looks chaos-influenced. Love the hairstyles.

Gonna be a long wait 😢😢

Didn't Alex & Jon call this in their video?

This feels way too soon. Give some of your other franchises some love Nintendo. Warioware and Wario Land, F-Zero, Chibi-Robo, Rhythm Heaven and many more... seriously.

@Yanina To be fair, Splatoon 2 came out in 2017. This one comes out in 2022. A 5 year gap is more than enough for a third game.

I expected nothing and still was disappointed

I kind of just mostly played the campaign and Octo Expansion in 2. Not sure if it's worth me getting this one since I don't really play multiplayer in games.

My favorite announcement by far! The ink bow looks AWESOME!!!!!

It seems premature, but then again, Splatoon isn't really my thing. Happy for the fans to be getting a sequel in a relatively short space of time.

It wouldn't surprise me if they delay this a bit more so that it ends up being a launch title for the Switch successor, while still launching on the OG model (a la Breath of the Wild).

Fix Switch's online and the awful map rotation and I'll consider it. Otherwise it's a pass.

Tbh I wanted to see what was coming this year but instead there two main games this direct are coming 2022? They doing a sony now.

2022 seems to be great but the rest of this year is just so bland and another repeat of 2021 with ports, shovelware and games that have been on other consoles for ages

I'm going to be SO disappointed if this is a switch pro exclusive!

Had to happen someday. Glad it did.

@Laoak Hmm guess you are right. Maybe it just feels like it because it mostly looks like an expansion for Splatoon 2

Honestly my mouth fell open and my tongue rolled out lol. Was not expecting this to show up on switch. Looks fantastic, and it’s a proper all new sequel.

Everything else was extremely underwhelming

I am so happy for this, didn't think they'd announce it this early!!

Another sequel to an arena shooter really doesn't seem necessary. 2 made some sense, 3 on the same system doesn't.

Certainly doesn't remotely make up for the hope we had of some botw 2 news and nor did skyward hd (although I have tbh, I'm glad it isn't windwaker).

For the first "major" Direct in ages, this was a let down.

@MS7000 It'll have been 5 years since Splatoon 2 came out.That is more than plenty of time between iterations.

Unpopular opinion probably: not a fan of this whole idea. Splatoon 2 was great but it was more of an enhanced port of splatoon 1 just for switch. It was a great move and very enjoyable game. Splatoon 3 looks exactly the same just with more weapons. I feel like they should have saved it for next console generation because I don't think I'll buy splatton 2 and second time for a very samey experience. I love splatoon on of my most played games on wii u and switch but... Why buy the same game twice no matter how much you love it? Guess I'll wait but it seems like new maps and guns but thats it at the moment. Not enought for me.

Farewell plans for 2022. If you need me, I'll be in Neo Inkopolis for the foreseeable future

Called this 2 years ago, @thesilverbrick will back me up. I think they blocked me after that conversation. 😂

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/05/splatoon_2_v4_8_0_update_keeps_things_fresh_behind-the-scenes

No doubt the biggest announcement of the Direct.

@MS7000 Splatoon 2 came out in 2017, a five year gap between games is definitely reasonable

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

Haha, so people who don't own the art books get their first look into how FREAKING DARK the Splatoon universe really is.

I'm so excited for this! Love splatoon 2 and I'm sure I will love this one too! Honestly this hopefully will feel more like a true sequel. Splatoon 2 really wasn't that much of a jump from the original splatoon from what I've heard. That was a two year gap..this will be a five year gap which is a plenty of time between the games imo

I don’t understand their announcement system at all. So we have Metroid 4 announced as a title and then delayed so understandably no footage.

BOTW small trailer with no gameplay and then absent for 2 years

Bayonetta with barely more than a title and also MIA

Now this announcement for next year. Really bizarre to me. But looks promising.

SALMON RUN 2
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I’m sure a lot of people will be happy about this. I won’t even entertain splatoon if there isn’t a local multiplayer option.

@roboshort 5 years seems long, then you look at those games I mentioned and realise that those games are waiting just as long, if not longer for sequels. Not to mention, Splatoon 2 is on Switch, the others aren't.

@Medic_Alert Every Call of Duty game is the same. Every Fifa game is the same. Splatoon is basically a multiplayer shooter, there is nothing you really need to change. Just improve it and move on. And that's what they do.

@Ghostchip do you know what's all in the game?

To those moaning saying it’s not different enough, a) this is a very early teaser w little info. There will obviously be more. B) it was very different, what did you watch?

I guess it's only about a year off. So psyched.

My friend NAGGED me to try Splatoon 2 for a while. I'm so glad he did.

@meeto_1 they did say to expect more info on BoTW2 in the latter half of the year, so that's something

@meeto_1 BotW2 news will come later this year. I think we'll get a Zelda Direct in the coming months. (Anniversary and all)

@ZaleraExdeath See my above reply. =)

Starfox, Pilotwings, F-Zero, Wave Race etc. just seem forgotten by Nintendo. The Direct was beyond disappointing.

@BeetleSpider99 just saying from first impressions I really hope that my suspicions aren't confirmed

Splatoon: Too Soon

This just made my day! Please, please, please do 4-player split-screen couch co-op!!

@HamatoYoshi Starfox on Wii U was terrible, and the others haven't had games in decades. They're old IPs, and none of them are big sellers.

l didn't like the background on that small map. It was so dead, not colorful. that's sad

People seem to be forgetting how long ago 2017 was, Splatoon 2 is not that new.

Only cool announcement for me... until it said 2022 and my son said "OH CMON!"

It does feel too soon, but 2022 is a long way away. I'll probably be eager for more Splatoon by then.

@HamatoYoshi I do agree. I would also add 1080° to that list.

For a minute I thought this was a spinoff single-player adventure game. That was a very good minute.

Chaos won & so we have our Chaos themed Splatoon 3. Awesome!! Please note Spawn Campers.. THERE IS NO SPAWN. Seems you fly in from the paint cans & have a range of area you can land in.. really hope this adds more skill into matches!

Splatsville, also known as the “City of Chaos”.

City of Chaos.

OF CHAOS

Ye know, as in not the City of Order.

That tells us SO much about the setting, and why we hear such strong bass lines in the music, something traditionally not part of the soundtrack.

@DanteSolablood Yeah as soon as the teaser opened I started thinking about how Chaos won. Glad they stuck to their promise.

Mad splat: Fury road

Epic nuf said.

@iDidSomething Well that's too bad. Were you disappointed for Splatoon 3 for any reason, or are you talking about the Direct as a whole? Any part of the Direct you did enjoy? Personally I liked it, but we all have our different opinions.

Of all the games, why Splatoon 3? Surely would be better to save this for the next console. What is it going to offer that couldn't have be put into an update or expansion? Money I suppose. I'm genuinely worried about Nintendo's lack of creativity.

@HeadPirate bro Splatoon soundtrack always had sick basslines! For real

Enough from pulling your leg, it was "stronger" in the trailer indeed. And City of Chaos because Chaos won the last Splatfest!

Seems different enough, but I don’t like the changes to much.

@ImagineerNik
Totally agree there! I wrote a drunken complaint email after spending 30 mins not being able to play with 3 friends in turf war and got a snotty reply saying, "in future we advise you to looka t Nintendos game websites for details on whether the online features will meet your requirements."

@sanderev they are still big titles that have been absent a long time for longtime Nintendo fans.

actually disappointed 3rd one is already coming out. Just look, splatoon 1 came out in 2015 and 2 years later the second one came out! I think Nintendo should have waited 2 more years imo for 3 or for 2.
This is my opinion so no need to attack.

Looked pretty decent, would like a bit of a shake up since the last two games.

@MS7000 Yeah, I get ya. Those other games just don't sell nearly as well as Splatoon. That makes it hard to continue those series.

Second Splatoon on Switch, but no new Mario Kart on Switch at all since previous one were a Wii U port?
About time they announce MK 9 Ultimate soon with all tracks ever.
Switch got Pikmin 3 instead of Pikmin 4 too. Nintendo need to stop sniffing bowser socks.

@Crockin The trailer already confirmed some possible big differences.
1: Less spawn camping: Spawn is in the sky now & you fly into a range of area. Much harder to lock a team down.

2: The bow weapon at the start of the trailer has rope attached.. possibly a grappleshot? Could mean some crazy stage design.

3: Buddies, trainable assists? Was that robot crab piloted by your buddy animal.

Just a couple of things from a few seconds gameplay.

@DanteSolablood yeah I think the fact that you have a little salmon buddy is obviously pointing to a new mechanic. Lots of other little breadcrumbs. V excited to learn more

@roboshort Which is a pity, because the variety in first-party was the magic of Nintendo for me. Back in the Wii days, everyone who trashed Nintendo used to say they only had Mario, Zelda and Pokemon. I disagreed at the time.

But nowadays on the Switch... I couldn't agree more.

Would have been a good way to end the direct if it was a 2021 game. I’m hyped but that one Zelda game I’ll assume is full price killed it for me.

@Lugazz

haha, opps! Thanks, corrected it.

When you look at the plot of Splatoon 2 vs. the last splatfest in 1, it's not about the fact that CHAOS won, even though that clearly set the backdrop. The important part is PEARL won, so off the hook will be moving in a new direction (which was her idea, where Marina wanted to keep the music the same). The bass is completely new, we only really hear it from "ink Floor" in the past, and if you're heard Pearls "Demo tape" you'll know she was basically singing death metal before joining up with Marina, which explains the electric sound.

This seems like it's abandoning the awesome world and atmosphere of splatoon for super generic desert apocalypse, I'm kinda bummed about this on

To announce a game for 2022 in February 2021, does it mean they have nothing for this year?

@Davzilla To be fair, splatfest is probably to blame. I went for Order, but... que sera, sera.

This announcement saved the Direct for me. (And for those saying it's too soon, Splatoon 2 came out 4 years ago. 5 years is plenty of time between installments.)

Awesome, not sure if I will ever play it but I am glad there is a sequel.

Cool way to end the presentation off, just stinks it won't be coming out until next year. Regardless, it looks like they are switching things up a lot and there could be a potential great story and theming with this game. Very excited even if it's a distant future game!

Switch’s Q4 2021 is gonna make Wii’s Q4 2008 look like heaven.

@DanteSolablood also looks like they removed gender from character setup. I think that’s fantastic.

@koffing Did not notice that! Good call.

Loved Splatoon 2. Definitely going to preorder this.

@Ventilator This is my thinking too. We get 2 Splatoons but all we get for Mario Kart is a port an an AR gimmick? I like Splatoon and I'll be fine with another one, but it doesn't seem to be different enough to warrant a second new game on the Switch.

@Silly_G what are ypu talking about? 5 years is not a short time for a sequel...

one of the worst announcement trailers i have ever seen. who edited this?

I'm hyped! Hopefully they'll add the option for regular gyro controls ..this time

Did the Switch really need this??

My wife and I were screaming like kids when we saw this. Can't wait!

Also, Nintendo's Twitter has more info on the game than what was in the trailer. Take a look, there.

Never saw it coming but so excited. People who say Splatoon 2 is a slight upgrade from 1 should go back to the original and play it again. 1 feels like a prototype although I still prefer the music.

This could still be nearly 2 years away so not that soon. Nice to see they trust the IP enough for it to close the Direct. I guess sales figures have helped.

Awesome way to end it

Gotta say this was a shock. Not because I didn’t think they’d make it; I just figured they would wait another three to four years. Then again it makes sense. New shiny arena shooter for the very large consumer base and it will likely boost sales of 2 as well.

@UltimateOtaku91 Bravely Default 2 and Monster Hunter Rise are neither bland, nor ports, shovelware, or available elsewhere, and will be out in just the next month and a half, belying any such claim about this year's outlook.

No Mario Kart? Ugh

@LUIGITORNADO Need? Of course not. But it doesn't need Breath of the Wild 2, either, so feel free to put away that dismissive tone.

Of course it's too soon when Switch already got a new Splatoon but not a new Mario Kart yet, after 7 years of playing MK8 we should at least get some DLC, but nooooo, Splatoon 3 is more important. If it was by another company it wouldn't be too soon, but for Nintendo it is.

I don't think Splatoon 3 is coming too soon. By the time it releases, it would be at the very least 3.5 years out from Splatoon 2's release. Octo Expansion was a very short stop gap between the two games, so that doesn't really count.

Super excited, nonetheless.

Actually kinda surprised at the amount of salt over this announcement. I’m hyped

@veeflames I just think that if it’s good and it’s ready to go, who cares about how soon it’s coming?

I don't get comments that ask "What makes Splatoon 3 so different from Splatoon 2? Why isn't this just DLC?"

Just by looking at the trailer, Splatoon 3 looks to add several new multiplayer features (dynamic spawns, new dodge mechanic, new weapon class) and has a completely different apocalyptic single player compared to Splatoon 2.

Nintendo isn't going to reinvent every one of their franchises Breath of the Wild style. Sometimes, a solid iterative sequel is all that is needed.

@JimmySpades yes but they were already announced, I meant after April it's looking quite bland in terms of brand new games apart from Mario golf

@rjejr Color me surprised. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised. Feels good to be wrong. And I never blocked you, for the record. I enjoy friendly debates, especially with intelligent, well spoken people like yourself.

I have been waiting for this announcement since 2019. It is the only online multiplayer game I play. I was watching this with my nephew and niece (ages 44 - 13 - 8). We all totally went mental when we realised what it was. I will be buying them both the game on release day without fail and my niece will still probably be able to destroy us both as she is a Splatoon master. I cannot believe we have to wait at least a year.

Too soon for no. 3? It cannot come soon enough IMHO.

@Bolt_Strike To me Splatoon 3 looks the same as the 2 first, so i'm sceptical.
I forgot the MK AR gimmick, but i don't count it as a MK sequel.

MK is the #1 Nintendo franchise ever, so it's weird there haven't been a new one for like 6 years.

@Silly_G

I think the two mindsets you have wrong are that Splatoon isn’t a Mario Kart or Mario Golf level game, it’s a new core series, on par with Zelda and core Super Mario. In terms of momentum, merchandising, branding, and future thinking It’s easily bigger than Metroid or Star Fox or anything like that.

Game sales are cool and all, but Pokémon isn’t worth more money then Hello Kitty because of the game play. That’s the part people in NA forget, that Nintendo was a toy company, and they prioritise IPs that sell more then games. Splatoon has a 40 chapter Manga, one of the “Off The Hook” live concerts was a top 10 CD for 4 months, and the Splatoon movie made 75 million at Box office. It’s as big as Mario, and it’s pretty common to get two Super Marios on the same console.

The other thing is that no matter how often Nintendo tells you, no matter how often tech experts who have looked at the scalability of the switch say so, not matter how often insiders talk about it, people still just can not accept that it looks like the switch is going to be around for a while. Nintendo denies the next system is even in serious development, and they haven’t hired hardware experts like they have when close to releasing another console. I mean, they could also drop it as a surprise or whatnot, but the expectation that the next switch is on it’s way and inevitable in the next year or two is just not supported by any evidence. The switch is likely to play out a lot more like the DS series of hardware then traditional consoles

I know that a lot of folks like this series, but it's never had staying power for me personally. The controls never felt quite comfortable for me, and the "fresh" theme kind of grew stale pretty quickly.

If there's a potential silver lining, it would be that 2022 release window, because Nintendo historically seems to release roughly one major first-party multiplayer game in a given year (if that). That leaves some hope for a Mario Kart 9/Nintendo Kart announcement later this year for Christmas 2021. Quite frankly given the choice I'd have been infinitely more stoked had the announcement been for that instead.

The First half of the trailer made it look like an action rpg set in the same universe, which got me very excited, then it turned out to be splatoon3, which is not that different from 2. Very disappointed.

I was screaming when I saw this announcement. I am so hyped for this game.

@NGNYS Oh man, I am so very sorry to hear that we are all trolls for thinking this game is too soon. I am sorry that you think people don't complain when big companies like Activision and Ubisoft have annual releases with minimal improvements. I am sorry you think people don't criticise Sony and Microsoft when there are issues. I am so very sorry you are happy with the bare minimum.

I hope you enjoy whatever games you play. And I hope you understand that people can have different opinions that you might not agree with without automatically considering them as trolls.

Some of the double standards you all have is genuinely baffling. You all complain about "nothing new", and "it's the same thing" after you lose your lunch to a BOTW 2 trailer with no gameplay, no release date and with a supposed "dark" theme. What actually makes that different from this? I'm actually confused.

@XenoLink

Just an FYI because I could talk about Splatoon all day, but the setting has always been post apocalyptic. In fact it's after a SECOND apocalypse. There is a lot of source material, most just the art books in English, that explore that. We only see the best of what the new world has to offer, but the setting is pretty dark outside of that.

But the Chaos focus is awesome for sure.

Nintendo never really listens to fans, just $$.

If I can get 4 Pokémon games on DS, I can get 2 Splatoon games on Switch. I'm excited for this IP to actually grow bigger than the jump from 1 to 2.

So either the switch successor is coming in 2022, or Nintendo is going the COD route.

@Trajan
Splatoon 3 is launching 5 years after Splatoon 2.

That's a COD route?

I screamed so loud I think I broke a few international laws! So much YES!

Some of ya'll gotta let go of Mario Kart 9 on Switch.

Mario Kart 8 DX will soon become Nintendo 2nd best-selling game in company history, only behind Wii Sports (a bundled game). It continues to sell millions of copies per year, with 10+ million sold in 2020 alone - it's biggest year yet. It is also the biggest online game on Switch, with only Animal Crossing and maybe Fortnite coming anywhere close. Nintendo isn't going to needlessly throw that unprecedented momentum out the door for a sequel that will split the Mario Kart community and will likely be criticized (by people on this website) for being "too similar" to Mario Kart 8.

The sooner you accept that Mario Kart 9 isn't coming until the Switch 2 - which is increasingly looking like a 2024 launch or later - the better

@JimmySpades nah I’ll keep wielding it thanks. If that’s a problem then don’t respond 🤷🏻‍♂️

@MS7000 I agree its only been like four years.

@westman98 all of that could easily be dlc. It’s just a new game to get another $60.

Then again it is 5 years (the typical console lifespan). I’m willing to bet it’s for the successor console, or heavily leverages the switch revision.

Well this was a happy surprise! I love, love, love splatoon so much, this is a day one purchase for me. I can’t wait to see more details.

@Trajan
There comes a point where if you add enough new content and features, you get a different game, even if the core gameplay mechanics are largely the same.

And there is no need to indulge in conpiracy - Splatoon 3 will be a Switch exclusive as advertised. Don't expect a Switch 2 until late 2023 at the absolute earliest.

Team Chaos winning the final splatfest influencing the narrative of Splatoon 3 is really cool

unexpected but hype.

anybody who says they doing COD rout is crazy or anything of the stort its been about 5 yrs maybe 4.

"inkjumps" and air-accurate Blasters!

@iDidSomething
Ha ha. Great response on here and I totally agree

@XenoLink

The art books are just .... stupid value. 350+ high quality pages of vibrant art plus a ton of info on the world and the people in it. Even if someone has never seen the game they are incredible coffee table / conversation starters. I can't recommend them enough.

caught me off guard, wow.

'Focused on the first half of 2021 BTW'. Got me excited for nothing.

For the love of god, 3 games in, please include more basic game modes other shooters have with a Splatoon twist, and don't let all but one of them be confined to Ranked. And get rid of that horrid map rotation system! Just let the players choose between 2 random maps pulled from the pool of them all on the load screen.

@MS7000 Splatoon 2 has been released 5 years ago. How on earth is that soon?

It looks more single player focused, and I've been wanting an open-world lore-filled Splatoon game for a long while! It won't be everything I've hoped for, but even the multiplayer looks great! Probably gonna get it day 1!

Splatoon 2 is 5 years old. It has been a while since then. Considering that Nintendo said that Switch is in the middle of its life cycle, makes sense to release it now.

Why people is upset is ridiculous.

@HeadPirate are you talking about the art of splatoon 2? I want to make sure I'm getting the right one if I were to get it.

This and Miitopia were the best announcements IMO...I really like the Splattack! remix here and the vibe they're going for

@GilbertXI

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33596680-the-art-of-splatoon

and

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45167724-the-art-of-splatoon-2

@HeadPirate thanks

I'm soooo excited for Splatoon 3, but it's sobering that ALL three entries will have released since one year AFTER Mario Kart 8 was released. Not to mention two entries of Smash.

@DK-Fan Yeah being upset about Splatoon 3 is pretty ridiculous. Most mainline shooters have nearly yearly entries on top of season passes. Splatoon offers so much for so little and what was shown today was great. Can't wait.

@Ghost_of_Hasashi I am hoping for a beefy single player and hopefully bots for multiplayer.

So if Order won the Final Splatfest, Splatoon 3 would've taken place in a totalitarian like city.

Those other games just don't sell nearly as well as Splatoon. That makes it hard to continue those series.

@roboshort You mean like Fire Emblem, before Awakening?

Gotta say this was a shock. ... Then again it makes sense. New shiny arena shooter for the very large consumer base and it will likely boost sales of 2 as well.

@Ryu_Niiyama I think you're correct here, and I think we've learned something about the sequel interval or cadence that NCL considers acceptable to keep a series in the public eye.

It also tells me about their prioritization of this franchise, their only FPS, versus others. I'm beginning to see all the more clearly just how hard it is for them to maintain their current output. In my eyes, their output is skewing far, far too young (excuse me, "all ages"). Yoshi, Mario, mascot sports games, Animal Crossing, Ninjala, and the like, are not exactly counterbalanced by occasional releases like FE3H or Astral Chain, but then again, this isn't the '90s, and perhaps they're happy with matters as they stand. Still, with Bayonetta staying radio silent and MP4 bound for a late 2022 release at best, their "mature" stuff has grown scarce. At the moment, Zelda is their grimmest franchise!

@NGNYS I had to Report your comment. I wasn't personally offended, because I do see too many complaints here for my personal taste. Do you think you could have made your point without attacking people in general?

@westman98 @Trajan

I agree with you here, westman98.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

I am reminded of people describing Smash Ultimate as a Wii U port...

I bought the first game and completed the campaign, played online for 20 minutes then dropped it. For some reason I still bought the second game, never completed the campaign as it was just as linear and uninspiring, then never really played online. Just sold it! I won't be making the mistake of buying this one, unless it looks like they actually put some effort into solo play and a story, but it's very doubtful.

@Jayofmaya I mean, Splatoon is a primarily online multiplayer game. It's not really known for its campaigns (though the Octo Expansion DLC was excellent).

@COVIDberry Well, yeah. But still None of the Fire Emblem titles have sold nearly as well as Splatoon. And they are made by Intelligent Systems rather than Nintendo proper. IS probably typically has much lower targets than Nintendo proper. I honestly think Nintendo should invest in those games and that they have potential, but it is a risk for a company with finite human resources. And outsourcing has not always paid off (like with FZero and Star Fox)

when the kid is squid

@mezoomozaa No that's not true. Nintendo usually only announces for the next few months and one/two games for a longer period (usually for hype reasons). I think we're set till august, for september-december we'll get different announcements.

YES!!
The 2nd is one of the only two games I play online (MK also).
I totally love it, can’t wait for another!

(I had wet eyes, excited!!)

@Medic_Alert it's like a remake with new story and core gameplay mechanics
im pretty sure splatoon 3 will change much more than splatoon 2 did

@MS7000 totally agree with you. We had a new entry this generation already.
I'd rather have a new Mario Kart or, as you said, any other dormant IP.

Here is hoping they will include local 2 player split screen!!!!! The one thing that was missing in Splatoon 2. I mean, if we can get it for Hyrule warriors, it should be possible for Splatoon 3.

I miss the vibrant style of the earlier games. This looks drab, a bit like Borderlands. But hey, we'll see. They got plenty of time left.

for a moment I thought it was going to be some kind of single player experience only. I hope they improve on the existing formula enough

So it seems we'll have 3 Splatoon games released since the last Mario Kart game, strange times. The direct focused a lot on Japanese fantasy/RPGs and Arena games, this seems to be norm these days. They're not my cup of tea, but it seems to be the direction the Switch market has headed.

@Rosona Booo! 👎If Activison can crap out a new Call of Doody every single year, Nintendo can make another Splatoon for the same console.

@vio
That's missing the point really, just because a company does do something, it doesn't mean others should emulate and to Nintendo's credit, they generally don't.

You can tell I am not a Splatoon fan, but didn't 2 not have a real story campaign?
If that is true, why would 3 be any different?
Further proving the lack of need for it as it could hae just beend a dlc and depending on how it is, maybe even a free dlc to 2.

Glad you like the announcement though.

@Yanina To be fair, the sequel came out mere two years after the original.

PEARL WHAT DID YOU DO!?

@COVIDberry (1/2) Nintendo has always been an all ages company. They aren’t really doing anything off their base. They function as an entertainment company first and foremost so they want the most consumers for the longest period of time. What looks better in the long run a new adult gamer that may or may not drop in an out or a child that is saturated in “Nintendo Culture” that will carry that brand loyalty on for at least a decade if not longer?

What are their biggest portfolio sells in house? What types of games? Games that suit all ages. Granted the “kiddie perception” is an outside generated label based upon consumer insecurity that is common in this world. Look at who plays mature games; an overwhelming amount of users aren’t the intended audience (minors) as opposed to it skewing to only adults. This is anecdotal of course, as it is harder to track underage gamers since they can’t actually buy M games but I think an educated guess isn’t far off. Also you have to remember consumer perception is not market action. Take NL for example, many users here are the bastion of complaining about how they think everything is a bad decision, but that rarely lines up with how people actually buy products. I’d say the wiiu was the only time that lined up, in fact. And the success of porting the library to Switch shows that was a marketing issue not a game or hardware issue.

Even still, Nintendo despite games having a focus on gameplay has a foot in “mature themes”. Splatoon takes place in a post apocalyptic world as does Pikmin. Fire Emblem is a war franchise with often morally reprehensible characters. Metroid and Bayonetta (listing because Nintendo invested to keep that franchise alive) are set in bleak worlds as is Xenoblade. Actually it’s a shorter list to put in non mature themed games.
Also Nintendo is still one of the most active devs AND publishers in the business. Gamers tend to ignore that.

@COVIDberry (2/2) Mature doesn’t just mean impractically dressed and unnaturally proportioned women and girls and roided men and guts everywhere. Even if it did, why would Nintendo burn resources on trying to come up with a list of original franchises when that is what third parties are for? Should they go get licenses for sports sims as well? That’s a lot of upfront financial investment with no guaranteed payoff (ask SEGA, they tried the in-house sports angle and it didn’t work out so well in the long run) and something your dev and marketing teams may not be best suited to capitalize on. Also why would you spend all your time chasing a rating that has an age restriction as that artificially restricts your potential consumer base (for units sold not desire)? And even MS and Sony want everyone but the difference is they have enough popular 3rd party buy in that they can focus on their games that either show the technical prowess of the system or story telling movie like focus of games. Which if you step back, that makes sense for a tech company (Microsoft) and a movie invested entertainment company (sony).

The E-T rating is the vehicle but not really the determinator of the theme in the games. If you look at comics with their bright colors and silly outfits and power fantasies, it is easy to dismiss them as “kiddie” but I think it’s an easy argument to make that they have themes for everyone. Even though the target demographic is traditionally young and adolescent males. While companies have demographics, no company wants to be solely focused on one target. The great thing about entertainment is you don’t have to produce all of your product in house to get that diversified consumer base. So from where I am standing output and narrative themes from Nintendo are pretty stable if not above industry average.

@HeadPirate Yeah you're right! I wonder how it will actually change, and if Pearl and Marina will be the actual "hosts" or if there will be a new duo.
Also, makes me imagine how things would be if Order had won!

The more I look at this the more the timing makes sense. I feel like this will be the summer 2022 game and given the dlc and splatfests that means it should peak by 2024 which by then Nintendo will likely be discussing the successor. If said successor is BC to Switch it should be easy to maintain momentum through that system’s launch. Splatoon is a pretty smart live service franchise.

@Rosona Except Nintendo isn't even doing what Activision does with CoD. They aren't dropping a new Splatoon every year. Splatoon 2 was an early Switch release in 2017 and 3 here is releasing in 2022. That's actually a much larger gap than 1 and 2 had, which was only 2 years. Also, to presume that this can or should be DLC based on one trailer to a game very much still in development is absurd.. And incorrect, 2 most definitely did have a single player story driven campaign and also had a hefty second single player campaign added to it with the Octo Expansion DLC. To be frank, if single player story driven gameplay is what you're looking for, Splatoon is not for you. The online multiplayer is the main feature in Splatoon and is what keeps us hardcore fans coming back over and over again. If Splatoon was just a single player experience, I would definitely not still be playing it in 2021.

@Just_2_milky Yeah, I can see you've already changed your avatar to the lil' salmon pupper! I still have to do that

even MS and Sony want everyone but the difference is they have enough popular 3rd party buy in that they can focus on their games that either show the technical prowess of the system or story telling movie like focus of games... that makes sense for a tech company (Microsoft) and a movie invested entertainment company (sony).

I like arguing calmly and constructively differing with you, @Ryu_Niiyama. I hadn't perceived that point before, about the corporate approaches. As briefly as I can:

why would Nintendo burn resources on trying to come up with a list of original franchises when that is what third parties are for?... That’s a lot of upfront financial investment with no guaranteed payoff... and something your dev and marketing teams may not be best suited to capitalize on.

This is the crux, for me, but my intent was not only to question their approach to creating new franchises. This same company just localized Famicom Tantei Club after three decades of non-existence in the West (cf. the Fire Emblem NES game); this same company keeps sinking resources into Metroid. I don't understand how they determine where they will take a creative chance, one that isn't a "sure thing"...

I'm just as excited for Splatoon 3 as the next squidkid.
I did find a pre-download for it on Best Buy; I'm unsure on the legitimacy of it but it's worth looking into.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/splatoon-3-nintendo-switch/6414120.p?skuId=6414120&irclickid=2kexLDyy9xyLWL30RHQK3XRkUkETmjw3r0E0UE0&irgwc=1&ref=198&loc=CNET%20Media%20Group&acampID=0&mpid=159047

@thesilverbrick I honestly couldn't remember if it was you or not. There was somebody I got in a long discussion w/ a few years back - bound to happen after 12 years - and the discussion sort of abruptly ended w/ "blocked". Or whatever it's called on here. Ignore I guess. I think I've done that once. Too much obscene name calling going nowhere.

My son is excited for Splatoon 3. My wife banned Splatoon 2 from the house after all my cursing during the first game - loud obscenity laced late into the night cursing, she did me a favor and probably saved me from having a stroke - but she said he can get it. Course by the time it comes out in 2022 he'll probably be living on a college campus so it technically won't be in the house. 😂

@Yanina That’s what people said about Splatoon 2 and that was not the case. From the glimpse we got, it looks to be a bigger fundamental jump than 1 to 2.

I thought it was soon too - I half expected it to be a Splatoon RPG spinoff until the title card, but 5 years is a plenty long time and my body is woomy.

@COVIDberry Howdy. I’d gone more into it but NL started screaming about post length. Lol.

Yeah I try to look long term but even if you just go “hey games”, Nintendo is doing a lot to maintain momentum right now. Objectively I am surprised by the complaints about the direct, subjectively I won comment bingo a few times. I gotta buy more stock asap.

Yeah I don’t do the predictions thing with Nintendo. Have you seen all their little B lister IPs? Most of them are almost like someone is throwing at a dartboard... but it works so well. I’ve played a lot of Nintendo games and I’ve never seen a company maintain this much consistency for this long. Even if one doesn’t like a game they have their hands in, it is usually very well made.

Metroid is weird. It birthed a genre, introduced a female lead when that was beyond rare and a unique world. But i think the series split with prime and 2D Metroid made the series more difficult to conceptualize after that. Metroid is in a weird spot. It’s unique nature means Nintendo doesn’t wanna drop it but as of now the FPS version is where the money is but there is a disconnect in narrative. Part of that is due to the difference in how development works in Japan vs pretty much anywhere else. However Prime isn’t the type of FPS that sells to the violence/military crowd.

Basically they need a BOTW for Metroid but Prime 4 isn’t it... which says to me they aren’t sure how to go about soft rebooting and merging the prime and 2D Metroid identities. Plus they tried already with other M (which I enjoyed because I looked at it like that and have no emotional investment in the series).

Oh dang, Splatoon 3 looks like just more of the same. I can't wait! I don't want the series to turn into a pinball machine or a traditional fps or a puzzle game or something. The more it resembles Splatoon the better.

@Spiders But 1 and 2 where on different systems.
I also thought it's and rpg spinoff btw while watching.

@rjejr Glad I could clear it up, then, so you don’t think of me as the kind of person to block others just for thinking differently, haha. I honestly have only blocked two or three people in my roughly ten years here, and they were all people who clearly were trolling for attention. You are one of the good ones, for sure, and I know when I see your avatar the post that follows will always be well worded and intelligent, whether I personally share your perspective or not (though I generally do).

And I’m definitely with you on being pumped for Splatoon 3. I kind of fell off the bandwagon with Splatoon 2 after the major string of Splatfests ended, but seeing the trailer and realizing I’ll have to wait another year for it makes me want to dig out Splatoon 2 and shake the rust off. I also find myself shouting at the game during Turf Wars, but my wife has yet to ban the game outright, haha.

@thesilverbrick Thanks, for all of the that. I'm old and currently in my after dinner food coma so I'm just going to leave it there. But it is always good to communicate w/ the handful of long timers, all these new kids are such whiners. 😂

@ianl579 Yeah, but the concept and art style is cool. I don't mind playing online for a little after a campaign, I tried to play DA Inquisition online after but it was dead. I hope FF15 Multiplayer still has some players as I'd like to do that during the campaign I'm starting. Only exclusively online game I've played was Fall Guys and it got boring, also. I feel a good campaign is always necessary for when a game loses majority of it's players. Is there even an AI option in Splatoon 2? I never checked.

@Jayofmaya I don't think so. If there is, I haven't tried it.