IceClimbers

If the games aren't ready for launch, then a delay to Q1 2025 is the correct choice.

My question is what will come to the current Switch this year then outside of what we already know? Pokemon in November obviously, but what else?

@HeadPirate That 25 million number from 2 years ago is an officially reported number from Microsoft, not an estimate by industry analysts.

So again, anyone that was predicting 18 million back then as a "pessimistic outlook", and 25 million now prior to the 34 million announcement in the podcast has no idea what they're talking about.

@HeadPirate Where are you getting these "industry estimates" of 25 million?

That number was announced over 2 years ago when Microsoft announced their intent to acquire ABK back in January 2022.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/18/22406059/xbox-game-pass-subscribers-25-million-microsoft-activision

If it was still 25 million now, that would mean they had no growth in subscriptions for 2 years, which would be disastrous. Anyone that was estimating that has no idea what they're talking about.

I mean, Sony did it with PS1 -> PS2, PS3 -> PS4, and are set to do it again with PS4 -> PS5, so I don't see why Nintendo can't do the same with Switch -> Switch 2.

Even if it doesn't meet the sales of Switch 1, that doesn't mean it won't be a success.

@nocdaes According to Google, it IS higher than the Wii/DS era

I think "Switch" in this instance might be used in the same way as "x game is coming to PlayStation"; as in, it's coming to the newest system in the Switch brand, and not Switch 1 specifically.

Sea of Thieves on Switch 2 and PS5 seems like a great way to inject the game with new players.

Hi-Fi Rush or Psychonauts 2 are the games that fit the description.

My guess is it'll be Hi-Fi Rush as a Switch 2 launch title.

Kinda fitting that Metroid Dread, one of if not the most infamous and long running video game rumors of all time, was officially announced at the final E3.

Honestly think this will skip Switch 2, and it will get a new entry from the team behind Rise a year or two later.

@CornflakeCookie Toys for Bob I think would be capable of it though I'd rather they be working on a Spyro 4 than Banjo personally.

I think how much enjoyment you get from exploring in TotK is dependent on how much you explored in BotW.

If you put 300 hours into BotW exploring every inch of Hyrule, you're probably not going to get as much enjoyment exploring in TotK.

However, if you're someone like me who mainlined the story in BotW and only did some exploring, then you're probably going to find more enjoyment from exploring in TotK because a lot of it will be new to you.

@Tchunga Said user has a history of posting on BotW/TotK related articles about how much they dislike the formula. Hence the "return to form" comment.

They never mentioned Baldur's Gate. They're hoping that TotK not winning the overall GOTY is a step towards Nintendo ditching the open air formula.

@Tchunga That user's comment has nothing to do with Baldur's Gate. Said user absolutely loathes the open air formula of BotW/TotK and wishes they'd scrap it and return to the Ocarina formula.

Yeah this particular bundle screams "clearing stock to make way for successor". Willing to bet they had leftovers of the Smash Joy-Con from the original bundle.

@HeadPirate In other words, a system that's a little bit more powerful than a PS4 in terms of raw specs. It uses DLSS to bridge the gap a bit, but it's not magic.

A $399 system that does that is about what we can expect.

@Rykdrew For what it's worth, other reviews and people online have mentioned that there are in fact some levels in the game that they found quite challenging.

Challenge is subjective to a degree though. What some find to be extremely easy others find challenging.

@HeadPirate Christ, that second to last paragraph is some incredibly hyper-sensationalized hyperbole that has no basis in reality outside of Sony's fanboys, which aren't nearly as big as you make them out to be. Ironic, considering how often you call out others for doing the same thing.

The general consensus on Starfield that I've seen is that the game is good, but not the "game of the generation" type moment that it was hyped up to be. Most people like it, some were disappointed in it. Only the Sony fanboys took that and ran with the "STARFIELD IS GARBAGE HURR DURR" nonsense. But again, they're a minority and not reflective of the general consensus, and therefore, reality.

Oh, and news flash: Elder Scrolls 6 was always going to be Xbox/PC only ever since the Zenimax acquisition. Some Sony fanboys bashing Starfield was never going to influence that.

@Kimyonaakuma While there's definitely new hardware on the way, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD being the only title announced for summer (with TTYD at some point too) isn't really the best indication of that considering how Nintendo likes to reveal things relatively close to release.

In other words, they wouldn't be revealing the full lineup for summer until February anyways, regardless of their plans for new hardware.

I'm sorry, but you're just flat out wrong. Switch 2 having backwards compatibility is absolutely essential. Like, I'd go as far as to say it's one of the most critical things in Nintendo's history.

As Phil Spencer pointed out, XB1 and PS4 is where people truly started to invest in those respective ecosystems and amass a digital library. Switch is that for Nintendo's ecosystem. People have invested into the Switch and it's catalog more than EVER before in Nintendo's history, building up their own library of games both digital and physical. People expect that to carry over and will be beyond PISSED if it doesn't.

Switch has the most robust library of 3rd party titles - both AAA and indie - in Nintendo's history. If Switch 2 doesn't have BC, people aren't going to want to buy 3rd party games on it knowing that they most likely won't carry over to Switch 3 when they can go buy it on another ecosystem where they know it will carry over and they won't have to rebuy their library again.

Bottom line is that getting people to invest and stay in your ecosystem is a crucial aspect of today's gaming landscape, and the expectation now is that people's libraries carry over to new hardware. Switch 2 not having BC means that Nintendo's ecosystem would be the only one where that isn't the case. It would mean people won't want to invest further into their ecosystem and will look elsewhere for 3rd party titles because they don't want to rebuy their Switch 1 titles or eventually rebuy their Switch 2 titles on Switch 3, which in the long run leads to significantly less 3rd party support, MAJORLY hurting Nintendo's long term success.

Super Mario Bros Wonder for sure on day one. That game is a must. I'll get Sonic, Batman, and Metal Gear eventually too depending on how well the Switch versions run

More Zelda TotK with some F-Zero 99 mixed in for me! Hoping to finally have Zelda finished by the time Super Mario Bros Wonder releases.

@Smiffy01 Mario 35 was explicitly stated to be a limited time thing for the anniversary from the beginning though. It's an exception rather than the rule

It was an okay Direct overall. It was very remaster/remake heavy, and a clear indication that Switch 2 is coming sooner rather than later.

Paper Mario TTYD getting a remake was by far the best announcement.

@RainbowGazelle Difference is this game is actually good and fun to play

Keep in mind that this isn't native 4K, it's upscaled via DLSS. A system that's roughly PS4 level spec-wise running a Wii U game at say, 1080p natively then upscaled to 4K via DLSS doesn't sound that unreasonable.

Mobile tech has made MAJOR progress since the Switch first launched in 2017, and that was using an already pretty dated Tegra X1 chip.

Second half of 2024 seems about right. Reveal it in late spring, release in September or October is my guess.

Also, totally called it using an LCD screen to "cut costs". They'll release an OLED version a couple years down the line. OLED model is the new XL model.

And I'd be happy waiting until they release the OLED model; I've got a LOT to play on my current Switch still anyways.

Tears of the Kingdom. That'll probably be my answer until Mario Wonder releases in October honestly. Not even sure I'll be done by then! Barely even touched the story so far as I've only done the first temple and only two tears.

The 30+ hour playtime is something that gives me pause. Not that it's a bad thing, in fact I'm more than okay with it if it's meaningful content, it's just that with me still being busy with the behemoth that is Tears of the Kingdom I'd like my next game to be a much shorter experience.

I'll probably pick it up, but not right away.

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.

There were other games released this year?

Most likely just a Partner Showcase and some Twitter drops for June.

Maybe if we're lucky they'll do a regular Direct Mini, which is basically just a Partner Showcase with a couple first party announcements tacked on (probably a remaster or two), but I doubt it.

This is that game that reports said was absolute garbage and that they didn't know what to do with isn't it?

Between a grueling few days at work and my anniversary trip with my girlfriend on top of other responsibilities, I haven't had a whole lot of time to play so I'm probably only at around 5 hours, and won't get to play again until late Wednesday afternoon.

Good. Personally I felt that the traditional formula had grown incredibly stale come Skyward Sword. Couldn't even bring myself to finish Skyward Sword HD (beat the original release back in 2011 though), it just felt way too restrictive.

On a side note, Aonuma is wrong here. That formula was started with ALttP, not Ocarina

@Chaotic_Neutral The only thing that "next generation platform" means is that it's a new platform succeeding the old one. It doesn't mean anything in regards to hardware format.

A Switch 2 would be a "next generation platform" by definition.

I'll be getting Zelda naturally. Though Master Detective Archives Rain Code looks like a great game for June that I'll probably pick up.

Not gonna lie, I was expecting a bigger markup on the 1TB model lol

@VoidofLight They spent less than 3 years on Animal Crossing. They may have been in some pre-production before, but the main development of the game didn't start until after Splatoon 2 released.

• Scarlet/Violet DLC (Wave 1 in June, 2 in November)
• Scarlet/Violet Home Support
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
• Pokémon Stadium 1 and 2 shadow dropped on NSO
• Various updates for mobile titles

Hopefully we see Detective Pikachu and Gen 1-3 on NSO, but not holding my breath.

I'll be playing Metroid Prime Remastered and Bayonetta 3 this weekend. Those 2 games and Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe will be the games I juggle until Zelda hits most likely (I don't have a ton of time to game these days).

Nice to see strong PS5 hardware numbers now that stock is finally available without lotteries and such.

PS5 software sales continue to be disastrous though, which is puzzling.

@Paraka "Last minute Cloud-ification"

Which games has Square done this to, if I might ask? Please provide specific examples and detailed evidence with sources.

Because as far as I'm aware, Kingdom Hearts was the only time they've done a cloud version, and they were clear about that fact from the moment they were announced.

Decent start. Obviously there's a lot more to be announced!

Oh, and inject Zelda TotK straight into my veins please.

Splatoon 3 for the Splatfest.

@Kilroy Nintendo is listed as the publisher on the eShop.

Genius move by Microsoft to push the acquisition through. Makes Sony look like the "anti competitive" ones (which they are imo) if they continue to try to oppose the acquisition. Maybe now Sony will play ball and quit throwing a fit over CoD.

Anyways, the next CoD isn't scheduled to be released until Holiday 2024, as they're skipping 2023. The Switch 2 will no doubt be released by then, so that's what they'll be on. Maybe they release CoD Mobile on the current Switch in the meantime.

Gonna be playing Bayonetta 2 this weekend. Need to play through this before making my way to Bayonetta 3. Playing through this series is how I plan to finish out this year gaming wise, as I won't have much time for anything else.

Might try to play more of Sonic Frontiers on my Series X though!

Some combination of Bayonetta 3, Persona 5 Royal, and Splatoon 3. Those 3 games should keep me busy for quite a while, and I still need to get Sparks of Hope!

Plan on picking it up tomorrow!

Mostly Splatoon 3 for me this weekend. My girlfriend's birthday is today though, so that takes priority.

@koekiemonster Metroid Prime 4 restarted development in late 2018/beginning of 2019. It's only been 3.5 years, which is nothing by AAA standards.