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StarTopic Future Nintendo Hardware & Technology Speculation & Discussion |ST| (Read the staff posts before commenting!)

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ReddDreadtheLead said:
I believe that, if the software that Nintendo working on for the launch of the new system was delayed, and they needed something to help fill out the release cycle of the new platform, then Zelda tears of the kingdom would’ve been an ideal game to actually use as a cross-gen title. to at least boost the software spate of the new system if it would have been empty.
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Free simple patches that raise the res/framerate/low hanging fruit/whatever on Day 1 for a few evergreens would help boost the appeal.

This new Zelda trailer (which I am expecting to be story related) got me thinking about "what if it's for a DLC" (lol at the timing - but hey, they did the same for BotW) that goes undated except for some vague "expected winter 2023" window. You know, like the Pokemon S/V DLC announcement. Some people have speculated (based on a linkedin post I think?) that it may involve the real Switch 2 upgrades - for you know, the fancy stuff that isn't just acceptable framerates etc. Things that would push it towards being more like an actual cross-gen title.

I could see them doing the same for TotK. For one, it would be funny for them to hide the "free upgrades" in paid DLCs. Also, another ToTK delay would have sucked and killed a bit of the hype. So they release it in May to beef up their year and continue to work on the fancy DLC with less pressure and a later deadline.

So both games get a super-DLC boost and they also don't have to hit the high bar of a full on "NEXT(cross)-GEN TITLE" system seller. And their development teams get valuable experience for their next game which will definitely have to step it up.

Anyway, I'm rambling and imagination time is over.
 
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ziggyrivers said:
True. Nintendo is in a good position, but they can’t stay in that position. If anything, healthy sales should have guaranteed what Shuntaro Furukawa wants: a smooth transition. But a seemingly empty 2H and no announcement of a successor doesn’t fall in line with what “smooth” is.
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Nintendo is in a great spot right now with Switch still selling well, but it is certainly on the decline. In a perfect world, Nintendo would have the successor released just before its predecessors sales see a significant decline. Nintendo has been able to sell 20+ million units of hardware for years now. They will have missed that metric for the first time in many years. It would seem odd for Nintendo to intentionally wait for Switch sales to bottom out before releasing the successor. It would pretty poor mismanagement for Nintendo to have a down year. It is easy to see that Nintendo will not only be selling less hardware going forward, but software sales are slowing down as well. Many of those evergreen titles are reaching market saturation as well, and the AAA third party ports have almost completely dried up. Zelda TotK will do some big numbers, but after that the outlook for maintaining hardware and software sales is pretty grim. Switch has been an enormous success, almost certainly besting Nintendo's expectations. So if Switch were to wither away and die on the vine before Nintendo releases new hardware, killing all momentum for the platform, that would be another blunder for Nintendo that could/should have been avoided. Redacted in 2023 will result in a good transition, avoiding a big hardware and software sales slump. 2024 isnt the end of the world, but it will certainly see Switch dying on the vine waiting for the successor.
 
Goodtwin said:
Nintendo is in a great spot right now with Switch still selling well, but it is certainly on the decline. In a perfect world, Nintendo would have the successor released just before its predecessors sales see a significant decline. Nintendo has been able to sell 20+ million units of hardware for years now. They will have missed that metric for the first time in many years. It would seem odd for Nintendo to intentionally wait for Switch sales to bottom out before releasing the successor. It would pretty poor mismanagement for Nintendo to have a down year. It is easy to see that Nintendo will not only be selling less hardware going forward, but software sales are slowing down as well. Many of those evergreen titles are reaching market saturation as well, and the AAA third party ports have almost completely dried up. Zelda TotK will do some big numbers, but after that the outlook for maintaining hardware and software sales is pretty grim. Switch has been an enormous success, almost certainly besting Nintendo's expectations. So if Switch were to wither away and die on the vine before Nintendo releases new hardware, killing all momentum for the platform, that would be another blunder for Nintendo that could/should have been avoided. Redacted in 2023 will result in a good transition, avoiding a big hardware and software sales slump. 2024 isnt the end of the world, but it will certainly see Switch dying on the vine waiting for the successor.
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My sentiments exactly. I wonder how different this year would have been if TOTK had launched a year ago
 
Hosermess said:
I mean, it all depends on what the price point is. (and all the napkin math breakdowns/inflation cost-adjusted caluclations are just rough estimates, too rough to use them to use them to predict what Nintendo will do).

My thinking is: if they can get the costs low enough, I think the easiest way to make a smooth transition is to release the new thing at (or near) the old thing's price and get rid of the old thing. Sure, "immediately" could be extreme but if supply/production isn't an issue I don't think it'll be close to 3 years.

There's a risk to pricing the Switch 2 much higher than the OLED. The Switch has kept the same price for 7 years so I think they'll be very careful about doing the same for the next one.

And if, once the 2 is released, you're dropping the price of the OLED, how low can you get it so that there's enough value relative to Switch 2 and still enough profit to make it worthwhile?

And other than also being portable, the 3DS was nothing like the Switch. I think it's safe to assume that Switch 2 will play the same games, share the same online store and everything else. It should be basically replacing (and improving) the Switch OLED in all functionality going forward.

So why keep the old thing around for so long if you want to sell the new thing?
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I'm not sure if releasing it at ~$350 is feasible if this thing is gonna be as powerful as we think it is, wouldn't that be selling at a loss too? I understand the risk, but that would also be the appeal of selling it as a premium product, especially if it's advertised as another member of the Switch family of systems; and that would be where cross-gen games come in. Lastly, Nintendo would have the benefit of a Holiday release, where there would be more early adopters than if it were to launch at any other point.
 
ziggyrivers said:
True. Nintendo is in a good position, but they can’t stay in that position. If anything, healthy sales should have guaranteed what Shuntaro Furukawa wants: a smooth transition. But a seemingly empty 2H and no announcement of a successor doesn’t fall in line with what “smooth” is.


I agree. Nintendo could rely on upscaled games for only a couple of months to help the Switch 2 splash around until a next gen title is released. Something strong enough like Mario 3D
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The impatience of a niche audience, far removed from the concerns of the vast majority of Nintendo Switch owners, who are mostly looking forward to playing Totk, cannot prejudge anything about how the transition will go. Similarly, the vast majority of Switch owners will not feel the need to buy a new game system to play games available on the hardware they already own.

I think games are much more important than anything else in Nintendo's strategy. They will be the lkey factor of success of their future console, because it is the core of their integrated model.
 
ItWasMeantToBe19 said:
Maybe Xenoblade, but Splatoon 3 was not being held back 6-12 months, lol.

Holding back a 15m+ seller is not something that happens.
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Splatoon 3 was released in a rush. I believe them will move splatoon 3 if ToTK was available last year
 
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boodream said:
The impatience of a niche audience, far removed from the concerns of the vast majority of Nintendo Switch owners, who are mostly looking forward to playing Totk, cannot prejudge anything about how the transition will go. Similarly, the vast majority of Switch owners will not feel the need to buy a new game system to play games available on the hardware they already own.

I think games are much more important than anything else in Nintendo's strategy. They will be the lkey factor of success of their future console, because it is the core of their integrated model.
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Yeah. We have to see this in the eyes of the general consumer:

“Oh! A new Switch? Cool!”

“What games does it have?”

“Nothing new?”

Why buy a product with no software?
 
My best guess is that once we clear of Pikmin 4 we will get a tease for Switch 2. Hoping for a release in November, but I could easily see a spring 2024 launch.
 
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You guys are presenting so many good points, that it’s hard to forecast what Nintendo could actually do with the software lineup that they have xD
 
Concernt said:
PS5 sells fine.
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PS5 at least launched with Demon's Souls (And Astro's Playroom) as next gen exclusives the former is still one of the most graphically impressive games in a hot minute. And within the first 6 months they had Ratchet Rift Apart which is another technical showpiece
 
boodream said:
The impatience of a niche audience, far removed from the concerns of the vast majority of Nintendo Switch owners, who are mostly looking forward to playing Totk, cannot prejudge anything about how the transition will go. Similarly, the vast majority of Switch owners will not feel the need to buy a new game system to play games available on the hardware they already own.

I think games are much more important than anything else in Nintendo's strategy. They will be the lkey factor of success of their future console, because it is the core of their integrated model.
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It is those guys that will buy your new hardware the first few months regardless.
The PS5 launched with a very dry line-up and for the most part just cross platforms titles but was a hit anyway.
(Exclusive) games are key to success for sure, but for the transition it's not that important I think.

And I feel like Nintendo has changed category with the Switch. People love their Switch as they love their IPhone or their Ps5, it's a 'trendy' hardware. A lot of tech enthusiasts will want their new shiny toy.

I think one big Nintendo exclusive title at launch for marketing purpose, backward compatibility and a TotK next-gen update would be enough for half or even a full year with the [REDACTED].
 
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syrozz said:
It is those guys that will buy your new hardware the first few months regardless.
The PS5 launched with a very dry line-up and for the most part just cross platforms titles but was a hit anyway.
(Exclusive) games are key to success for sure, but for the transition it's not that important I think.

And I feel like Nintendo has changed category with the Switch. People love their Switch as they love their IPhone or their Ps5, it's a 'trendy' hardware. A lot of tech enthusiasts will want their new shiny toy.

I think one big Nintendo exclusive title at launch for marketing purpose, backward compatibility and a TotK next-gen update would be enough for half or even a full year with the [REDACTED].
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As someone heavily invested in all this if one of the core launch titles of the successor was an update to the Zelda game I'm playing next month I would be heavily disappointed and would probably just wait for something exciting lol
 
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ziggyrivers said:
They sell those where I live 🤔 I have in the fridge, actually


Guess it’s a choice between relying on a dying console for almost a year more, miss out on Black Friday and Holidays (with a Holiday 2022 already being underperforming) and launch the successor with better software

Or launch the successor this Holiday with SOME software.
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People keep saying the Switch is a dying platform, but It will sell more in its 7th year then WiiU sold in its lifetime, and it’s software(the biggest revenue driver for a publisher) is still very active.
syrozz said:
It is those guys that will buy your new hardware the first few months regardless.
The PS5 launched with a very dry line-up and for the most part just cross platforms titles but was a hit anyway.
(Exclusive) games are key to success for sure, but for the transition it's not that important I think.

And I feel like Nintendo has changed category with the Switch. People love their Switch as they love their IPhone or their Ps5, it's a 'trendy' hardware. A lot of tech enthusiasts will want their new shiny toy.

I think one big Nintendo exclusive title at launch for marketing purpose, backward compatibility and a TotK next-gen update would be enough for half or even a full year with the [REDACTED].
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Dry? PS5s launch lineup from a first party perspective was impressively diverse. Miles and Sackboy, 2 cross gen games with varying appeal/target audiences, and then for the hardcore enthusiasts, Demons Souls remake. I’d argue from a first party perspective it was one of the better console launches in some time. Yes, there was no heavy hitter, but there was enough diversity to appeal to a lot of people.
 
themagpieswarble said:
The second picture in that video is not another job posting, it's a current worker at Funcom's job description on LinkedIn. See here:



Still interesting but just wanted to clear up it wasn't one job description that later just got updated.
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Thanks for highligting this. The original reference from Doctre was a job posting and his update with the TBA was from a linkedin profile and not a job posting.

Going back to DirectFeedGame's word of caution, would someone put TBA platform in their linkedin if it's just an amorphous potential future platform? To me it feels like it's an actual platform they can't talk about.

That said, that platform may well not be a Nintendo platform
 
Cybergatuno said:
Looking through Nintendo's published games, they have been releasing 12-20 games every year. Granted, some are third-party publishing deals and most are AA cash-grabs. That's still over one game every month. They may publish 20+ games in the 18 months following the release of Pikmin 4. We just don't know about them.

They may have delayed the Switch 2 because of software, like they did with the OG Switch. But I would find that very odd. Since the Switch launched, It's hard to find a 6-months window without a significant release. Nintendo is in a very different place than it was in 2016.
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Launch years are special beasts. It's hard to find a window where the size/quality/pace of software matches that first 12 months of Switch, which included Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Bayonetta 2. And immediately after that launch year was over, you got Captain Toad, Tropical Freeze, and Hyrule Warriors all within a couple months of each other.

Nintendo will need to create a compelling reason to upgrade, without being able to lean on the Wii U library.


Thraktor said:
For Switch in 2016, yes, but I'm not sure if the same would be true of [redacted] in 2023. Switch in 2016 would have had a library consisting of nothing but those games, whereas [redacted] will presumably have a library including almost every Switch game at launch. If Nintendo were to release patches for major games like Zelda, Mario, Splatoon, Xenoblade, etc, on launch day allowing them to run at much higher resolution on [redacted], then it's possible that would be sufficient to get them through the first few months with an otherwise weak launch lineup.
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Sure! I'm just saying that a successful quarter - which you can guarantee with one good launch title and holiday timing - does not a good launch year make.

What a good launch year for REDACTED looks like is potentially very different from the Switch's, absolutely.

Thraktor said:
I genuinely don't know what the best course would be. Several people have cited PS5 and XBSS/X's relatively weak first party launch lineups and strong sales, but in those cases they had the pandemic combination of both low supply and high demand, and could rely on every major third party release supporting the new hardware. None of these are true for Nintendo. Of Nintendo's last three hardware launches (Wii U, 3DS and Switch), two of them had very poor launch periods, and I'm sure Nintendo are conscious of that. At the same time there's good reason to believe that, with game libraries being carried over, strong launch titles aren't as important as they used to be.
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Sure. I don't know that there is a clear answer anymore. But even the most cross-gen-y, incremental upgrade-y strategy will require Nintendo to maintain it's robust release cadence while doubling the number of supported platforms, and making a large jump in fidelity for some subset of games.

I also think it's worth asking what Nintendo is most likely to do, and I don't think they want to keep any arrows in their quiver. This is the company that figured out how to have a launch title for the OLED model. Knowing their Switch-era tendency to bank games, and have fine control over the release cadence, it would be smart to bank a couple of showpieces for REDACTED, and be able to dole them out if sales are good, or push aggressively if necessary to get a compelling install base in that first year.
 
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Dekuman said:
Going back to DirectFeedGame's word of caution, would someone put TBA platform in their linkedin if it's just an amorphous potential future platform? To me it feels like it's an actual platform they can't talk about.

That said, that platform may well not be a Nintendo platform
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It was just a plain principle statement, For me it‘s also an actual platform they cannot name, but then if it‘s not announced it’s not confirmed, whatever…
 
Dekuman said:
Thanks for highligting this. The original reference from Doctre was a job posting and his update with the TBA was from a linkedin profile and not a job posting.

Going back to DirectFeedGame's word of caution, would someone put TBA platform in their linkedin if it's just an amorphous potential future platform? To me it feels like it's an actual platform they can't talk about.

That said, that platform may well not be a Nintendo platform
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Yeah, Doctre's original job posting highlight doesn't mean what he seems to think it does. It was clearly asking for someone with any console experience, because consoles are a different beast, knowing someone has worked with internal SDKs, no access to public documentation, and the approval process is a useful metric, more than the specific platform.

The LinkedIn listing is a different beast. This person is advertising their experience, and they're saying they've worked on a platform they can't talk about, you're right. But I would put money on that platform being a cloud platform before REDACTED. Nvidia is actively moneyhatting for GeForce Now
 
ziggyrivers said:
Yeah. We have to see this in the eyes of the general consumer:

“Oh! A new Switch? Cool!”

“What games does it have?”

“Nothing new?”

Why buy a product with no software?
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This is a fair point, but I don't think anyone expect Nintendo to release Redacted with no new software. Now that software may or may not be exclusive to Redacted, and may be cross gen with Switch. For example, if a new 3D Mario title were to launch alongside Redacted, would it really matter if it was also released on Switch? It would be a popular launch title for Redacted, and for the countless people who wont be able to buy a Redacted at launch, they will still be able to play the new Mario game. It is also likely that part of Redacted's appeal with stem from playing Switch games, but also playing them better. Zelda TotK is going to be a massive release next month. When Nintendo announces Redacted, don't you think announcing a day one upgrade patch for TotK on Redacted would be very attractive to gamers? Exclusives will be needed in the long run to get some less enthusiastic consumers to buy into new hardware, but the launch year doesn't seem to need them.
 
Goodtwin said:
This is a fair point, but I don't think anyone expect Nintendo to release Redacted with no new software. Now that software may or may not be exclusive to Redacted, and may be cross gen with Switch. For example, if a new 3D Mario title were to launch alongside Redacted, would it really matter if it was also released on Switch? It would be a popular launch title for Redacted, and for the countless people who wont be able to buy a Redacted at launch, they will still be able to play the new Mario game. It is also likely that part of Redacted's appeal with stem from playing Switch games, but also playing them better. Zelda TotK is going to be a massive release next month. When Nintendo announces Redacted, don't you think announcing a day one upgrade patch for TotK on Redacted would be very attractive to gamers? Exclusives will be needed in the long run to get some less enthusiastic consumers to buy into new hardware, but the launch year doesn't seem to need them.
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Does this not give some more casual consumers the impression that this would just be another revision or Pro model and replicate a similar confusion of "oh so I don't need this right?" that we saw happen with the Wii U? Naming is also important here, so unless they just straight up call it the Nintendo Switch 2, I think that risk is present.

If the successor doesn't have a new exclusive piece of software on launch that seems like a mistake in my eyes.
 
oldpuck said:
Yeah, Doctre's original job posting highlight doesn't mean what he seems to think it does. It was clearly asking for someone with any console experience, because consoles are a different beast, knowing someone has worked with internal SDKs, no access to public documentation, and the approval process is a useful metric, more than the specific platform.

The LinkedIn listing is a different beast. This person is advertising their experience, and they're saying they've worked on a platform they can't talk about, you're right. But I would put money on that platform being a cloud platform before REDACTED. Nvidia is actively moneyhatting for GeForce Now
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To my understanding, the dividing line between GeForce Now and just a normal PC with an Nvidia GPU is more legal than technical. The only remaining streaming platform that I'd expect to be listed separately in this sort of context is Amazon Luna (though, is that still going? Feels like it's been a while since I heard anything about it).
 
Chun said:
Does this not give some more casual consumers the impression that this would just be another revision or Pro model and replicate a similar confusion of "oh so I don't need this right?" that we saw happen with the Wii U? Naming is also important here, so unless they just straight up call it the Nintendo Switch 2, I think that risk is present.

If the successor doesn't have a new exclusive piece of software on launch that seems like a mistake in my eyes.
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I would have thought so too at one point, but the fact that Sony and Microsoft have launched new consoles with little to no exclusive software, it seems consumers are receptive to the idea of buying new hardware to play the better versions of new games. Nintendo will only be able to supply around 20 million Redacted units in its first year on the market, I think there are enough Switch purchasers from 2017-2019 that are ready for a upgrade and they do not need exclusives to draw them in. A high percentage of Switch OLED purchases are from people who already own a Switch, and that is just a screen upgrade.

Wii U had messaging problems from the get go. Nintendo focused completely on the Gamepad and not on the console itself. The casual consumer did not realize it was a new console. Wii U did have exclusives at launch plus a bunch of third party ports, and it was still a massive failure. Nintendo learned a lot from the Wii U, and part of that lesson was a bunch of quality first party titles cant save a console that doesn't resonate with consumers. The console itself needs to be attractive to consumers based on its own merits, Switch did that by communicating the hybrid nature of the device with easy to understand messaging.
 
Trevelyan said:
People keep saying the Switch is a dying platform,
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I think the proper adjective should be “declining”. Moreso, “strongly declining”, but in the sense that “it’s going out strong”. Sales are going down, obviously, it’s a mature product, but it’s going “satisfactorily down”.

Trevelyan said:
but It will sell more in its 7th year then WiiU sold in its lifetime,
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Although I understand your point, I don’t think it’s a fair comparison. The Wii U was born to die with its name and poor Marketing.

Pokemaniac said:
The only remaining streaming platform that I'd expect to be listed separately in this sort of context is Amazon Luna (though, is that still going? Feels like it's been a while since I heard anything about it).
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I think the latest piece of news is that it finally came to the UK, Germany and Canada.
 
I'm team 2023, but in terms of third-parties, I find it interesting that Level-5 has 5 games set for this year, and Professor Layton likely being pushed to the next. Yet, all of them have no release dates yet. They're pretty big too, so I would think Level-5 would get a dev-kit as well.
 
ziggyrivers said:
I wonder how Nintendo has managed to keep leaks at bay if 3rd parties have had dev kits
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Cause there are no kits. ;)

Real talk, most gaming leaks come from the marketing/sales divisions and clearly we aren't anywhere close to retail releases of [redacted] games yet.

All that's left is factory line leaks.
 
Goodtwin said:
I would have thought so too at one point, but the fact that Sony and Microsoft have launched new consoles with little to no exclusive software, it seems consumers are receptive to the idea of buying new hardware to play the better versions of new games. Nintendo will only be able to supply around 20 million Redacted units in its first year on the market, I think there are enough Switch purchasers from 2017-2019 that are ready for a upgrade and they do not need exclusives to draw them in. A high percentage of Switch OLED purchases are from people who already own a Switch, and that is just a screen upgrade.

Wii U had messaging problems from the get go. Nintendo focused completely on the Gamepad and not on the console itself. The casual consumer did not realize it was a new console. Wii U did have exclusives at launch plus a bunch of third party ports, and it was still a massive failure. Nintendo learned a lot from the Wii U, and part of that lesson was a bunch of quality first party titles cant save a console that doesn't resonate with consumers. The console itself needs to be attractive to consumers based on its own merits, Switch did that by communicating the hybrid nature of the device with easy to understand messaging.
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Yeah, Wii U had way more problems.
The difference between backwards compatibility back then and now is also huge.
Instead of just : you can play your old games" it becomes "you can play what is more like a remaster but you don't have to buy it again".
(Ps pro, and then ps5)

Assuming they have increased resolution/framerate and tweak stuff like LoD and draw distance for some games witch patches

-------++--------------------------

so... The Zelda trailer tomorrow is actually a hidden drake trailer? They will unveil it at the end that the old is actually already running drake, and the trailer will be in 1440@60?
 
syrozz said:
It is those guys that will buy your new hardware the first few months regardless.
The PS5 launched with a very dry line-up and for the most part just cross platforms titles but was a hit anyway.
(Exclusive) games are key to success for sure, but for the transition it's not that important I think.

And I feel like Nintendo has changed category with the Switch. People love their Switch as they love their IPhone or their Ps5, it's a 'trendy' hardware. A lot of tech enthusiasts will want their new shiny toy.

I think one big Nintendo exclusive title at launch for marketing purpose, backward compatibility and a TotK next-gen update would be enough for half or even a full year with the [REDACTED].
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I strongly disagree.

Unlike Xbox and especially PlayStation, whose early sales are carried by the guarantee of cutting-edge games from nearly every third-party publisher further down the road, Nintendo consoles rarely get the benefit of the doubt from the wider early adopter crowd (i.e. not just the core Nintendo fans). If the goal for Drake is to be a successor, Nintendo cannot afford to have a "this just plays Switch games at higher framerates and resolution" narrative taking hold, especially at a potential $399 price tag. They need to quickly make a case for this device by coming out swinging with major exclusives of their own.

I would also argue that the value proposition of a high-end console like the PS5 or Series X is very strong for early adopters even with cross-gen being a thing. Those cross-gen games are still the most graphically advanced games on the market unless you're willing to shell out for a $1000+ PC. Switch 2 games would already be graphically compromised from the get-go, and the novelty factor of playing more recent AAA games on the go is already somewhat lessened by the Steam Deck.
 
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Hosermess said:
Free simple patches that raise the res/framerate/low hanging fruit/whatever on Day 1 for a few evergreens would help boost the appeal.

This new Zelda trailer (which I am expecting to be story related) got me thinking about "what if it's for a DLC" (lol at the timing - but hey, they did the same for BotW) that goes undated except for some vague "expected winter 2023" window. You know, like the Pokemon S/V DLC announcement. Some people have speculated (based on a linkedin post I think?) that it may involve the real Switch 2 upgrades - for you know, the fancy stuff that isn't just acceptable framerates etc. Things that would push it towards being more like an actual cross-gen title.

I could see them doing the same for TotK. For one, it would be funny for them to hide the "free upgrades" in paid DLCs. Also, another ToTK delay would have sucked and killed a bit of the hype. So they release it in May to beef up their year and continue to work on the fancy DLC with less pressure and a later deadline.

So both games get a super-DLC boost and they also don't have to hit the high bar of a full on "NEXT(cross)-GEN TITLE" system seller. And their development teams get valuable experience for their next game which will definitely have to step it up.

Anyway, I'm rambling and imagination time is over.
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Spruced up visuals would be a harder sell imo especially to an audience that can’t tell that a game is running above 24FPS. Look at XBox Series, it offers it for games but that can only take you so far. They need something that sells them on the system.

The idea is that if the launch of the new system was delayed, Nintendo would have delayed TOTK and spaced out this year in accordance to that to make up for the delay and use the other game to better help the year of the new system. Nintendo and delaying Zelda are an iconic duo. Hell, Nintendo and delaying a gaming to match up with something are an iconic duo.

With TOTK, it would have been advertised with the new system in that case and maybe show a new feature that is only done on that system (like scroll wheels??). Even if as a cross gen because it would have been day one. I find that the idea of making people revisit a game they played with better visuals to be a hard sell. People tend to be attracted to new titles, or significantly updated visuals.

But Zelda hasn’t been delayed to coincide with the new launch. Which, imo, means the new software for the new system also hasn’t been delayed.
Chun said:
PS5 at least launched with Demon's Souls (And Astro's Playroom) as next gen exclusives the former is still one of the most graphically impressive games in a hot minute. And within the first 6 months they had Ratchet Rift Apart which is another technical showpiece
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DS, let’s be honest, sold to like 3 people. It’s a very core oriented game. Like Returnal, it will not do absolute gangbusters. It’s a pretty niche title. Raises the appeal, but is not the best seller.

That goes to games like Spider-Man, or GOW, or Forbidden West.
 
ziggyrivers said:
I think this trailer will be what the last BOTW trailer was to the game: a hype machine.
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In all fairness, that last BotW trailer was genuinely the best thing that Nintendo could've published in the leadup to the Switch's launch.

If the TotK trailer is even half the quality of BotW's final trailer, then we have a banger on our hands.
 
LukasManak22 said:
XC3 launch target was Winter 2021 but was delayed to mid 2022 internally. Splatoon 3 was set for a 2020 reveal and 2021 launch but was pushed back and launched in 2022 because, you guessed it - Covid.
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Keep in mind, XC3 actually met that launch window, it was basically complete when it was revealed in Feb 2022 and could've been revealed during E3 that year, but was delayed for some reason. Probably to pad out 2022 just in case as 2021 was still a solid year for the Switch. Regardless, it was probably delayed... probably Summer 2021? That's probably the safest guess I have.

Anyway, Xenoblade 3 came out pretty well overall, so I don't mind the delay. Banger game.
 
SoldierDelta said:
Keep in mind, XC3 actually met that launch window, it was basically complete when it was revealed in Feb 2022 and could've been revealed during E3 that year, but was delayed for some reason. Probably to pad out 2022 just in case as 2021 was still a solid year for the Switch. Regardless, it was probably delayed... probably Summer 2021? That's probably the safest guess I have.

Anyway, Xenoblade 3 came out pretty well overall, so I don't mind the delay. Banger game.
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The original report said that the team had problems with ongoing pandemic and optimizing the game for the Switch.

When they knew they had solid launch window they announced it in Feb 2022 Direct for a September release but still pushed it forward to July likely because Splatoon was their July release but needed more time, so they switched dates.
 
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John Omaha said:
I strongly disagree.

Unlike Xbox and especially PlayStation, whose early sales are carried by the guarantee of cutting-edge games from nearly every third-party publisher further down the road, Nintendo consoles rarely get the benefit of the doubt from the wider early adopter crowd (i.e. not just the core Nintendo fans). If the goal for Drake is to be a successor, Nintendo cannot afford to have a "this just plays Switch games at higher framerates and resolution" narrative taking hold, especially at a potential $399 price tag. They need to quickly make a case for this device by coming out swinging with major exclusives of their own.

I would also argue that the value proposition of a high-end console like the PS5 or Series X is very strong for early adopters even with cross-gen being a thing. Those cross-gen games are still the most graphically advanced games on the market unless you're willing to shell out for a $1000+ PC. Switch 2 games would already be graphically compromised from the get-go, and the novelty factor of playing more recent AAA games on the go is already somewhat lessened by the Steam Deck.
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That's a very valid opinion.

IMO, I believe Nintendo will not be rushing to convert its user base. This isn't a clean cut like the Switch, it's a transition.

How many devices do we expect they'll be able to manufacture for the 1st year? 15-20M?
Nintendo fans, tech enthusiasts and people regularly playing Splatoon 3, Fortnite, etc on their current Switches will pretty much buy those.
All it takes is one good exclusive launch game to get people talking.
Any more demand and the system will be scalped to death and Nintendo won't see a dime for many months.

They'll keep releasing mostly cross-gen titles and squeeze any dollar they can from the current install base.
Good third-party ports such as Elden Ring, RDR2, a proper FIFA, Call of Duty, Avatar, etc will carry a lot of weight.
The hybrid form-factor has a unique proposition and a lot of people want to play their AAAs handheld.

The casual audience usually starts kicking in the 2nd or 3rd year. That's when they'll need to start releasing more exclusives, be it graphical showcases or Switch Sports 2.

They need to maintain demand through the next half a decade to gradually transition players, or they won't fulfill demand for the new platform and risk prematurely killing the previous one.
 
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