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Discussion Why do you feel Nintendo (strategically) decided to release TOTK on the current Switch and what do you think their future plans will be with the game?

Kreese

Kreese

Koopa
Banned
Do you think it will release on Switch 2 in a different form?

I can't help but think that they have a lot more planned than simply a remastered TOTK for the Switch successor on the horizon. I'm feeling that perhaps they're going to plan something nuts like a giant expansion along with the game or even something as insane as some sort of online component (I could definitely be wrong but I swear I thought I remembered hearing Nintendo mentioning something about this previously).

A simple remaster for a title of this magnitude doesn't seem like Nintendo's style. We got Bowser's Fury with 3D World on Switch afterall.
 
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Why are you assuming there's gonna be a remaster and the game is not gonna just... run on the new hardware out of the box?
 
Because they started developing this game on Switch and there's a HUGE install base on the current hardware which, surprisingly, still sells a lot. Also they like money,
So, uh, yeah.
 
Tangerine_Cookie said:
Why are you assuming there's gonna be a remaster and the game is not gonna just... run on the new hardware out of the box?
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Because it's close to the end of the generation right now and Nintendo most likely has plans to capitalize on what is a system seller and probably the most expensive game they ever made to help bolster their next hardware beyond just making it playable.

TLDR More money.
 
I would imagine they released it on the switch because it has already been 6 years since BOTW and they didn't want to make it 8.

Kreese said:
Because it's close to the end of the generation right now and Nintendo most likely has plans to capitalize on what is a system seller and probably the most expensive game they ever made to help bolster their next hardware beyond just making it playable.

TLDR More money.
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They raised the price to $70 and it sold 10mil in 3 days because of the switch install base.
 
I think it was a matter of timing, they would probably make the game crossgen if they could but we had reports of one Switch revision that was cancelled so that probably delayed their plans. Wouldn't make sense to sit on Zelda when it already had a huge dev time and cost so much to make.

I think they will probably release some kind of patch for it on the next hardware, and if they make DLC maybe they will repackage it and sell it with DLC and patch included for the next gen.
 
"Why do you feel Nintendo (strategically) decided to release TOTK on the current Switch"

Because the game is build for a Switch, it's a Switch game no matter what.

This game was announced 4 years ago as a Switch title, it would never release on anything else, and they would not wait for a new console till 2024, especially when this game was delayed from Holiday 2022 and even more before pandemic.
 
Brock Reiher said:
I would imagine they released it on the switch because it has already been 6 years since BOTW and they didn't want to make it 8.


They raised the price to $70 and it sold 10mil in 3 days because of the switch install base.
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I get that they're making a shit load of cash on it, but I also think they'll position the game to sell more Switch successors as well and give users incentives to purchase the game there as opposed to just being able to play the game on the old Switch.
 
They decided to release it on Switch because it started development as a Switch game and the next console is still a ways off. On top of that, the game was supposed to have a shorter development cycle, and then COVID happened. There's no reason to hold it another year just because at this point.

It's not a situation like Breath of the Wild where the Wii U was on its death throes and had to be put out of its misery.
 
Because they (rightly, it turns out) believed the Switch install base was active, engaged, and big enough to support the release of this game and the sales it would merit, and probably assumed they could pull a TLOU situation where they also then re-release it for their new console whenever it ends up coming out (and helping build up sales numbers further that way)
 
Phantom Thief said:
Because they (rightly, it turns out) believed the Switch install base was active, engaged, and big enough to support the release of this game and the sales it would merit, and probably assumed they could pull a TLOU situation where they also then re-release it for their new console whenever it ends up coming out (and helping build up sales numbers further that way)
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TLOU was an enhanced on the PS4 though. It doesn't feel very Nintendo to merely bump up the resolution and frames and call it a day though.
 
I think the Switch 2 launch window will focus on new titles. Probably a big sequel plus a new game that shows the unique capability of the system. TOTK will be firmly in the background, if it gets a patch. Fans already bought that game so it's not a major reason to upgrade - only a few care about improved resolution etc.
 
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Kreese said:
I get that they're making a shit load of cash on it, but I also think they'll position the game to sell more Switch successors as well and give users incentives to purchase the game there as opposed to just being able to play the game on the old Switch.
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That makes sense. I think a performance patch would be enough along with whatever DLC they have planned already. I don't think the DLC will be switch 2 only.
 
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Kreese said:
TLOU was an enhanced on the PS4 though. It doesn't feel very Nintendo to merely bump up the resolution and frames and call it a day though.
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They may add some DLC or extra content, but I see it as no different than MK8D.

Or Link's Awakening DX, for that matter.
 
I'm sure at some point in the dev cycle, they at least considered positioning this game around new hardware, whether it was a switch revision or successor. But it probably just became clear at some point that the new hardware wasn't in the cards in the launch window.

It's also pretty apparent that, from the start this was a game made for switch. They optimized the hell out of it.
 
Phantom Thief said:
They may add some DLC or extra content, but I see it as no different than MK8D.

Or Link's Awakening DX, for that matter.
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I see it as different because mainline 3D Zelda's are probably the biggest console sellers for (core) early adopters.

I think they probably have another phase of the games relaunch on Switch 2 already mapped out and whatever that will entail.
 
Kreese said:
Because it's close to the end of the generation right now and Nintendo most likely has plans to capitalize on what is a system seller and probably the most expensive game they ever made to help bolster their next hardware beyond just making it playable.

TLDR More money.
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We're anywhere from 12 to 24 months away from Nintendo's next system. Nintendo is not a company that historically does remasters from one generation to the next. The only reason we saw so many WiiU -> Switch remasters/ports was because the WiiU was a giga bomb, so for 99% of the Switch audience WiiU ports are new. Odds are TotK will be playable on the Switch successor via backwards compatibility, and maybe the game will get a switch successor improvement patch.
 
i love how people take the fact that nintendo re-released wii u games on switch when

a, the physical media was obviously incompatible between the 2
b, the architecture was completely different so there couldn't be a simple BC solution
c, wii u was a complete flop so to 95% of people these were completely brand new games

and come to the conclusion that nintendo is all about selling the same games again and again and switch games will get remasters/re-releases on switch 2. i'm very confident that there won't be a totk remaster for the next hardware.
 
mazi said:
i love how people take the fact that nintendo re-released wii u games on switch when

a, the physical media was obviously incompatible between the 2
b, the architecture was completely different so there couldn't be a simple BC solution
c, wii u was a complete flop so to 95% of people these were completely brand new games

and come to the conclusion that nintendo is all about selling the same games again and again and switch games will get remasters/re-releases on switch 2. i'm very confident that there won't be a totk remaster for the next hardware.
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I don't think it'll get a "remaster", but I wouldn't be surprised if it got a GOTY edition with all DLC included for the next system. Some people won't be aware that Switch games will be playable on Switch 2.
 
Magic-Man said:
I don't think it'll get a "remaster", but I wouldn't be surprised if it got a GOTY edition with all DLC included for the next system. Some people won't be aware that Switch games will be playable on Switch 2.
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assuming there is dlc, why would a game+dlc version be released exclusively for the next system and not just be a goty edition for switch that also runs on switch 2? it would be very easy to have game boxes that make it clear the games run on both systems, and people already know when they buy a ps4/xb1 game that it'll also run on their newer consoles.
 
mazi said:
assuming there is dlc, why would a game+dlc version be released exclusively for the next system and not just be a goty edition for switch that also runs on switch 2? it would be very easy to have game boxes that make it clear the games run on both systems, and people already know when they buy a ps4/xb1 game that it'll also run on their newer consoles.
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Increased incentive to buy the new Switch.
 
They released it on Switch because that's what they announced it for and there is a huge install base. I'm sure they would've liked to have had the game out earlier if they could have.

There's also no real need to push it back to Switch 2. People are going to buy that thing no matter what.

I think we will get some DLC, but it might take a while.
 
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mazi said:
assuming there is dlc, why would a game+dlc version be released exclusively for the next system and not just be a goty edition for switch that also runs on switch 2? it would be very easy to have game boxes that make it clear the games run on both systems, and people already know when they buy a ps4/xb1 game that it'll also run on their newer consoles.
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Next generation would probably have higher resolution and 60FPS included. Other companies already do this. Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, GTA V, Skyrim, Witcher 3, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, etc have gotten physical releases for the next gen systems. Why couldn't Nintendo do the same?
 
Kreese said:
Increased incentive to buy the new Switch.
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again, the reason something like mario kart 8 was a big system seller on switch was a very small amount of its potential could be realized on wii u due to its very small userbase. totk is already on a system that by the time its successor comes out will has a userbase of almost 140-150 million. people who want it will already have played it or have a system already that can run it. people aren't really in the habit of rebuying single player games over and over because of some graphical improvements, a re-release like that won't be a system seller. sure, when the switch 2 has a huge userbase of its own, re-releases of switch games with improved graphics could sell a few million but those titles aren't something you release at launch as system sellers.

at the end of the day, switch is a massive success and switch 2 is already going to be a very easy buy for most people, they're not gonna need remasters/etc to sell it to people at launch.
 
Because releasing a major title on your present, massively popular platform makes a tremendous amount of sense, and because new hardware clearly isn't ready yet.

They must also be content that neither Switch nor new hardware will lack for software; implicitly we can assume Nintendo are confident in their software pipeline.
 
It's no big mistery. The game began development literally a few months after the release of the Switch and as a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. The plan was always make a new "BotW" style game for the Switch. Covid and classic Zelda delay happened, and the game ended launching probably later than Nintendo estimated.
 
Magic-Man said:
Next generation would probably have higher resolution and 60FPS included. Other companies already do this. Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, GTA V, Skyrim, Witcher 3, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, etc have gotten physical releases for the next gen systems. Why couldn't Nintendo do the same?
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other than sony stuff, aren't a lot of those free upgrades if you already had the previous gen version? i do see your point tho about having a next gen sku on the shelves for visibility, that's a fair point.
 
Thunder84 said:
They released it on the current Switch because they like money
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Exactly this.
Massive user base that bought the previous title in huge numbers makes it a no-brainer.

I'm really hoping for a seriously improved Switch 2 version but no idea if they will do anything at all.
 
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mazi said:
other than sony stuff, aren't a lot of those free upgrades if you already had the previous gen version? i do see your point tho about having a next gen sku on the shelves for visibility, that's a fair point.
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I believe so. I expect the same thing here for next gen patches, then a next gen physical SKU with DLC included. I don't think we're looking at a Wii-U porting situation lol
 
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ToTK was always going to be a Switch game. SWITCH selling extremely well guaranteed this. Even Wii U got BotW.

Switch 2 release of ToTk was speculated upon due to early trailers looking very sharp and the well established cross gen model we are seeing right now

Nothing guaranteed it was going to be day and date cross gen, it was always a wishful hope. That said, would not surprise me if we do get a patch on Switch 2, as up porting Switch games would be a very cost effective way for Nintendo to test the new hardware and train their devs on the new SDK. Why not make money off that too.
 
They… made it for Switch? Not sure what you’re getting at. There wasn’t really any reason to hold it back.
 
There’s over 100 million Switches on the market, and when/if next gen enhancements come, early adopters get the warm and fuzzies for new features. Not every Zelda game has to be a launch title to sell well.
 
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Imo because they know they have a system seller as big as BOTW as their next console launch title. If that wasn't the case I'm sure they would delay Totk.

At this point I think Nintendo realized that to launch a new console they need a flagship title that will make people want it desperately. Not a software like "Oh, it seems a cool game I might buy this console at some point".
If Totk was the launch title it would be an exclusive or they they would repeat TP GC and only launch Switch version like a month later. They would prioritize hardware sales over software.
 
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Why did they release it on the Switch?
famiboards.com

The Legend of Zelda Moves 10 Million Units in 3 Days; 2.24M Units in Japan, 4M Units in the Americas

EDIT: 2.24M units in Japan https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/2023/230517.html EDIT 2: 4M units in the Americas https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230517005400/en/ Oh man. This game is doing huge numbers. Absolutely insane. Congratulations to Nintendo & the Zelda team! 100%...
famiboards.com famiboards.com

What is their plan with TotK on Switch 2?
All speculation but some things seem like no brainers. There won't be another Zelda for at least half a decade, and I'm sure they want TotK to be an evergreen title for both consoles, and use it to show off the new hardware as well. So in addition to the Switch version being backwards compatible day one on Switch 2. I would expect a graphics boosted Switch 2 version and maybe even an expansion to release at the same time. I wonder if there will be a free upgrade to Switch 2 version, a $10ish fee for the upgrade, or a completely new full price SKU we'd have to buy.

Regardless, I expect TotK to feature very heavily on the new console.
 
They will just bundle the game with the expansion pass on the same cart and sell the game to both Switch and Ultra Switch owners.
 
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Botw released on Wii U, there was no way this was going to not release on the current Switch.

As for what happens when Switch 2 comes around, I expect forward compatibility.
 
I think you only need look at how huge it's opening weekend was for why Nintendo released it on the OG Switch and not save it for a successor. It's not often Zelda releases on a popular console during its (by the skin of its teeth) prime years, and seems like it was something of a perfect storm here.

I do think they may save a big DLC expansion + graphics pack for when Switch 2 launches. Would be a good incentive for early adopters and could be pretty hype inducing if it's significant enough in its content.
 
This is the first new Zelda game built from the ground up for Switch so it makes sense to do it.
 
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Launch titles for Super Switch

Mario Kart Next
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom 4K Edition w/new DLC content and story mode

3D Mario for holiday season

There ya go.
 
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I feel that people saw BOTW's situation and now think every late-gen game is going to have the same fate. BOTW was a special case where the game was being developed at the same time that the platform it was being made for was plummeting. They really had to port it to Switch and make a big splash at launch if they wanted any chance to recoup the cost for development. Tears of the Kingdom is not in that situation, the Switch is thriving, so it would be silly to decide to just push the game to Switch 2 "just because".
 
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Because the game was already taking a bunch longer than they wanted (I suspect the public delay was not the first) and making it primarily sold as a Switch 2 title would have just exacerbated that and required some serious additional investment.

As with several current Switch games, a patch to run natively on Switch 2 is fairly likely. They're not going to attempt to sell the game again. That would backfire.
 
They released it on the switch, because they always a release a zelda at the end of the consoles life cycle...at least since Majoras Mask.
 
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Their schedule seems pretty barren besides TOTK. They are probably relying on it to be what carries the Switch in 2023, kind of like Animal Crossing in 2020 and Smash Ultimate in 2018. Different circumstances, sure, but it's not like anything else on their release schedule is going to meet the sales goals.
 
I suppose (and hope) they will patch the game to perform better on the successor. I can understand the remasters and ports from WiiU, but with a backwards compatible successor it would be cuestionable, and not the "safe transition" they seem to be looking for.
 
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This definitely isn't getting a Bowser's Fury style expansion lol. It'll get DLC and then it will be backwards compatible on Switch 2, which is most likely 2024.
 
Mekanos said:
This definitely isn't getting a Bowser's Fury style expansion lol. It'll get DLC and then it will be backwards compatible on Switch 2, which is most likely 2024.
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If that would sell some Switch 2's ... I mean maybe it's not such a bad idea.

Not having a new Zelda for the Switch 2 probably for the first 3 years isn't a great situation for Nintendo given how big of a system seller and iconic system defining thing BOTW/ToTK have been for the Switch.

So if you can't have that, maybe it makes sense if the you split the Zelda team in 2, half starts planning work on the next Zelda for Switch 2, but the other half maybe works on an expansion for Tears of the Kingdom.
 
Kreese said:
I get that they're making a shit load of cash on it, but I also think they'll position the game to sell more Switch successors as well and give users incentives to purchase the game there as opposed to just being able to play the game on the old Switch.
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Now that the game is in the wild, I can 100% see them re-packaging this as a DX version near Switch 2’s launch with a Create mode and online multiplayer, in addition to enhanced performance, resolution, plus whatever DLC they have lined up for the next year.

The building feature is such a significant component of the game and providing a story-less version that people can play with friends guarantees TOTK legs (further) into the future.
 
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