Nintendo Switch 2: Thread 01

[Dogg Thang]

It's more the same than ever.

[hudson]

I am surprised the Direct is as far away as April. With mass production in full swing and the amount of leaks I really thought a reveal and in shops within 3 months.

I guess June/July is the time frame.

Maybe the leaks forced their hand, but the games.... the games still need time to cook.

[wargame]

It's more the same than ever.

Not a bad thing IMO. A more refined version, better specs and a numbered title to tell parents and grand parents this is.

I did wonder if the leaks made them change their time table

Also I saw on Reddit that there is now 24 starting spaces on the MK9 grid, utter chaos confirmed 🤣

[Neon Ignition]

Words cannot describe how critically important that 2 is in its name
That being said, I hate the logo, it's beyond low effort. Other than that it'll be interesting as to whether it settles any of the fever going on online as tghe reveal is now done though it revealed absolutely nothing we didn't already know about the hardware

[Neon Ignition]

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[Dogg Thang]

Words cannot describe how critically important that 2 is in its name
That being said, I hate the logo, it's beyond low effort. Other than that it'll be interesting as to whether it settles any of the fever going on online as tghe reveal is now done though it revealed absolutely nothing we didn't already know about the hardware

And essentially the hardware is a Switch.

Of course it will have more power and so on but it's a Switch at its core in every way that we can see right now. So this is one where the software really matters. But now that they have this out of the way, I'm hoping we'll see the software very soon. And I wonder if some will work on both systems but with upgrades, such as Metroid Prime 4.

[wakka]

Not a bad thing IMO. A more refined version, better specs and a numbered title to tell parents and grand parents this is.

I disagree honestly, I don't think it's a good thing. Partly as a result, I reckon that this will get nowhere near Switch 1's numbers. Like every all-time bestselling console, Switch 1 drew in absolutely loads of people who aren't avid gamers and this pretty mild update will be a tough sell to that group at ~£400 once launch hype dies down, I reckon.

It's so similar that I felt that trailer had to work extraordinarily hard to demonstrate the differences, taking great care to enunciate even the most minor tweaks.

With all that negativity out the way, I'm glad it's finally been unveiled and we pretty much know Mario Kart is coming as a launch game. That's a massively strong choice and I think the right one, as I mentioned in a thread the other day. With such similar hardware they need an absolute gangbuster piece of software to generate excitement. I really hope it's open world as Eurogamer have concluded. A Forza Horizon style MK could be absolutely incredible.

If they get Mario out this Xmas as well, that will sell me one to be honest.

The big question I have - will they sell MK9 and the next Mario on Switch 1 as well...? MS did it this gen, and trumpeted it. Sony did it, and sneaked it out the back door. Nintendo could feasibly do it. They'd get lots of sales of those games from their massive Switch 1 audience. But I think it would be at the cost of inducing some of those users to upgrade this year.

And I wonder if some will work on both systems but with upgrades, such as Metroid Prime 4.

Exactly what I'm wondering. I think Metroid Prime 4 is definitely one that will be cross-gen, because it's been promised to Switch 1 users for so long, and Nintendo have a history of coming through on those kinds of promises. It also looked pretty graphically basic in the footage we've seen, so it's not like Switch 1 couldn't run it.

[BearBoy]

Looks nice enough, if a little underwhelming. I think continuity is possibly good in this situation though, rather than try anything too left field? Hope it feels more solid and better quality than the original.

[Neon Ignition]

If I had to guess I'd land on none of Nintendo's upcoming AAA's being cross-gen with Switch 1. They won't want to soften demand for Switch 2 so will leave the original machine now to a handful of remasters and third parties. A Forza Horizon-esque Mario Kart would be a brilliant way to move the franchise forward, expanding on the single player content and would also explain why the game looks like a more modest visual step up on MK8 as running an open world would be more demanding. I think, by the looks of things, Metroid will be the Switch 1's first party swan song.

https://twitter.com/GenePark/status/1879885449965207927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1879885449965207927%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

Mid-June release at the earliest locked in

[wakka]

This cracked me up.

->Open Spoiler<-

If I had to guess I'd land on none of Nintendo's upcoming AAA's being cross-gen with Switch 1. They won't want to soften demand for Switch 2 so will leave the original machine now to a handful of remasters and third parties. A Forza Horizon-esque Mario Kart would be a brilliant way to move the franchise forward, expanding on the single player content and would also explain why the game looks like a more modest visual step up on MK8 as running an open world would be more demanding. I think, by the looks of things, Metroid will be the Switch 1's first party swan song.

I agree with all of this and I also think it would strategically be the right call. To grab the cash from MK9 for Switch 1 today would have long term negative ramifications.

Gonna throw my hat in the ring tomorrow for Switch 2 hands-on event tickets in London. Think it will be well over subscribed though so not expecting anything. I attended one for WiiU, where I recorded an on-camera thing afterwards where I gave my thoughts on it. No idea if they ever used it though.

We played Nintendoland in a rented office space in Waterloo and they told me off when I tried to go into the system settings.

[Dogg Thang]

I also think it would strategically be the right call

There is another option, which is to allow for a soft transition and keep the sales of Switch 1 high in the process. It could be a case that, if they're making sales, they're making sales so it's a win whether that's Switch 1 or 2 but I don't know if there is merit in that and then it really would put the Switch 2 in the category of Switch Pro... but I think that's a risk anyway.

[wakka]

Agreed. I think what is the right choice here vis a vis cross-gen isn't cut and dried. The income from MK9 Switch 1 would pretty ****ing gigantic. Serious cash.

And yet. It feels like Switch 2 doesn't have much of a selling point without genuinely generation-exclusive software. Once you've cleared through all the nerds and dorks (I count myself in this group), I think there are a hell of lot of Switch 1 owners who bought in the last 2, 3, 4 years and only use it occasionally who won't find the new version all that enticing, especially if it plays literally the same games.

It really is almost a 'Switch Pro' if it plays all the same software, and we kind of know how that goes. Pro systems aren't big sellers. Apart from the fact that Sony seem strangely reluctant to manufacture more optical drives, the PS5 Pro has hardly been difficult to get hold of.

Idk. It's interesting to think about and I'll be fascinated to see what Nintendo do.

[randombs]

Well, that was exactly what I and every single one of you wanted: a better Switch.

No forced gimmick for the sake of “innovation”. Just the same thing but bigger and better. Literally.

I was a bit let down by the boring colours - black everywhere - but I’m sure I’ll appreciate how understated it is when I whip it out on the Yamanote line.

[wakka]

Well, that was exactly what I and every single one of you wanted: a better Switch.

No forced gimmick for the sake of “innovation”. Just the same thing but bigger and better. Literally.

*raises hand*

Wasn't what I wanted!

[randombs]

*raises hand*

Wasn't what I wanted!

YOU WANTED MORTAL KOMBAT 8