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Rumor: Nintendo Switch 2 is being revealed in June. A General Direct is scheduled for April

mrcroket

Member
Most people simply don't understand the long game that Nintendo has been playing since the late 90s. When the N64 was announced, it was shown to be one of the most graphically powerful consoles of all time. This was move number 1 in a game of 5-D chess that Nintendo is playing that all the other console manufacturers haven't even realized they're playing.

The N64 was a ruse, a trick that Nintendo played on the industry. Get the other console manufacturers focused on console power levels, a near -zero sum game where everyone will chase photo realism, something contrary to Nintendo's style and image. That's why the N64 has the smallest game library of any successful console. It was a head fake.

Then, Nintendo brilliantly moves the other direction, focusing on innovation. All the while retaining their accessible family friendly image.

Think of it this way. Nintendo and Sega had the two most popular restaurants in the world serving family friendly delicious offerings. Then Nintendo gets the brilliant idea to convince others in the industry - and looking to enter it - that all people really want is five star high-end sushi and French fare.

What happened next? Microsoft enters the picture, and everyone was focused on the high-end dining experience - meanwhile Nintendo reveals that their high-end dining experience was really just a food truck. They simply went back to their restaurant and continued to do what they do best.

The others in the industry haven't even realized that Nintendo is not in the game anymore. Nintendo created the fake game of chasing high-end graphics, realizing it would lead to profit losses. They tricked the entire industry and havee been laughing all the way to the bank for 20 plus years.

11 billion in cash and no debt.

My compliments to the chef.


season 3 race GIF
And what about gamecube? It was a poweful machine for its time.
 

Papa_Wisdom

Member
Most people simply don't understand the long game that Nintendo has been playing since the late 90s. When the N64 was announced, it was shown to be one of the most graphically powerful consoles of all time. This was move number 1 in a game of 5-D chess that Nintendo is playing that all the other console manufacturers haven't even realized they're playing.

The N64 was a ruse, a trick that Nintendo played on the industry. Get the other console manufacturers focused on console power levels, a near -zero sum game where everyone will chase photo realism, something contrary to Nintendo's style and image. That's why the N64 has the smallest game library of any successful console. It was a head fake.

Then, Nintendo brilliantly moves the other direction, focusing on innovation. All the while retaining their accessible family friendly image.

Think of it this way. Nintendo and Sega had the two most popular restaurants in the world serving family friendly delicious offerings. Then Nintendo gets the brilliant idea to convince others in the industry - and looking to enter it - that all people really want is five star high-end sushi and French fare.

What happened next? Microsoft enters the picture, and everyone was focused on the high-end dining experience - meanwhile Nintendo reveals that their high-end dining experience was really just a food truck. They simply went back to their restaurant and continued to do what they do best.

The others in the industry haven't even realized that Nintendo is not in the game anymore. Nintendo created the fake game of chasing high-end graphics, realizing it would lead to profit losses. They tricked the entire industry and havee been laughing all the way to the bank for 20 plus years.

11 billion in cash and no debt.

My compliments to the chef.


season 3 race GIF
Gordon Ramsay Fox GIF by MasterChef Junior
 

daclynk

Member
Hip Hop Reaction GIF

Im ready. Here for all the smoke. Nintendo is going to show how true Next Gen looks and feel like.
Its going to be a N64 to GameCube types Generation and leap. Cant wait.
 

Dorfdad

Gold Member
Doesn’t make much sense to me, announcing it in June would kill anybody from purchasing the switch 1 over the holidays.
 

Quantum253

Gold Member
That would be a great show. Nintendo hardware reveals are always fun. Generally, it's always something new and innovative. And Miyamoto always has something crazy up his sleeve. He's in his 70s so this will probably be his last console. Hope it's a big one
 

Jesb

Gold Member
I wonder if there’s going to be any new gimmick with this. Not necessarily a big gimmick like 3D or anything but even just their own little thing that makes this a little different than Switch. Could be a small thing like trophies, enhanced backwards compatibility on switch games, or some other new feature.
 

Woopah

Member
Does this suggest a holiday 2024 release is still possible? It doesn’t seem like Nintendo would want to potentially hurt current Switch hardware sales by announcing a new console unless release was fairly imminent.
I am sure it was June before the delay. No way Nintendo is going to have a 9 to 10 month marking cycle. Much closer to 6-9. Maybe Geoff gets them to show the device at Gamescom.
3DS was announced in a press release in early 2010, had its big reveal in June 2010 and released in Q1 2011. I expect something similar for Switch 2.
Switch 2 launches at $299 (possible $349 deluxe with more memory). Switch Lite discontinued, normal Switch drops to $199 to replace the Lite.
With how Switch OLED did at $350, I think $400 is the minimum for
People should just be careful what they wish for. An April general direct means we don't get another one til *maybe September, and that's pushing it for Switch's last year as their main platform. If we get another Switch-only Direct this year, past the one we are possibly getting in April, it'll be the very last one, and it'll likely be very soft on heavy-hitters. Outside of some already-planned titles on their internal schedule for first-party, Nintendo is holding all of their big guns for the new system's launch year in 2025.

This is just conjecture, based on precedent and how things are going so far this year, but if Nintendo is airing a Partner Showcase tomorrow for the first half of 2024, that means they deliberately chose to hold off on announcing any first-party Switch dates or software announcements past Peach in March. Which means an April Direct is unlikely to be a big general Direct, because Directs are typically 50/50 split between first & third-party.
The way I see it is:

Feb - third party Switch games for H1 2024, Pokémon games for all of 2024

April - first party and third party Switch games for H2 2024

June - first party and third party Switch 2 games for 2025

September - mixture of first party and third party games for Switch and Switch 2, coming in Winter and Spring
 
Remember guys, when companies like Nintendo are too quiet and negative rumors start to arise, wait for the stock prices to drop.

Suddenly the rumors will change back to positive and plans will have been made.
 

KungFucius

King Snowflake
If they match the original Switch announce/release cadence, in which the Switch was officially announced/reveal in October of 2016 and released in March of 2017, a June 2024 reveal of the Switch 2 would mean a November 2024 release.


Who knows though, especially with the leaks of a delay to 2025.
This is different though. They didn't need to worry about hurting WiiU sales over Xmas so announcing it near the holidays only served to make people think against buying a PS4/Xbone.

If they launch in March, I could see an announcement as late as February. Why would they need to market the thing heavily before launch, when the thing will sell out for months regardless? Positioning themselves for sustained sales is the goal, not hyping something that would cannibalize current sales for months before it is available.
 

ManaByte

Gold Member
With the price of components and similar systems (Steam Deck) losing money at $400.

Nintendo will release the Switch 2 at $400 or more.

It's not going to be Steam Deck in power. Anyone expecting that is setting themselves up for disappointment and doesn't understand Nintendo. They're the richest company in Japan with zero debt because they don't take losses on hardware. Ever. They wait until the components they want to use can be sold cheaply without taking a loss and release the consoles at $299. The OLED Switch was $50 more because of the screen. The Deluxe Wii U was $50 more because it had additional internal storage. They've never launched a console for more than that.
 

ADiTAR

ידע זה כוח
With the price of components and similar systems (Steam Deck) losing money at $400.
The Deck is losing money? Why even release it then? I mean it's a shared library with your PC, so not sure what's the incentive for Valve is if that's the case.
 

Robb

Gold Member
They're the richest company in Japan with zero debt because they don't take losses on hardware. Ever.
They did with the WiiU though, ironically.
Nintendo has revealed that the Wii U will be sold below cost in order to attract more potential customers for what it hopes will be stronger-than-normal software launch sales.

But that only strengthens the case for the “Switch 2” being sold at a profit from day 1 I think. They won’t want to repeat that.
 

ManaByte

Gold Member
The Switch has never had a price cut, it actually increased its price with the OLED screen. It's still selling in a good pace for it's age.

Nintendo can def sell a Switch at 399.

The normal Switch is still $299. The OLED is only $50 more due to the cost of the screen. I don't see how people don't grasp that.

Some people are terrified of a $299 console for reasons.
 

Robb

Gold Member
A $400 Switch 2 will be deader than the Wii U at launch and Nintendo knows that.
I’m not sure but I’d definitely expect them to be very careful with the pricing. I also remember the 3DS blunder where they had to slash the price by +30% early on because it didn’t take off.

In any case I definitely think they’ll aim to make a profit on each unit from day one.
 
It's not going to be Steam Deck in power. Anyone expecting that is setting themselves up for disappointment and doesn't understand Nintendo. They're the richest company in Japan with zero debt because they don't take losses on hardware. Ever. They wait until the components they want to use can be sold cheaply without taking a loss and release the consoles at $299.
They can be whatever they can be, but unless they choose an ancient technology for Switch 2 or a very small upgrade compared to switch 1, they will be able to hit a low price with decent margins.

But RAM and especially SSD’s prices are keep going up. I’ll be damn suprised if they hit the $349 or even the $299 mark again.

The Deck is losing money? Why even release it then? I mean it's a shared library with your PC, so not sure what's the incentive for Valve is if that's the case.
Selling more games I suppose, Revenue for Steam in 2023 was $9 Billion.
 

Zannegan

Member
At this point when it happens, it happens. Too many Nintendo rumors that just haven’t panned out.
I wouldn't mind so much if they were wild/interesting, but these have all been release date and pricing rumors with a smattering of hints about power and storage. Those details are important, but boring as rumors. I want some ridiculous gimmick rumors or wild software leaks. Gimme something to discuss during the wait.
 
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ADiTAR

ידע זה כוח
I wouldn't mind so much if they were wild/interesting, but these have all been release date and pricing rumors with a smattering of hints about power and storage. Those details are important, but boring as rumors. I want some ridiculous gimmick rumors or wild software leaks. Gimme something to discuss during the wait.
Apparently it's gonna be able to make you smell the games.
No, not really.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
The normal Switch is still $299. The OLED is only $50 more due to the cost of the screen. I don't see how people don't grasp that.

Some people are terrified of a $299 console for reasons.

Factoring in inflation, I'd be blown away if Nintendo release a $299 system in 2024/5. It's not 2012 or 2017 any more.

As you allude to, their hardware price is completely irrelevant to the Steam Deck, because the Steam Deck doesn't (natively) have Nintendo games on it. They can easily get away with a $399 Switch 2 with a price drop down the line.
 

ManaByte

Gold Member
Factoring in inflation, I'd be blown away if Nintendo release a $299 system in 2024/5. It's not 2012 or 2017 any more.

As you allude to, their hardware price is completely irrelevant to the Steam Deck, because the Steam Deck doesn't (natively) have Nintendo games on it. They can easily get away with a $399 Switch 2 with a price drop down the line.
$399 is DOA in this economy.
 

Hudo

Member
Most important question is whether Koizumi will be wearing a Mario hat at some point or not.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
$399 is DOA in this economy.

Eh, people said that about $70 games and it's clearly not the case.

People are still buying luxury products left and right, the live music industry is going through an insane pricing period right now but popular acts are still filling entire stadiums on tickets that cost more than consoles. People still have money, it's more that a lower wage band of people are getting priced out of things, and those people will wait for price drops (or sit in nosebleed seats for gigs).

I can see an argument for $349 but again I'll be stunned if they can launch a Switch 2 for $299.
 

scydrex

Member
With the price of components and similar systems (Steam Deck) losing money at $400.

Nintendo will release the Switch 2 at $400 or more.
Nintendo will not lose money with the switch 2. They will want to release it making profit at launch. Nintendo isn't a company that releases a console or device loosing money or making 0 profit at launch like MS or Sony. If they have to make it less powerful than the Deck then they will do it because of that way doing business. I think they will release it at $400 making it as powerful as they can and maintaining a profit margin at launch.
 
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ManaByte

Gold Member
Eh, people said that about $70 games and it's clearly not the case.

People are still buying luxury products left and right, the live music industry is going through an insane pricing period right now but popular acts are still filling entire stadiums on tickets that cost more than consoles. People still have money, it's more that a lower wage band of people are getting priced out of things, and those people will wait for price drops (or sit in nosebleed seats for gigs).

I can see an argument for $349 but again I'll be stunned if they can launch a Switch 2 for $299.

It's clearly the case when PS5s and Xboxes are sitting on shelves unsold and Sony just slashed their sales target. People are not paying $400+ for game consoles.
 

Zannegan

Member
Eh, people said that about $70 games and it's clearly not the case.
I'm betting on $399 too, but the new $70 baseline does seem to have a dampening effect on sales for all but the biggest games. Even those that sell well don't have the legs of their predecessors.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
It's clearly the case when PS5s and Xboxes are sitting on shelves unsold and Sony just slashed their sales target. People are not paying $400+ for game consoles.
Playstation and Xbox can't be compared in any way.
People have and will pay $400+ for the right hardware made by trusted companies.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
It's clearly the case when PS5s and Xboxes are sitting on shelves unsold and Sony just slashed their sales target. People are not paying $400+ for game consoles.

Or there's just not enough reason to buy them? We've only really just reached the stage where PS5 games aren't cross-gen and Xbox haven't put out anything of particular note in years. PC market growing more and more with less and less reason to buy those systems as it becomes clear where focuses are shifting.

Nintendo are playing their own game. The Switch is on track to be the best-selling console in history. Bet your bottom dollar people will save another $50-100 up to buy the new one if it's the only way they're ever gonna play the new <enormous franchise>.
 

scydrex

Member
Or there's just not enough reason to buy them? We've only really just reached the stage where PS5 games aren't cross-gen and Xbox haven't put out anything of particular note in years. PC market growing more and more with less and less reason to buy those systems as it becomes clear where focuses are shifting.

Nintendo are playing their own game. The Switch is on track to be the best-selling console in history. Bet your bottom dollar people will save another $50-100 up to buy the new one if it's the only way they're ever gonna play the new <enormous franchise>.
Sure. Also being a handheld console helps to sell.
 
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Chittagong

Gold Member
If it launches 2025 we won’t see it this year. That would tank the Christmas season for Switch. With og Switch that was not a problem since Wii U was already dead and reveal in October with game reveal in January for a March launch helped build immense hype.
 

Woopah

Member
$400 for a LCD screen? Nintendo has never launched a console at $400.
Maybe they will be more aggressive with pricing, but I think it would be odd of them to not price it higher than Switch OLED. Switch 2 will cost a lot more to make.
A june reveal but a 2025 launch makes little sense if both rumors are true.

Unless they're playing a major price cut to the switch and switch lite and confirm BC for Switch 2...
If it launches 2025 we won’t see it this year. That would tank the Christmas season for Switch. With og Switch that was not a problem since Wii U was already dead and reveal in October with game reveal in January for a March launch helped build immense hype.
The 3DS was fully revealed in June 2010 and launched Q1 2011. They can do something similar.
 
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