New Nintendo Switch Rumors Fuel The Hype Train
It seems like the internet can’t get enough of potential Nintendo announcements! Last week the rumors came true and we received a Nintendo Direct (Mini) where we learned of several new games in development and more third party titles on the way. Immediately some speculated we might be getting a full-length Nintendo Direct in the coming weeks because previous trends showed that whenever Nintendo had a Mini Direct they followed up with another regular one usually within a couple of weeks. We didn’t really give much weight to that thought, but then again we didn’t think they’d just drop a Direct last week without a couple days notice either.
So here we are and now we’re hearing rumblings that this Thursday Nintendo may once again drop a new video. It’s not expected to be a huge Direct, but it might just be a video dropped on YouTube showcasing some new accessories and possibly games taking advantage of said accessories. This was brought up on the popular ResetEra gaming forums by the user Chrom. He doesn’t know exactly what to expect, but doesn’t think it will be a major thing or that exciting:
Yes, I’ve been hearing for a while that another Nintendo Direct is in fact happening later this week, but the new Fire Emblem apparently won’t be featured there either. I know nothing of its exact contents, but I’ve learned that it won’t be the one to reveal Fire Emblem. It sounds like another small Nintendo Direct from my understanding, no idea how they’ll announce it. A more feature-length Nintendo Direct is supposedly planned for sometime in February, and, in my opinion, that’s probably when we may see Fire Emblem after all. Here’s hoping, I’m really excited for it. At this point I’m not thinking there’ll be another Fire Emblem Direct though, sadly.
As for the theme of the Direct this week, what I have about it is rather broad, which makes it hard for me to say what you should expect from it. I think it was something like ‘games and accessories’? That’s all I can really say about it from what I remember. And given the very short length of it, I just don’t get the impression it’ll be all that exciting.
Emily, an administrator on ResetEra famous for leaking things – some that have come true and some that have not – gives some credibility to Chrom’s claims. She says that if Nintendo does announce something for this week, don’t automatically assume it will be a Direct, but it could just be a trailer on YouTube. Here are her full comments on the matter:
I just want to offer some food for thought. What I’m about to say might not make much sense today. But hopefully this post will make more sense as the year progresses. I apologize for sounding cryptic or vague. I’m trying to point everyone’s hopes and expectations for 2018 in the right direction without spoiling announcements.
First, I think we’ve been a bit spoiled by Nintendo Directs. Because the truth is, not every Nintendo game announcement requires a big general Direct or even a Mini-sized Direct. Sometimes uploading and dumping a short video or trailer on YouTube is more than enough to create a ton of buzz for a product. (Example: See the short Switch reveal video)
Attracting New Players
1.Kimishima has stated that he wants to attract “new players”. This includes small children and consumers who have barely touched game consoles.
2. In October 2016, Kimishima told Bloomberg that Nintendo was planning for new accessories and add-on hardware. It’s very likely that these new accessories will include new software.
3. Last month, Kimishima said Nintendo hopes to increase momentum by releasing games that offer “new ways to play”. That’s part of their plan to sell 20 million units in fiscal year 2018.
4. Nintendo is not abandoning core gamers in an attempt to attract new players. They believe they can attract “new players” while still keeping “core gamers” interested and happy.Third Party Support
4. Nintendo is under no pressure to reveal all of their third party titles in January. Keep in mind that Doom, Wolfenstein II, LA Noire, and WWE 2K18 weren’t revealed for Switch until the very last 3 months of 2017. And Mario + Rabbids (Ubisoft) and Rocket League were not revealed until E3.
5. As I said before, this is a good year for third party stuff. This is a year that already has Wolfenstein II, Dark Souls, Ys VIII, Valkyria Chronicles 4, The World Ends With You, Payday 2, Dragon Quest Builders, SNK Heroines, Octopath Traveler, Mega Man 11 and Travis Strikes Back.
6. But there are still more third party titles that will be announced later this year from Square Enix, Ubisoft, and Bandai Namco. Some of these unannounced titles may have been rumored on the internet before — and some unannounced titles have never been rumored at all. Trust me, there’s some good stuff coming from third parties. You will be pleasantly surprised in the third party department.
7. Lastly, Kimishima himself said “different sorts of genres will be covered by third-parties, which will help expand the system’s user base.” So if you don’t want to take my word for it, then take Kimishima’s.Final Thoughts
If there is any announcement this week, don’t automatically assume that it’s a Direct or a Mini-Direct. There is such a thing as a short trailer uploaded on YouTube, ya know.
If there is any announcement this week, don’t automatically assume that it will appeal to core Nintendo fans and older gamers.
So, there you have it. More rumors and speculation surrounding upcoming Switch announcements. This could all be a bunch of nothing, but it’s always fun to dream and in this case we don’t have long to find out if there’s any truth to the matter. I for one welcome Donkey Konga 3 – the game that Retro Studios has been working of four 4 years. Yes, that’s sarcasm.
[Source: ResetEra]
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
