Thoughts on the Nintendo Direct?

[Slownenberg]

Soundwave said:

Slownenberg said:

lol

I'm sure MK9 will be a launch title for next gen, or at least come out within a few weeks of launch. Nothing else would make sense. Probably 3D Mario and Prime 4 on launch day, MK9 a month later. Probably something like that (if indeed Prime 4 has been moved off the Switch and to next gen which is sorta seems like at this point).

To Soundwave:

Not sure if we'll see cross-gen titles. We got cross gen GC/Wii and WiiU/Switch but those systems were spec'd fairly similarly so those zelda cross gen games could just be ports. To do a cross gen game between Switch and next gen obviously gamers would want a complete graphics overhaul for the next gen version. Makes cross gen games seem less likely. Especially for something like Prime 4 where you want top notch graphics. I don't really see Nintendo building two completely separate graphical versions of Prime 4 (or any game) in order to make it cross gen.

So I don't expect any cross gen games. I think Prime 4 will either be the last big AAA Switch game, or much more likely a launch game on Switch 2 and that is probably the reason it still hasn't come out yet, or even announced anything about it yet, because at some point they switched over from making a Switch game to making a next gen game.

And considering Metroid games don't sell that well anyway, it's not like missing out on the Switch userbase would be devastating for the game. It's not like 10 million people are gonna buy it on Switch haha. And being one of the few major AAA Nintendo games available on the next gen system in the first year will give it plenty of focus for gamers to pick it up. Maybe Nintendo surprises and does two completely different graphical builds for the game so that it can be cross gen, but I doubt it. Also having it on Switch 2 only just gives people (well, at least the few million, or couple million, Metroid fans) more of a reason to buy the new system.

I think you will see cross-gen games. You don't need to do completely different graphical builds, you can just have games that run in 4K + maybe higher resolution on Switch 2 ... I mean there are plenty of PS5/XSX games that are PS4/XB1 or even PS3 games in some cases just running at higher res, it's not like the game has been completely remade. 

The Pokemon DLC leaker also already stated that they were working on making graphical assets for the DLC for Switch 2. That person did get a bunch of things correct, so that probably already hints towards it. Also the Nintendo job listing which specifically cited the need for "cross generation" development also is a pretty strong indicator. 

I'll say this about Prime 4 ... I would not be surprised if for Switch 2 it has a rudimentary (cheap) VR mode like VR Labo, except they're not going to do the cardboard thing, it'll be a mode with an official kind of plastic housing for the Switch 2 (1080p screen?) is my guess. 

My point is that isn't desirable in the least. Like if Prime 4 is just a resolution upgrade...that's not really cross gen. That's Nintendo porting a Switch game to next gen and upping the resolution. If we're talking about legit cross-gen, Prime 4 coming out as both a Switch game and a Switch 2 game, not a Switch 2 port of the Switch game coming out, I don't see that happening. If we're just talking porting the game though, sure maybe, put out Prime 4 on Switch and port it to Switch 2 to bolster the launch lineup a little bit, but then that's just gonna be a last gen game on the new system, not a next gen Prime 4, it'll just be a bad looking game on Switch 2 (relative to games actually made for next gen).

Like TP was not a bad looking Wii game, cuz Wii and GC were close so it could be a straight port. BotW was not a bad looking Switch game, because WiiU and Switch were close. But next gen will be a generational upgrade over the Switch, so it'd be pretty disappointing if Nintendo claimed the Prime 4 was gonna be cross gen and then really all it turned out to be was a straight port with higher res of what is actually a Switch game. If they are gonna do that, makes much more sense to launch Prime 4 at least a good few months before next gen starts, so that it has time to sell before people move their focus to next gen, and then sometime during the first year of next gen Nintendo releases an enhanced (high res) version of Prime 4 for the new system to try to pick up a few extra sales from people who didn't bother buying end of lifecycle Switch games.

Last edited by Slownenberg - on 21 June 2023