Switch 2 Hype Train

[PAOerfulone]

Considering that the timeline from reveal (10/20/2016) to release (3/3/2017) for Switch 1 was four and a half months, I'd expect the same thing to be the case for Switch 2.

Nintendo is going to try and replicate the Switch 1's launch blueprint as much as humanly possible.

That Switch 1 reveal trailer was 6 days before their investors' meeting for that quarter. So, assuming they do the same thing here. That would mean we'd get a reveal 6 days before their next meeting, which is slated for Feb 4, 2025 - That would put the reveal trailer for Jan 29. 

And since there was a little more than 19 weeks from the reveal to release - If they were to repeat that here, that would put the Switch 2's release date for Friday, June 13, 2025 (Because Nintendo always releases their new products on Fridays.)

Personally, I'm most likely going to get the system on launch day just like I did with Switch 1 back on that fateful day on March 3rd, 2017 - Bought it at GameStop, got Breath of the Wild with it, took it home, plugged it in, started playing, and have not looked back since. And I'm happy to say that I still have that OG model and it still works perfectly to this day! (Has a little wear and tear on it, but it is still perfectly playable and enjoyable!)

So, it really doesn't make a difference to me when this system comes out because I know I'm getting it regardless. But what I'm REALLY curious about will be the launch lineup.

I'm calling it right now: Metroid Prime 4 is the big launch title. What they did with Breath of the Wild for the Switch 1 and Twilight Princess for the Wii beforehand, they will do here, but only this time with Metroid instead of Zelda.

Now some people might be concerned about basing the launch of their next game around Metroid, an IP that has historically not sold massive numbers and has no proven track record of moving hardware. But in this instance, I think they can get away with it for a multitude of reasons.

1) The Switch 2 itself will be the main draw/sell rather than any individual game released for it. Nintendo has clearly found a long-term winner with the Switch brand and they have built it well enough to where it can sell on its own merit, much like how Sony has built up the PlayStation brand to sell on its own before any individual game. And the audience that is going to be mostly, if not exclusively, buying this system at launch will be the lifelong, dedicated gamers, and diehard Nintendo fans who follow them and are invested in their software far beyond just the standard Mario and Pokemon. These are the people who are VERY much interested in the more niche, "core gamer" IPs in their catalogue, and are very much excited and looking forward to games like Metroid Prime 4.

2) Metroid Prime 4 can serve as the PERFECT tech demo of just how much more powerful the Switch 2 is compared to the Switch 1 and showcase that graphical leap. I think Prime 4 is going to be truly cross-gen. And I'm not talking about how Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild were, where they were primarily developed for their predecessors (GameCube/Wii U) and then ported to their successors (Wii/Switch) - with little to no noticeable upgrades or added bells and whistles. This will mark the first real, honest-to-God, generational leap in hardware Nintendo has made in nearly 13 years! And they HAVE to show that off! Prime 4 is going to showcase just HOW much of a jump we're making. They'll make sure that both versions of the game are perfectly playable and enjoyable. But I'd expect something along the lines of - Switch 1 version: 720-900p/30fps, less textures and lighting, and slightly longer load times; Switch 2 version: 1080-1440p/60fps OR 4k/30fps, more textures, better lighting, faster load times, etc. Prime 4 is going to be the game they use to sell the general audience on the power of the system.

3) They're going to try and push the hell out of Prime 4 almost as much as the Switch 2 itself because they want that "Switch effect" to take hold of Metroid just like it did for Zelda, Mario, Splatoon, Kirby, Fire Emblem, and countless other Nintendo IPs that have experienced and they want Metroid to reach that next plateau of sales/popularity. And their plan to do that will be to market Prime 4 as the first big killer app for Switch 2. And if Prime 4 delivers on the gameplay front and proves to be of the same level of quality as the first three Prime games, it will absolutely be that killer app! I, just like the rest of you, expect the next 3D Mario and Mario Kart right around the corner for Switch 2's 1st year. In fact, I think those two games are going to be the games that drive the Switch 2's first holiday season and we're gonna get them back-to-back, just like we got Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 back-to-back for the 3DS' first holiday season in 2011. But they're gonna try to ensure Metroid Prime 4 gets its own window and time to shine much like how Breath of the Wild got it just 2 months before Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came out.

As for the rest of the launch lineup besides Prime 4, I'd expect something along the lines of:

- Another dumb, silly party game like 1-2-Switch.
- Other crossgen releases on various Switch games (Xenoblade X:DE, etc.)
- Indies! Indies everywhere!
- A MUCH more diverse and robust 3rd party selection of games than what Switch 1 had at launch. Including some high-profile 8th and 9th gen games that, much like Prime 4, will serve as tech demos of how much more powerful Switch 2 is (FFVII Remake+Rebirth, RDR2, Elden Ring, etc.) 

That's just off the top of my head.