I'm pretty satisfied with the overall Switch library even if they don't want to release much more else, I don't really understand these people that insist a company bleed itself to death in the later years of every console.

Switch got a brand new Zelda and a brand new 2D Mario very late in its product cycle, realistically how much more can you expect and how many systems have that kind of late gen support to begin with.

Nobody's asking them to bleed themselves to death; continuing to release some content for a system with an install base of over 140 million is good for business and good for players, it's a win-win.

The heavy hitters like the next 3D Mario, Mario Kart, etc are obviously for the successor, but there's no reason to abandon the current Switch entirely well before it's replaced.

Nintendo currently has no games scheduled beyond next month; if Switch 2 comes out, optimistically, next March, why have a 9 month lull in profits when you don't need to?

They are forecasting less than a 20% drop in software sales for this FY, that does not suggest the termination of new software.

The thing is game development takes years of planning in advance to meet a window target, it's not as simple as saying "look can you open up the kitchen and whip up us some burgers".

Even if Nintendo knew this time a year ago they were going to suffer a delay for Switch 2 and have a possibly thinner holiday for this year, there's not a whole lot you can do in that time span to pull software out of thin air. 

If they can reorganize some projects and have them out in time, fine, but if they can't I don't think people really ought to be complaining all that much. They've released a mountain of software for the Switch, play something you missed out on. 

With regards to their software forecasts I do wonder if they are factoring in the launch of Switch 2 for within the fiscal year for example and seeing a surge of software that way but they can't really say that part out loud yet because they haven't formally shown the system or its software yet. 

A Mario Kart Next for example as a launch title would probably sell a few million units even in only one month's time. So maybe they are really expecting like a 35% drop in software for example, but they are also thinking Switch 2 launch software will cut that to an only 20% drop. 

Nintendo has said that their forecasts don't include the next system. 

And even if Switch 2 was supposed to come out this year but delayed, it is unlikely they planned nothing for the current system from June onwards, you don't just bail on a userbase of 140 million plus that's bringing you record profits at the first opportunity.

We live in an era where PS4 and Xbox One are still getting games over 3 years after their replacement. Heck, even 3DS got games in 2017, 2018, and 2019 alongside Switch.

The big stuff is behind us, but small to medium sized content should continue for a while yet.

Could also mean they are planning heavy software/hardware bundles and that would be counted as a software sale over the 2nd half of the year in particular. 

Although really I doubt stockholders are going to be all that upset if the software part of the sales forecast includes Switch 2 software, Nintendo will just shrug it away and say they did reach the stated sales number. 

Assuming Nintendo is lying about their forecasts seems like a leap.

It's more likely there's unannounced Switch software still to come; they'll want to milk that massive userbase while they can before moving on.

I don't think they're lying but people also act like sales forecasts are some kind of holy decree when companies bullshit about forecasts all the time. Sony just came off a fiscal year where they blew hot smoke out of their rear end and forecast a 25 million year for the Playstation 5 when they've never even hit 21 million in a fiscal year (and they predictably missed by a country mile).

The fact is by March 2025 lets be honest all the attention is going to be on the Switch 2, probably why Nintendo feels free to set ambitious sales targets because no one is really going to fixate on that by the time the next financial results come out. As long as the Switch 2 has a good launch, that's where all the investor attention is going to be. If they hit their Switch 1 targets, great, if they don't, no one is really going to be spending that much time thinking about the Switch 1 this time next year so it's kind of a win-win, well so long as Switch 2 launches well that is. 

Lets say Nintendo does for example miss their Switch 1 software target by 30% next year and thus not managing to stay at just a 20% loss. Is anyone really going to care if Switch 2 has a good launch? Guess which one of those two stories will get all the news stories and investor attention. So why not try for a more ambitious software/hardware total. And vice versa, if Switch 2 doesn't have a good launch, well no one is going to care if you hit your Switch 1 targets because we're going to be right back into a "Nintendooomed!" news cycle. 

But Nintendo has a Direct next month, so you honestly think they will announce nothing? Just 3rd party stuff? They already had a Partners Direct in February, so they definitely will not have a Partners Direct only this time around.

I don't think they're lying but people also act like sales forecasts are some kind of holy decree when companies bullshit about forecasts all the time. Sony just came off a fiscal year where they blew hot smoke out of their rear end and forecast a 25 million year for the Playstation 5 when they've never even hit 21 million in a fiscal year (and they predictably missed by a country mile).

The fact is by March 2025 lets be honest all the attention is going to be on the Switch 2, probably why Nintendo feels free to set ambitious sales targets because no one is really going to fixate on that by the time the next financial results come out. As long as the Switch 2 has a good launch, that's where all the investor attention is going to be. If they hit their Switch 1 targets, great, if they don't, no one is really going to be spending that much time thinking about the Switch 1 this time next year so it's kind of a win-win, well so long as Switch 2 launches well that is. 

Lets say Nintendo does for example miss their Switch 1 software target by 30% next year and thus not managing to stay at just a 20% loss. Is anyone really going to care if Switch 2 has a good launch? Guess which one of those two stories will get all the news stories and investor attention. So why not try for a more ambitious software/hardware total. And vice versa, if Switch 2 doesn't have a good launch, well no one is going to care if you hit your Switch 1 targets because we're going to be right back into a "Nintendooomed!" news cycle. 

Could also mean they are planning heavy software/hardware bundles and that would be counted as a software sale over the 2nd half of the year in particular. 

Although really I doubt stockholders are going to be all that upset if the software part of the sales forecast includes Switch 2 software, Nintendo will just shrug it away and say they did reach the stated sales number.