I've been on an ex-coworker's family plan for six years and running, and I can guarantee you he hasn't touched his Switch in at least five. I don't know if he's unaware that the subscription is still on his bank account, or if he looks at it and doesn't care because it's a cheap gesture for a few friends.

I haven't really dabbled into local network multiplayer, but is LAN play not a thing? It wasn't a problem for 3DS, so I'd imagine it wouldn't be for Switch. Not even going to comment on Nintendo allowing shared software, might as well get a lottery ticket while I'm at it.

Some families haven't gotten the NSO due to economic troubles. Or they dont have any friends to play online with. If they had a local network software share, it would provide local co-op between Switch units. That way everyone can play together easily for way cheaper. You gotta lose money to make money.

I do agree that it does suck to spend that much for local between Switch units.

I'm pretty sure the next 3D Mario will be for the successor, but there's a chance the Direct could finally unveil Metroid Prime 4 for a release this year.

It's been nearly five and a half years since development was rebooted under Retro, even accounting for the pandemic it should be finished or nearly finished by now.

About the only reason I can see not to show it is if it has indeed been moved to the successor, but given development started way back in 2019 it seems more likely it's a late Switch 1 title rather than a next gen one.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but it's a possibility at least.

Prime 4 ain't gonna see 13.5 million Switches though, so there has to be something bigger first party wise coming as well, something more mainstream.

I don't think we'd ever get this lucky, but the Switch successor should launch with a new Donkey Kong game.

Definitely seems likely that Z-A will launch in Q1 of next year (guessing it will be March and that Switch 2 will launch in May or June). As for the holidays, I think a new DK game has a chance of happening. Also think they will actually do a price drop on all models by at least $50 and some bundles.

I do wonder if they'll squeeze in Johto/BW remakes in holiday 2024 by ILCA. You'd think they would've announced that by now but only BDSP was announced so early (for a remake). I doubt it will happen but I can't rule it out.

I agree with your points. But I have minor adjustments.

Though the successor can be placed anywhere from March 2025-Nov 2025 (and even beyond). Due to that they will be making mini presentations about the successor throughout this FY.

I also think they’ll release MP4 for Oct, and DK for Dec. And LoZ remakes for July, Sept, Feb (Those months are total guesses).

TPC is on the fence of remakes this holiday and taking the gap year. If they do a remake it’ll be with the new department, Pokémon Works (which is joint between Game Freak and ILCA). And will be more likely to be Johto then Unova. Personally I think it’ll be Let’s Go Johto, given that they have the graphics and half the map already from LGP/E.

Very solid thought process here. Keep up the good work!

Also to everyone, tell your mother or wife Happy Mother’s Day.

I'm going to make a prediction and say that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is going to come to the Switch 2 within a year after it launches, with XVI and and Rebirth either coming via cloud or as some of the first impossible ports within three years. Squeenix isn't doing too hot from a financial standpoint right now, and the latest two FFs haven't met their expectations saleswise. They're going to be looking to maximize on these games by having them go multiplat because all three have been locked to the PlayStation ecosystem and PC thus far.

EDIT: Meant to say Remake is coming to Switch 2 within a year, not Rebirth. On one hand, I appreciate that Squeenix is moving away from all of the stupid ass flowery names for its RPGs that require copious amounts of mental gymnastics to understand and follow (KH: 358/2 Days, Various Daylife, Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe) and keeping things a little simpler, but it still could have done a little better than to name one game "Remake" and its follow up "Rebirth". Those two words pretty much sound like the same thing, and if you're not paying attention, you'd think they were the same game.

That would be really funny at least to me.

Cause Square Enix, left Nintendo due to the size and power of their games. And having them come back to Nintendo gives me a little chuckle. Having FF on the Successor will really help out that franchise. 

Maybe we will see FFXVII on the PS5, Switch, PC, and Xbox Series. I feel like a lot of franchises in the next generation will be multiplatform.

We'll most likely see Halo on all platforms too. I feel like Microsoft has turned into a Sega. Sega will always have Sonic, and Microsoft will always have Halo but they will be on all platforms.

There really is something novel about owning FFVII on a cart on a Nintendo console ~_~

https://tdnet-pdf.kabutan.jp/20240513/140120240513592661.pdf

Basically, SE wants to get more ports out there. Which makes sense. You spend years and hundreds of millions of dollars creating new Final Fantasy, but it's not 1998 anymore. You need to recoup some of that cost, and leaving them on a single platform isn't financially feasible these days.

I just saw this news too.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/05/13/square-enix-is-done-with-playstation-exclusivity-after-profit-drop/?sh=44f16c2420b6

Nice work! What other companies will be joining Nintendo/multiplatform? You seem to know.