This time of year a mainline Nintendo Direct usually comes talking about upcoming games/plans for the rest of the year and going into the next calendar year. I have already done a YouTube video...
...discussing a lot of this earlier this month...but a mainline Nintendo Direct still hasn't happened. Rumors have it that it'll be on or around the 29TH which also line-up with the upcoming Nintendo investor's meeting which then sparks more rumors that whatever they reveal during said Direct will have investor's asking questions at that meeting that Nintendo will try to answer.
But we don't know if it'll even come, let alone if it'll be a mainline Direct or a Partner Direct?
Going by last year, many did not "hype responsibly" and assumed the new Switch would be revealed during e3 time and it'd be a Switch Pro or a next-gen Switch 2. I was in on it with my own speculation on those rumors, but then nothing...until early July when they did a quick simple (non-Direct) announcement of the Switch OLED which was not a mid-gen or next-gen console. So, we're all more cautious this year. We knew something was coming around that time last year and some of us think another announcement of another possible Switch model could come here soon?
There are valid arguments from all sides that they will or won't do this backed by various rumors from all sides. I'm less speaking to whether any rumors are true or not, just that if Nintendo does speak on the next Switch: what's the plan? A lot of this is discussed in the video I made above, but to elaborate, if it is what I think it is (a GameBoy to GameBoy Color like transition) then it may be revealed soon, but I dunno if it'll be during this rumored incoming Direct? If it is within this coming Direct or just a quick simple (Switch OLED like) announcement then it should be before the investor's meeting so they can answer the onslaught of questions it would bring and that could go along with the plans since they are the market leader and all eyes will be on them after such an announcement.
Sony's eyes are certainly on them which is sorta where the credible rumor of a June 29TH Direct comes from: Alanah Pearce, who works with Sony. Also Sony already did their NOT e3 stuff earlier this month, but are rumored to have another event around the time this Nintendo Direct would come. Is it a reactive response, pre-emptive strike, damage control, etc.?
If it is a GameBoy to GameBoy Color like transition as I'm suggesting and it is to be announced soon, I think the plan will be to market it not as a mid-gen or next-gen Switch successor replacement, but rather just a newer model.
"Won't that hurt sales of the current Switch?"
Possibly, but I think to invigorate sales of the older Switch models (original & OLED) they will do pricedrops. Push sales of the original Switch with a pricedrop phasing it out, replace it with the OLED model and give it a pricedrop all before this newer model would launch (near BOTW2 release next year). The key here is to have TONS of games coming throughout this period, which I imagine an incoming Direct will touch on and Nintendo has games ready.
"Won't current Switch owners feel screwed, especially those who just bought a new one?"
Again, possibly, but if it is marketed as just a new model (as OLED was) and not a replacement and the games keep pumping out as they phase out the older models with a price drop, I think this could be a best transition plan. Eventually some new games would be exclusive to the newer Switch, but rolling that out would be controlled with: A) offering those games on the cloud service for older models and B) pushing games that work on both old & new Switch models (a la GameBoy "dual mode" carts that worked on both GameBoy & GameBoy Color). Games exclusive to this newer model Switch would be limited at first, then as the older models are phased out and newer models reach more users then they'll have more exclusive games for it, all while still having tons of games that also work on the old Switch...for years.
"Won't that hurt sales of the current Switch?"
Possibly, but I think to invigorate sales of the older Switch models (original & OLED) they will do pricedrops. Push sales of the original Switch with a pricedrop phasing it out, replace it with the OLED model and give it a pricedrop all before this newer model would launch (near BOTW2 release next year). The key here is to have TONS of games coming throughout this period, which I imagine an incoming Direct will touch on and Nintendo has games ready.
"Won't current Switch owners feel screwed, especially those who just bought a new one?"
Again, possibly, but if it is marketed as just a new model (as OLED was) and not a replacement and the games keep pumping out as they phase out the older models with a price drop, I think this could be a best transition plan. Eventually some new games would be exclusive to the newer Switch, but rolling that out would be controlled with: A) offering those games on the cloud service for older models and B) pushing games that work on both old & new Switch models (a la GameBoy "dual mode" carts that worked on both GameBoy & GameBoy Color). Games exclusive to this newer model Switch would be limited at first, then as the older models are phased out and newer models reach more users then they'll have more exclusive games for it, all while still having tons of games that also work on the old Switch...for years.
"Why would people buy the new one if there's not a lot of games exclusive to it?"
At first, it would be slow to roll out these exclusive games to help with the transition, but to also help with the transition they'll enhance older games played on the newer model with performance boosts and downloadable upgrade patches to enhance older games. The newer model would also have exclusive features like StreetPass to reward early adopters of the new model. Phasing out the older models would help in transitioning people "upstream" and when enough people are there more games would come exclusive to it.
I have like a graph in my head on how this would play out and it again is like transition from GameBoy to GameBoy Color with Super GameBoy & dual mode cart ideas along the way to extend the life and value of the Switch platform family. This new Switch would still be continuing the same "generation" but with new models every few years similar to how mobile phones are today.
So in relation to what might happen soon, if their plans line up with what I'm speculating we could hear something soon. Would it be alongside announcement of old model price drops and a slew of new game announcements...yes...I think all of that could soften the shock/blow of a new model announcement. Marketing again that it's not a "mid-gen" nor "next-gen" Switch, just as a new enhanced model that will eventually have new games on it. Games I foresee on such a machine: more current games from Capcom, Square Enix, RockStar, etc., games that are on or already coming to the Switch cloud service for the older models, but also be on physical cart for the newer model.
I have tons of other ideas or features they could have for a newer model Switch like: AR, VR, newer JoyCons, etc., but many of those could also work on the current Switch so again...within the same "generation".
I have tons of other ideas or features they could have for a newer model Switch like: AR, VR, newer JoyCons, etc., but many of those could also work on the current Switch so again...within the same "generation".