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Well, we are fast approaching the end of 2024. Still, no news regarding the Switch successor, but there has been no shortage of copy being printed, and videos being made regarding rumors and..........let's just be honest, MADE UP stories and narratives based on circumstantial information that is out there on the internet. First, people said that we would hear something about it around the 2024 Tokyo Game Show. This was because Nintendo released back-to-back Nintendo Directs which admittedly was out of character for them. We heard nothing. Next, people said that we would hear something about it around October 20th, 2024. This was based on the fact that we initially heard about the Nintendo Switch around the same time back in 2016. We heard about a $100 digital alarm clock, but no Switch successor. Then, people said that because of Nintendo's investors meetings on November 5th, 2024, we would HAVE to hear SOMETHING because Nintendo can't go into an investors meetings without something substantial to satisfy shareholders. We got a lot of interesting information about Nintendo's short-term plans, and did at least get confirmation of backwards compatibility for the Switch successor. We also got information about the partnerships that Nintendo will be continuing with, and bringing into their space for the future. However, no other tangible information was given. In fact, one could interpret this situation as possibly not hearing ANYTHING about the Switch successor until at LEAST February 2025 because that is likely time when the next Nintendo investors meeting takes place. Now, some people are suggesting that we will hear something about it at the 2024 Game Awards. While Nintendo does have a good relationship with Geoff Keighley, and to be honest, a surprise-reveal at The Game Awards would be kinda tight (especially if one more time they brought in Reggie Fils-Aime to do it,) I seriously doubt that would happen. Too many things could go wrong, and Nintendo doesn't like letting other people captain their ship. Game reveals? That's okay. It's hard to mess that up. However, revealing new hardware (especially if the Switch successor is more than JUST a stronger Switch) could be problematic in that setting. I'm not saying that it can't happen. I'm just saying don't bet the farm on it.


Lastly, in the midst of all these failed attempts at predictions, many YouTubers have claimed sources (both named and unnamed) from various social media accounts have said one thing or another about what Nintendo is doing in regards to the Switch successor.


These are people that post videos on their account with headlines in their thumbnails saying, "HUGE SWITCH 2 NEWS!" or something to that effect. When you click on the video however, it is basically just 10-15 minutes of them talking about some random word or phrase in some random tweet by some random person that says something regarding the Switch successor that they try to "twist" into something relevant. YouTube is LOADED with these videos, and they are posted seemingly every day. To be fair, I have to point out something. The YouTube algorithm does not care about pushing content that is resourceful, informative, positive, uplifting, creative, fun, or engaging for the mind. It DOES care about content that is loud, obnoxious, silly, damaging, repetitive, misinforming, useless, negative, fear-mongering, divisive, or just content that is affixed to whatever the common narrative is in that particular genre at that time. Being that the Switch successor is at the top of the list of conversation in the gaming industry despite there being very little tangible information about it, that is what the algorithm wants, so a lot of YouTubers choose to take the easy way out by mindlessly and relentlessly pumping out "Switch 2" videos to keep that ad-revenue high.


I've heard Nintendo YouTubers say that their ad-revenue drops severely when they post non "Switch 2" related content. I have no reason to doubt that, because many YouTubers that I have followed over the years that produced many different types of content, I have seen their channels have a significant DROP in content, them admitting that they have to get regular 9-5 jobs to make ends-meet again, or their channel just goes under altogether because the ad-revenue isn't there like it used to be. So, while we are being critical of people who are spamming "Switch 2" videos, we need to keep the full situation in context. We don't know their financial situation. It's annoying to see all these useless videos regarding the Switch successor, but people gotta do what they gotta do to put beans on the table.


For a few reasons, I do think that people need to find some way being more creative with these "Switch 2" videos so that they aren't so repetitive. The algorithm CAN be manipulated. Start thinking about more engaging conversation regarding the Switch successor to embed in your videos. You can start off mentioning whatever "rumor" there is out there at the time, but then, while the viewer is there, transition into a topic that is more creative and interesting, and then wrap up the video with final thoughts on the rumor. This way, your viewers don't come away with an empty bag, while you can still get YOUR bag from YouTube.

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Last year, in Microsoft's legal battle against the Federal Trade Commission, it was revealed that they were planning a portable device. There has been so much more going on with the XBOX division since then, this finding had fallen off the radar until last week when Phil Spencer confirmed that Microsoft indeed is working on a portable device, but it is still a few years away. The response from the media and from gamers was very mixed. Some saying that it is too little, too late. Others are intrigued about the prospect of a portable XBOX, and some are excited about it. Let's start off with the notion of it being "too late" for Microsoft to release a portable console. I'm curious as to why someone would come to that conclusion. It is almost 2025 and we STILL have not even heard an official code-name for the Nintendo Switch successor yet. We honestly have no idea when we will hear anything because Nintendo is in no hurry to announce anything. Valve has stated that they plan to release a Steam Deck 2, but only when a "generation-leap" is possible, and affordable. That could be some time, but there is a caveat to that in regards to what the "possible" hook is in the Switch successor that I will discuss later. ASUS has not made any major statements on a possible ROG Ally 2, but it is believed that they are working on something. Lenovo has flat out stated that Legion Go 2 is coming, but no ETA on the device. So, all of these devices are in the future, and not necessarily the near future. Microsoft definitely has time in that regard. Secondly, it is clear that hybrid-gaming is the future of consoles. While the set-top box may never go away 100%, I think with devices such as the PS5 Pro, set-box boxes will transition into become more of a niche' device for enthusiasts that just want the hardcore, powerful, gaming-machine. Consoles may start to become basically gaming PCs in a box, but instead of it being a closed-system where whatever you have is what you have and you are stuck with it, you might be able to upgrade components on your own. This is just a theory though as there are several problems that could get in the way of doing that. Still, I don't think set-top boxes as we know them have much of a future. Hybrid-devices definitely have a future, and from that aspect Microsoft is certainly not "behind." Lastly, I think why several people are clinging onto this notion of it being "too late" for Microsoft to release a portable device is because of the elephant in the room. XBOX Game Pass Regardless on whatever opinion you may have, XBOX Game Pass on a dedicated XBOX portable device is going to cook like Chef Boyaredee, and if you are a hopeless-fanatic of any brand or piece of plastic that doesn't have an XBOX or Microsoft logo on it, that frightens you. If you are a NORMAL-person, XBOX Game Pass on a dedicated-device either doesn't interest you one way or another because you aren't into XBOX, it is interesting, or it is potentially exciting. With someone like me that really has little to no interest of Microsoft's 1st-party IP going forward (because they ruined them all,) BUT you still want to play your old XBOX games spanning the original XBOX all the way to the current XBOX Series family, and have the ability to take that with you on the go? I'd buy that. I miss not being able to play all my old XBOX titles, but I have no desire to buy an XBOX Series X or S just to gain access to them. A hybrid-device from Microsoft might be just what the doctor ordered. Now to be fair, this would also be just a niche' device. Obviously, you can play 1st-party XBOX titles on many other devices, but having a dedicated-device built from the ground up with Windows in mind would be more of an asset than a hindrance as it is with other PC hybrid-devices. So, this door is wide open for Microsoft right now. I think that one of the reasons why a portable device is still a few years away is because they want to be able to match or exceed whatever Lenovo, Valve, and ASUS are working on, and they want to find a way to incorporate Windows in an intuitive way that is not as cumbersome as it is on the other devices. It's not too late. It fact, it might just be right on schedule. However, that caveat that I spoke of earlier could change the plans of all the other companies. As I've stated in previous blogs, the "RUMORED" code-name for the Switch successor is "Oz." This would suggest that despite the modest hardware that may be in the device, Nintendo and nVidia may have come up with a way to make the visuals and performance "appear" to be top-end, thus giving you pseudo bleeding-edge performance at an affordable price. IF that is the case, that changes everything and it could once again be Nintendo pulling the okey-doke on the industry. As I always say about Nintendo, just when you think you've got all the answers, they change the questions. Microsoft knows this, and this is probably why they are bringing Call Of Duty to the Switch platform, and it could be why they are waiting. If my suspicions of what the Switch successor is are true, and it is a success in the marketplace, rather than go hard on horsepower, Microsoft may choose to do what Nintendo "ALLEGEDLY" is doing. To be honest, I think everyone is waiting on the first domino to fall with the

Switch successor.

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D2K Prime

Updated: Nov 25, 2024


While not impossible, it is highly improbable that Nintendo will announce anything regarding the Switch successor in 2024. This IS Nintendo however, so you never know. They clearly are not oblivious to the online banter regarding the elusive device, and have been releasing information about other Nintendo-related things on dates and times people are expecting to hear about the Switch successor. For the people that are disappointed or even angry that there has been no information as of yet, it is fair to suggest that it's their own fault that they expected to hear or see anything regarding the Switch successor, when Nintendo has given you nothing to go on accept for a tweet back in May stating that you would receive information about the device before the end of the fiscal-year, which is at the end of March of 2025. However, again, in their defense, it wasn't like it was some pie-in-the-sky notion or suggestion fueled by hope. There were logical reasons to expect to hear something by now. The fact that the console has PASSED the marker of a typical Nintendo console generation which is 5-7 years is a good reason. The last time that there was a gap this large between console launches for Nintendo was with the Famicom which released in Japan in 1983, and then the Super Famicom which released in Japan in 1990. The fact that the Nintendo Switch itself was announced around this time 8 years ago is also a good reason to expect to have heard something by now. Even if it is just a code-name. However, of the rumored code-name of the Switch successor which is "OZ" is true, that might give too much away of what the hook of the console is, which is why it has only been shared with developers.....ALLEGEDLY. Now, you can add in all the rumors and leaked information if you want to. It's not right or wrong, but they can always clap-back by saying that they never confirmed or denied any rumors, thus not making them liable. Just based off of the stuff I mentioned that we know for sure, those are good reasons. So, if we don't hear anything this year, there is no reason to kick yourself. It's not a big deal. While I don't know for certain as to why we haven't heard anything as if yet, as I stated in my last blog "They'll Unveil It When They Get Ready To," it could be a production-based issue. I have heard a few rumblings here and there about some issues regarding production of their next-generation device, but again those are RUMORS so you can't put any stock in that. The other reason is what I want to talk about now. It's something that is so obvious that I'm not sure why I didn't think of this sooner. Maybe things are just back to "normal" for Nintendo? All things being equal, for the past 20+ years, unless there are extenuating circumstances, Nintendo usually unveils new home console hardware in the Summer, and releases it in the late Fall, early Winter. There has been hardware that released outside of that window before, but the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U all were released in November. Obviously, the Switch broke from that tradition, but that was a special case. They could not afford NOT to have the hardware on the market, so they had to get it out as soon as possible, and this probably played a part to many technical-issues the system had at launch, and features being left out of the device. NOW, Nintendo is playing with power (pun intended.) They don't have to rush the Switch successor. The Switch itself is still selling great, and even if they announced the successor now, it would still sell great. So, being that they don't have to rush, it may just be that we could be back on a regular schedule with Nintendo. What I mean is, they may give us a 3-minute trailer sometime between now and March 2025, but they may not actually have a full presentation of the device until the June Nintendo Direct during the Summer Game Showcase week. Likewise, the console may not even release until late 2025. REMEMBER... One of the other few statements Nintendo made was that they wanted to make sure that they have more than enough consoles to combat online scalpers. While it is a good idea to make sure you have enough stock on-hand, it is tricky to try to guess market reception of a product. So, enclosing I say that we may actually be in for a longer wait than we think before we get a real presentation of the Switch successor. They can drop a trailer at any time. I don't expect to see one any time soon, but since Nintendo is trying to get into the trolling-game, it would not surprise me that just when people think that they won't, or can't announce the device, they actually do.

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