A powerful Nintendo Direct displaying recontextualizes the Swap’s whole 2024.
Earlier than the morning of June 18, 2024, the unstated vibe I used to be selecting up was that 2024 could be Nintendo stretching their product line up with area of interest mental properties and ports and remakes of older video games.
In that state of mind, I believed that possibly, simply possibly, the lengthy awaited Swap worth minimize may lastly seem this fall. Certainly a decrease depth software program schedule may imply Nintendo must lastly decrease the Swap’s base sale worth to hit their forecast of 13.5 million {hardware} models offered this fiscal 12 months. By all rights, the Swap ought to be on its final legs seven years after its debut.
However now I do know that in 2024 the Swap is getting a NEW Zelda sport (in 2D and the place you play as Zelda lastly!) in September, a NEW Mario Occasion sport in October, and a NEW Mario (+ Luigi RPG) sport in November. These are model new video games that goal to search out and construct new audiences, not preside over an organized retreat.
Plus anybody trying to purchase a Swap can nonetheless discover one of many strongest Nintendo console again catalogs you might want for, or peruse a unbroken stream of latest third-party treats (like Ace Lawyer Investigations Assortment from Capcom – half of which by no means launched outdoors of Japan – or Dragon Quest III HD-2D from Sq. Enix).
And there is nonetheless the promise of Metroid Prime 4 bringing its status lineage to the Swap in 2025, so Swap patrons now know that the console’s future will lengthen past simply this vacation buying season.
Is a worth drop nonetheless doable? Positive, heck, yeah, possibly. However to me its probability has been decimated. I imagine Nintendo will attempt to promote the Swap for the subsequent 9 months at full worth solely on the proposition that folks will need to play Swap video games that a lot.
However what does that imply if we sail into April 2025 and the Swap continues to be full worth? That raises new questions: will Nintendo lastly drop the Swap worth when its successor comes out? Or will the “Swap 2” have an excellent increased price ticket and provides room for its Nintendo’s hybrid console to sail into 12 months 8 nonetheless defying the ravages of time and worth drops?
Ouch. My pockets is already feeling the ache from the vacation season… and (Metroid Prime 4) Past.
