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[Shikamaru Ninja]

I would assume they have a hand in FE on Mobile, so I'm not expecting anything.

No guarantees on that one. Nintendo may have outsourced the art/program to a mobile developer or even DeNA.

I understand how/why he got there. I also understand he forgot how to make the series that was his former claim to fame. I don't care about Wario Ware, or Tomodachi, or Rhythm Heaven or Miitomo, or whatever casual fart button game he comes up with. I care about Metroid. But it's clear that he no longer does.

We almost got Sakamoto's RPG Card Hero for Nintendo DS released internationally. It supposedly was testing for localization.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Any potential leads there? Like Producer/Director

Kouichi Kawamoto (Brain Age, Rusty's Real Deal Baseball, Nintendo Badge Arcade, AR Games,Street Pass Mii Plaza) is definitely one of them. I believe his group is working on Miitopia which is slated for the 3DS this Fall in Japan.

Takayuki Shimamura from Wii Sports / Nintendo Land may be heading the other group. Which will also likely have some new concept title for the Nintendo Switch.

Finally there's the possibility that either the Band Brothers / English Training (Nishida / Kitamura) and WarioWare (Goro Abe) leads get their own production group, or combined into one of the above.

 

[AntMurda]

Nah.

They're more important than you realise. They don't just make games, they make development tools for Nintendo systems.

http://www.intsys.co.jp/english/index.html

EDIT: Their website hasn't updated in a couple of years it seems. Japanese pages are more up to date.

HAL and IS both make development tools. HAL has recently become more integral to assisting the development of technology though. Much more than IS.

 

[TreasureHunterG]

Any word if Nintendo:

1) Will have some of their smaller developers collaborate together on larger scale projects. Several of their smaller Japanese developers are past Square-Enix and Sega employees that worked on the Mana, Chrono Trigger, Shining, Super Mario RPG, and Dragon Quest series. They are probably too small to work on large scale projects like those on their own, but maybe if they were partnered, it would be possible. We have already seen some evidence of this with Vanpool and Good Feel assisting Alpha Dream on various Mario & Luigi titles.

2) Is looking to licence IPs from third parties and let some of their contract developers who have had pervious experience with them work on them. Some examples would be Good Feel (Castlevania, Goemon, Contra), Arzest or Prope (Sonic), Valhalla Game Studios (Ninja Gaiden, Rygar), Inticreates (Megaman), Grezzo (Mana), NDCube (Hudson IPs), etc.

That's what I'm interested to hear as well. It's a waste of talent and opportunity to confine these guys on smaller, casual and spin off projects or merely assistant partners instead of working on bigger projects. It's very frustrating to see the guys who made Secret of Mana, Shining Force, Dragon Quest, Super Mario RPG, Sonic, Ninja Gaiden and other titles of such caliber being recluded.

 

[Anth0ny]

Great thread. Here's what I'm thinking:

Now that Switch is revealed, I think it's safe to say:


Production Group 1 = Mario Kart Switch
Production Group 2 = Splatoon Switch and I'm thinking they might be working on Animal Crossing Switch as well. The Japan domination 1-2 combo.
Production Group 3 = Breath of the Wild along with Nintendo EPD Team
Production Group 4 = Pikmin Switch or possibly a new 2D Mario?
Production Group 5 = Just finished Star Fox Zero, probably nothing in the near future. I don't think they'll be making any Wii ____ titles any time soon, either.
Production Group 6-8 = Too hard to call. Could be anything. Maybe a Donkey Kong title? Yoshi?
Production Group Tokyo 1 & 2 = 3D Mario for Switch

Retro is working on something. Hopefully Metroid, but probably not Metroid.

I'd love a new Good Feel title. I can't imagine all of their resources are devoted to the 3DS port of Wooly World. A new Kirby, Zelda or something else entirely would be sweet.

Another interesting thing to note is just how long it's been for a lot of these teams since their last big title for handheld and console:

1 - Mario Kart 8 (Wii U, 2014), Mario Kart 7 (3DS, 2011)
2 - Splatoon (Wii U, 2015), Animal Crossing New Leaf (3DS, 2012)
3 - Zelda: Link Between Worlds (3DS, 2013), Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii, 2011)
4 - Super Mario Maker (Wii U, 2015), Pikmin 3 (Wii U, 2013). NSMB U and 2 were released in 2012 for Wii U and 3DS.
5 - Star Fox Zero (Wii U, 2016)
Tokyo 1/2 - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013), Super Mario 3D Land (3DS, 2011). And Captain Toad was 2014... not sure if I consider that a big game. I'm sure they were already working on the next 3D Mario during that game's development.

So, to me, the timelines line up where we could realistically see a new title from each of these teams in 2017, with the exception of maybe Production Group 5.

 

[gingerbeardman]

Star Fox Zero was outsourced to Bandai wasn't it?

 

[Neoxon]

Star Fox Zero was outsourced to Bandai wasn't it?

It was co-developed by PlatinumGames, actually.

 

[gingerbeardman]

It was co-developed by PlatinumGames, actually.

Ah, yes, that's what I meant. 😉

 

[Neoxon]

I understand how/why he got there. I also understand he forgot how to make the series that was his former claim to fame. I don't care about Wario Ware, or Tomodachi, or Rhythm Heaven or Miitomo, or whatever casual fart button game he comes up with. I care about Metroid. But it's clear that he no longer does.

 

[TheMoon]

Production Group 3 = Breath of the Wild along with Nintendo EPD Team

You do know that they are one and the same, right?

Production Group [X] refers to Nintendo EPD Production Group [X]

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Great thread. Here's what I'm thinking:

Now that Switch is revealed, I think it's safe to say:


Production Group 1 = Mario Kart Switch
Production Group 2 = Splatoon Switch and I'm thinking they might be working on Animal Crossing Switch as well. The Japan domination 1-2 combo.
Production Group 3 = Breath of the Wild along with Nintendo EPD Team
Production Group 4 = Pikmin Switch or possibly a new 2D Mario?
Production Group 5 = Just finished Star Fox Zero, probably nothing in the near future. I don't think they'll be making any Wii ____ titles any time soon, either.
Production Group 6-8 = Too hard to call. Could be anything. Maybe a Donkey Kong title? Yoshi?
Production Group Tokyo 1 & 2 = 3D Mario for Switch

Retro is working on something. Hopefully Metroid, but probably not Metroid.

I'd love a new Good Feel title. I can't imagine all of their resources are devoted to the 3DS port of Wooly World. A new Kirby, Zelda or something else entirely would be sweet

You have to give a lot of room for unpredictability because the Nintendo Land team and several other staffers were working on experimental / Project Garage like titles. We really only saw a portion of that back at E3 2014 (Splatoon, Project Guard, Project Robot, Super Mario Maker). There's a good shot a lot of it gets compiled into a premier launch party game (Wii Play, Wii Sports, Nintendo Land etc) that will really sell the console's ability to provide multiplayer gaming on the go with the joycons. Additionally, we might get 1-2 standalone new concept titles. Even if they are more on the low budget side like Steel Diver. But there's definitely going to be some surprise stuff outside of the big Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, Smash sequels and deluxe edition remasters.

 

[gingerbeardman]

When do we think the big franchises will drop? At launch? Staggered?

 

[TheDinoman]

When do we think the big franchises will drop? At launch? Staggered?

I personally feel Mario Kart (8.5) and Zelda are the most likely for launch. Smash (4.5?) is possible too but I could see it getting delayed later into the year. Splatoon's on a similar boat.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

I personally feel Mario Kart (8.5) and Zelda are the most likely for launch. Smash (4.5?) is possible too but I could see it getting delayed later into the year. Splatoon's on a similar boat.

I think Nintendo wants to leverage those expanded remasters (MK, Smash, Splat) to make sure the first crucial year gets a plethora of big polished games You also don't want to flood the launch with "ports".

Launch
- Zelda
- Mario Kart 8DX (should be first out)
- New Mini-Game Title from Wii Sports / Nintendo Land team
- Weird budget game

Summer
- Smash DX
- Splatoon DX

Fall
- 3D Mario
- Retro Studio

Add 1-2 surprise titles there.

 

[TheDinoman]

I think Nintendo wants to leverage those expanded remasters (MK, Smash, Splat) to make sure the first crucial year gets a plethora of big polished games You also don't want to flood the launch with "ports".

Launch
- Zelda
- Mario Kart 8DX (should be first out)
- New Mini-Game Title from Wii Sports / Nintendo Land team
- Weird budget game

Summer
- Smash DX
- Splatoon DX

Fall
- 3D Mario
- Retro Studio

Add 1-2 surprise titles there.

That's what I was thinking. I feel like the MK8 remaster is more likely to come to launch than Smash because they've generally had more time to add on to it. The last MK8 DLC pack came out in early 2015 while the last Smash 4 DLC pack came out early this year. The MK8 team has had a lot of time on their hands, while I'd imagine Sakurai/Bandai-Namco might need more time with Smash (depending on what they're gonna add).

 

[GamerJM]

God, there are so many teams that could be working on anything right now. Hype for Switch games reveal @_@

 

[CharminUltra]

Give me a new F-Zero PLEAAAAAAAAASEEEEEE

 

[AntMurda]

Give me a new F-Zero PLEAAAAAAAAASEEEEEE

I'd be okay with a GX HD remaster. Like really okay.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

- Looks like the next Nintendo / Vitei project is releasing by the end of 2016 (or early 2017). So it's likely one of the 3DS games announced. (Tank Troopers?)

- Animal Crossing Puzzle League is not developed by NST like i thought from my early info. But NST is working on a BIGGER IP.

- 10.31.16 - EPD Kyoto and EPD Tokyo are recruiting more industry veterans for 3D character, 3D animator, and 3D terrain modelers for their game teams. This is their third major recruitment update specifically for their pure in-house game teams this year.

 

[Eolz]

- Looks like the next Nintendo / Vitei project is releasing by the end of 2016 (or early 2017). So it's likely one of the 3DS games announced. (Tank Troopers?)

- Animal Crossing Puzzle League looks like it was contributed by NST for Nintendo EPD's Animal Crossing : New Leaf - Welcome Amiibo expansion.

- 10.31.16 - EPD Kyoto and EPD Tokyo are recruiting more industry veterans for 3D character, 3D animator, and 3D terrain modelers for their game teams. This is their third major recruitment update specifically for their pure in-house game teams this year.

Yeah Tank Troopers being made by Vitei just makes sense after the latest Steel Diver. Really looks similar in several ways.
Interesting for Puzzle League, they really need to make it come back in a better way, it's a great design.

 

[TunaLover]

Yummy at all those dream teams developing for one system.

 

[JavyOO7]

Year one is a good time to release a Pushmo Collection... Pushmo/Crashmo/Pushmo World/Strectchmo...

 

[TheMoon]

Yeah Tank Troopers being made by Vitei just makes sense after the latest Steel Diver. Really looks similar in several ways.
Interesting for Puzzle League, they really need to make it come back in a better way, it's a great design.

what doesn't make sense then is that this lacks online.

 

[Thraktor]

- Looks like the next Nintendo / Vitei project is releasing by the end of 2016 (or early 2017). So it's likely one of the 3DS games announced. (Tank Troopers?)

- Animal Crossing Puzzle League looks like it was contributed by NST for Nintendo EPD's Animal Crossing : New Leaf - Welcome Amiibo expansion.

- 10.31.16 - EPD Kyoto and EPD Tokyo are recruiting more industry veterans for 3D character, 3D animator, and 3D terrain modelers for their game teams. This is their third major recruitment update specifically for their pure in-house game teams this year.

I'm really interested by what the prospects for Animal Crossing arriving near launch on Switch are. I had been assuming that they had moved development of the Wii U version over to the Switch to use as an early showcase of the hybrid concept, cloud saves and mobile integration, and Nintendo announcing a mobile AC game for early next year seemed to confirm my beliefs.

Given how big an update New Leaf just got, though, I'm starting to wonder if a Switch version might be further off, as it would be odd to bring such a big update to a game only a few months before its successor arrives. At the same time a lot of the new content seems to have either been brought over from HHD or developed by another studio, so perhaps the actual workload required from EPD may not have been that much. They may also simply want to get people playing New Leaf again to build up interest in forthcoming Switch and mobile games.

I'll be very interested to see if it does appear at the January event, and if so what kind of mobile integration they've got planned.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Just had to redact my initial AC Puzzle League info. I mistook the info! But this project is much more substantial! Congrats NST.

 

[Thraktor]

Just had to redact my initial AC Puzzle League info. I mistook the info! But this project is much more substantial! Congrats NST.

That's interesting. How many development staff do NST have these days? I always assumed they were quite small on the game development side of things (as opposed to system software and whatever else it is they get up to).

 

[Eolz]

Just had to redact my initial AC Puzzle League info. I mistook the info! But this project is much more substantial! Congrats NST.

This is great!
They deserved better than all those years of Mario vs DK.

 

[TheMoon]

This is great!
They deserved better than all those years of Mario vs DK.

Now they got to port Mario Maker to 3DS, yay!

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Now they got to port Mario Maker to 3DS, yay!

It's a good gig. Plus they have other projects. Basically doing Monster Games' old job +.

 

[TheMoon]

It's a good gig. Plus they have other projects. Basically doing Monster Games' old job +.

If that means eventually going back to Excite/Wave/etc I'm down.

 

[Eolz]

Now they got to port Mario Maker to 3DS, yay!

You can't imagine how good it feels to take a break from a series after years and years, especially not one particularly revered. It's a port sure, but a step in the right direction.

 

[?oe?oe]

Wave Race and 1080 together in the same game, same world.

 

[sir_bumble_bee]

Given how big an update New Leaf just got, though, I'm starting to wonder if a Switch version might be further off, as it would be odd to bring such a big update to a game only a few months before its successor arrives. At the same time a lot of the new content seems to have either been brought over from HHD or developed by another studio, so perhaps the actual workload required from EPD may not have been that much. They may also simply want to get people playing New Leaf again to build up interest in forthcoming Switch and mobile games.

Adding to this, maybe New Leaf, too, will be heavily included into this AC ecosystem Nintendo seems to be building up right now?

 

[TheMoon]

Wave Race and 1080 together in the same game, same world.

I want Excite Waves 1080°

 

[maxcriden]

I want Excite Waves 1080°

Dirt'n'Surf'n'Snow for the Nintendo Stay'r'Go.

 

[J@hranimo]

I think Nintendo wants to leverage those expanded remasters (MK, Smash, Splat) to make sure the first crucial year gets a plethora of big polished games You also don't want to flood the launch with "ports".

Launch
- Zelda
- Mario Kart 8DX (should be first out)
- New Mini-Game Title from Wii Sports / Nintendo Land team
- Weird budget game

Summer
- Smash DX
- Splatoon DX

Fall
- 3D Mario
- Retro Studio

Add 1-2 surprise titles there.

This looks pretty sound. I would wonder how "weird" our budget game would be?

 

[gingerbeardman]

Wave Race and 1080 together in the same game, same world.

I want Excite Waves 1080°

Yes.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

If that means eventually going back to Excite/Wave/etc I'm down.

I'm not sure if Nintendo is enthusiastic about publishing racers anymore. But we should at least have one excite.

 

[Eolz]

I'm not sure if Nintendo is enthusiastic about publishing racers anymore. But we should at least have one excite.

I wish they were enthusiastic about another racer than Excite ahah.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Stuff I'm really excited about:

- With Mario Kart Switch being based on MK8, this leaves the MK team to work on something completely new. Before they did completely new entries for both handheld and console, this time they're building on an existing base. While this doesn't necessarily mean that they're gonna work on a different racing game, I can see them doing a new Diddy Kong Racing or F-Zero.
- Aside from Splatoon and Animal Crossing, I strongly assume Production Group 2 is gonna work on stuff that takes advantage of the local multiplayer setup and whatever hidden feature they have planned for the device. I think something like Nintendo Land would be a fantastic fit for the device.
- Breath of the Wild is obviously the big game coming from Aonuma's team but the Switch lends itself incredibly well to multiplayer Zelda, even if it has to be retooled for 2 players.
- It's gonna be super interesting to see how Intelligent Systems and Alpha Dream are gonna fare on Switch. Fire Emblem is one of their biggest franchises now so that's staying but both Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi are on the decline critically as well as commercially. Paper Jam failed at crossing over the two franchises and the new Wii U one probably won't light the charts up either. I wonder what Nintendo has planned here.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Updated with bits of into, and added Swapdoodle for Nintendo 3DS.

 

[TheMoon]

Updated with bits of into, and added Swapdoodle for Nintendo 3DS.

Chances of Headstrong being involved due to Art Academy-style lessons?

 

[AntMurda]

Hopefully we can add Wave Race to this list!

 

[WarRock]

Style Savvy is Syn Sophia, the same Syn Sophia that was known as AKI?

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Updated speculative first-party release forecast for Switch.

March - Splatoon Type - S
March - Super Mario 3D
March - New IP
May - Mario Kart 8.5R
June / July - The Zelda: Breath of the Wild
August / September - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Holiday / Q4 - Retro Studios game
Holiday / Q4 - Party game
Holiday / Q4 - Pokemon Switch

That's 9 retail games (not counting eshop exclusive titles) for hybrid's launch year. Is that enough? Will Nintendo pad it even more?

 

[Axass]

Mario Kart 8 Switch
Splatoon Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Pikmin 4
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Waverace
Super Mario Switch
Skyrim Remastered
Dragon Quest XI
Mario & Rabbids
Pokémon Stars

If even half of this stuff comes out in the first year... O_O

...and this is only the announced and heavily rumored stuff.

 

[TheMoon]

I'm not (yet) putting too much stock in that generic Wave Race trademark. Would love it to turn into something but I'm keeping it off my imaginary hype lists.

 

[AntMurda]

I'm not (yet) putting too much stock in that generic Wave Race trademark. Would love it to turn into something but I'm keeping it off my imaginary hype lists.

It's definitely a possibility for that Motorsports compilation idea. Not only did the Katsuya Eguchi mention it himself (co deputy manager of Nintendo EPD teams), but Nintendo has embraced that idea with projects like Mario Sports Superstar.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Updated. Expect massive update on Jan 12th.

 

[Waji]

Updated. Expect massive update on Jan 12th.

Really ? : P