ShadyAcshuns
Member
My reply to you matches your tone, what are you complaining about? Offer a better argument than "well, Sony and MS do it".
Why is Nintendo still so secretive with announcements? Switch 2 feels oddly empty for the future
- Thread starter Midway-AGNC-
- Start date
Nintendo hasn't really made a habit of announcing stuff that far out recently. A lot (most?) of the big stuff during the Switch era was announced like 6-12 months before release.
The rest of the industry doesn't really do this....TGAs last night were full of games that aren't even close. FOTOR is basically preproduction, Divinity we won't see for years. We got Witcher 4 and the next ND game last year and haven't heard a peep about them since.
The rest of the industry doesn't really do this....TGAs last night were full of games that aren't even close. FOTOR is basically preproduction, Divinity we won't see for years. We got Witcher 4 and the next ND game last year and haven't heard a peep about them since.
Midway-AGNC-
Member
I'm not complaining about tone, I'm pointing out bad faith.
I've already laid out the argument multiple times and it has nothing to do with "Sony and MS good, Nintendo bad." It's about Nintendo's communication strategy, the lack of a visible roadmap, and how relying on extremes to justify silence is flawed. If your takeaway from all that is "lol sales numbers" and personal insults, then you're not engaging with the argument at all.
At that point, it stops being a discussion and starts looking like classic fanboy behavior. Any criticism gets reframed as an emotional attack on "your" company, like questioning Nintendo is the same as insulting someone's mom. If you're not interested in arguing the actual points and just want to turn this into a console war, there's really nothing productive left to say.
analog_future
Resident Crybaby
Your comment that garnered these reactions was "LOL people were excited for stuff at The Game Awards so you must be wrong".
My response is actual substantive proof (sales) showing that Nintendo is doing something right with their approach to game announcements and marketing.
You have this weird disposition of trying to rationalize your poor argument by claiming others who disagree just must be Nintendo fanboys. If you look at my actual post history, I am the opposite of that. I'm a PC gamer first and foremost and historically have barely touched Nintendo stuff. But you can't look at their sales success and general consumer interest and actually honestly claim what you're trying to claim.
tldr; your argument sucks and if anything you're the one who's burying your head in the sand and telling others to shut up when you're being proven wrong.
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bender
What time is it?
Yep. They've also released a ton of Switch 2 exclusives and Switch/Switch 2 cross generation games, so I'm not sure what the fuss is all about.
I do think we can read some tea leaves though, like the next Animal Crossing being a 2027 or beyond title with New Horizons getting an update in January.
I'm going to say Beyond cuz I think that update needs more than one year
Midway-AGNC-
Member
You're literally doing the exact thing I criticized in the OP and then acting shocked when it gets called out.
You take an extreme example and use it as a blanket justification. In your case, it's "sales prove Nintendo is right, therefore the discussion is over." That's the same binary thinking I pointed out from the start. Either announce games five years in advance or shut up and accept two-month announcements. No middle ground allowed.
And that's the flaw. Asking for a reasonable middle ground isn't some outrageous demand. It's not "I want to wait five years." It's "why does everything have to be hidden until the last possible second, even when projects are clearly far along?" Yet every time this gets questioned, the response is the same rehearsed line: sales, sales, sales. As if financial success magically invalidates any critique of strategy or communication.
Call it whatever you want, but when criticism is instantly dismissed with the same talking points and questioning that mindset is treated like heresy, that's exactly how an echo chamber works. Whether you personally identify as a Nintendo fanboy or not doesn't really matter. The reaction pattern is the same, and it perfectly illustrates the point I was making in the first place.
I'm sure they'll have some big stuff for 2026.
I don't know if it will be Mario, considering they were probably tied up with DK. But at the same time, Odyssey was announced 10 months before release.
bender
What time is it?
It wouldn't surprise me either way to be honest. They'll certainly content update the hell out of the new title like they did with New Horizons, so they could push it out the door a little sooner. Year 3 feels about the right time for a push towards a more casual audience too.
ShadyAcshuns
Member
What a hypocritical statement when you started the "personal insults" claiming we are "out of touch" over something as stupid as TGA.
Yep, and you are the one that chose that path, and now you're crying "fanboy!" when you're the one claiming "empty future" nonsense over something you don't like. Again, it's like you're arguing with your own reflection instead of anyone else here.
And here we are again, addressing your behavior instead of your stance. Do you have anything relative to say, or are you just going to play a victim and blindly meander away from discussion?
Yeah, tbh I don't want to hear about a game unless you have some gameplay to show. If you don't have that, why bother?
These cinematic trailers (or worse, when they just show us some text) just to show something is being worked on are getting ridiculous. Like yeah, we know ND is working on a game...we knew that regardless, we don't know anything additional from them showing a trailer with 0 gameplay.
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LordOcidax
Member
Nintendo has no games was not on my bingo card… 
Midway-AGNC-
Member
I said that because you did exactly what I criticized in the OP. From what I can tell, you didn't really engage with it and jumped straight into the same pre-packaged arguments I explicitly anticipated would show up. The point I raised was calling out is this recurring excuse of "so what, would you rather wait five years? then just accept it." That false dilemma is the entire issue. It frames the discussion in extremes and shuts down any attempt to talk about a reasonable middle ground.
That's precisely why I brought this up in the first place. When criticism is met with the same exaggerated fallback argument, it doesn't address the substance at all. If you actually want to discuss something meaningful, the topic is simple: Nintendo's announcement strategy and whether refusing to show a roadmap beyond a very short window is actually beneficial in the long run. Otherwise, we're just going in circles, because repeating the exact behavior already addressed in the OP doesn't move the discussion forward.
ShadyAcshuns
Member
Pretty much. I just stated that I vastly prefer a simple and quick release date without the five year wait. To each their own.
Matsuchezz
Member
they are worried that someone steal their ideas, or their stories since the games they produce offer the richest stories. after the disappointing MP4 they need to go back to brain storm new game ideas and new characters.
playbignbox
Member
I don't see a problem.
If Nintendo were announcing games with release dates far in the future, people would be complaining the same way.
We even saw people complaining about it at the Game Awards, for example, about the Mega Man game only coming out in 2027.
It's difficult to please everyone.
If Nintendo were announcing games with release dates far in the future, people would be complaining the same way.
We even saw people complaining about it at the Game Awards, for example, about the Mega Man game only coming out in 2027.
It's difficult to please everyone.
MP4 was announced 8 years before release, had a very troubled development, changed hands, and turned out to be a dud.
Why announce stuff years in advance when you don't know the quality of it. Nintendo now announces thing when they know its place and date. You mentioned a bunch of games which will come out until April.
They also have Orbitals and Duskbold coming as exclusive, and Pragmata and RE9 coming as well. The lineup is very healthy.
Why announce stuff years in advance when you don't know the quality of it. Nintendo now announces thing when they know its place and date. You mentioned a bunch of games which will come out until April.
They also have Orbitals and Duskbold coming as exclusive, and Pragmata and RE9 coming as well. The lineup is very healthy.
Bonfires Down
Member
Pokopia is one of my most anticipated games. And while I might be alone on Gaf about that, I'm sure I'm not alone among the general Nintendo player base. Fire Emblem is cool too.
Midway-AGNC-
Member
All good, I get where you're coming from. Wanting a short wait between announcement and release is totally fair.
The point of the OP was never to argue "five years vs two months" or to tell anyone what they should prefer. The whole discussion is about whether there's a reasonable middle ground between those extremes. A strategy where games aren't revealed absurdly early, but also aren't kept completely hidden until the last possible moment.
That's the question being raised here. Not personal preference, but whether Nintendo's current approach leaves room for a healthier balance that still builds confidence and anticipation without dragging things out unnecessarily.
ShadyAcshuns
Member
I think I like
Matsuchezz
idea the best, from what I've seen in the thread. Sony is notorious for copying Nintendo, so they likely keep their ideas under wraps as long as possible to keep their edge since PlayStation has a very large advantage in tech.
Durin
Member
Yep, I'm kinda past investing early in hardware where there is only a 1-2 games I'm even interested in.
Especially with the economy now, and my backlog of other things to play anyway.
Nintendo could also do better if they let me buy their older games ala carte vs a persistent sub service, and if more previous gen games just got enhanced for free like Playstation/Xbox.
EverydayBeast
ChatShitGPT Alpha 0.001
It's an interesting take, Zelda will likely come, smash bros more or less.
Midway-AGNC-
Member
Here's the thing though: what about the games that are already clearly one year or less from being finished? What's the actual downside of announcing those now? At that stage, scope is locked, quality is known internally, and the risk of a MP4-style reset is basically nonexistent.
That's why leaning so heavily on Metroid Prime 4 as justification is a weak argument. MP4 was an extreme outlier, with a full development reboot. Using that one case to justify near-total secrecy across the board is overcorrecting. Every publisher has troubled projects, but they don't design their entire communication strategy around the worst-case scenario.
Nobody is asking Nintendo to announce games years in advance with nothing but a logo. The question is why even late-stage, high-confidence projects stay hidden until the last possible moment. Pointing to MP4 doesn't really answer that, it just circles back to the same extreme example while avoiding the actual middle-ground being discussed.
I've been okay with the heavy hitters in launch year. Let's be honest, Nintendo is coasting this year and doesn't need to do a lot It's selling well, the competition is what it is. Why shoot your best shots this year? there is no need. I also admire they announcement windows, pretty short.
I think this year is a transition year from Switch to S2 for them, gloves come off next year.
I think this year is a transition year from Switch to S2 for them, gloves come off next year.
FoxMcChief
Gold Member
It's the weekend alright.
Hero_Select
Member
They released more games this year than most publishers and have a fair few games lined up already for the first half of 2026.
What more do you want?
There will be a direct around February to fill out the rest of the year.
What more do you want?
There will be a direct around February to fill out the rest of the year.
Midway-AGNC-
Member
Yes, some people complained about Mega Man being dated for 2027. That's one outlier. Meanwhile, the vast majority of announcements at TGA were received positively, even when the games were clearly not coming out anytime soon. Those reveals didn't kill hype, they created it and gave people a sense of what's ahead. What you're doing here is the same logic behind Metroid Prime 4: taking a worst-case scenario and using it to justify an entire strategy. That's not a realistic way to evaluate things and that's exactly the middle-ground criticism that keeps getting brushed aside.
What more do I want? For you to actually read the OP and realize that what you're arguing has absolutely nothing to do with what I'm discussing.
This isn't about release volume, whether a Direct is coming, or if Nintendo can "fill out the year." It's about the communication strategy itself and the constant refusal to acknowledge a middle ground. Responding with talking points that were already addressed from the start just keeps missing the point entirely.
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Sakura
Member
What exactly is a reasonable middle ground?
Not all of Nintendo's announcements are 2 months or whatever before release. Tomodachi Collection for example was announced in March and is out Q2 next year. Is that not good enough?
But that's what Nintendo does, announced things 1 year in advance tops. What's your argument?
And to your point of communication. Since showing off the Switch 2, Nintendo has done a MKW Direct, DKB Direct, 2 Kirby Air Riders Directs, Indie World, Another September Direct and a Partner Showcase.
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You know there's a new Zelda coming. You know there's the next Xenoblade, and so on. Nintendo will announce things on their schedule.
This whole thing basically boils things down to you want things revealed on your preferred time table. Doesn't work that way.
Take a look at how a 3 minute spot at TGA costs over a million dollars. A game's reveal is a carefully planned financial asset worth millions of dollars. Rockstar likely wasn't planning to reveal the GTA6 trailer so early - the leak forced their hand. And now they've had to delay and delay.
So yeah, multimillion dollar decisions. I'm sure these companies have internal models and data for why they follow the reveal strategies that they do
This whole thing basically boils things down to you want things revealed on your preferred time table. Doesn't work that way.
Take a look at how a 3 minute spot at TGA costs over a million dollars. A game's reveal is a carefully planned financial asset worth millions of dollars. Rockstar likely wasn't planning to reveal the GTA6 trailer so early - the leak forced their hand. And now they've had to delay and delay.
So yeah, multimillion dollar decisions. I'm sure these companies have internal models and data for why they follow the reveal strategies that they do
Midway-AGNC-
Member
That's simply not true, and that's exactly the problem with your framing.
You're talking as if Nintendo announcing games one year in advance is some established norm, when in reality it isn't. In most cases, Nintendo announces its games only a few months before release, and in many instances they're outright shadow dropped. This isn't speculation, it's a well-documented pattern at this point.
If one-year-ahead announcements were actually standard for Nintendo, we would already have a much clearer view of 2026 right now. We don't. The fact that we've had multiple Directs doesn't change that, because the overwhelming focus has been on near-term releases and immediate drops. Those presentations reinforce the short-term strategy rather than contradict it.
So minimizing this by pretending Nintendo regularly announces games a year out just doesn't hold up. The whole discussion exists precisely because their announcement window is usually much shorter than that, and people are actively trying to normalize it instead of questioning whether it's actually the best approach.
I've already answered that multiple times in this thread to different posters. Please read the replies before.
LavitzSlambert
Member
Nintendo's marketing strategy is to primarily focus on games releasing in the next couple months. They want you to buy what they're selling now, and then to buy what they tell you to next.
Vaquilla
Member
I mean, personally as a Switch 2 owner I'd really like it if they announced some more stuff, so I have more to look forward to and get hyped for.
I don't think they really need to though, Switch 2 is off to a strong start and for the moment the current lineup seems sufficient, plus the dangled carrot of stuff like Pokémon Pokopia, Splatoon Raiders, FF7R, RE Requiem, Pragmata, coming next year.
For the moment it's probably just best to focus on the near term rather than worrying too much about what's coming 6, 9, 12 months from now. Less frustrating that way.
I don't think they really need to though, Switch 2 is off to a strong start and for the moment the current lineup seems sufficient, plus the dangled carrot of stuff like Pokémon Pokopia, Splatoon Raiders, FF7R, RE Requiem, Pragmata, coming next year.
For the moment it's probably just best to focus on the near term rather than worrying too much about what's coming 6, 9, 12 months from now. Less frustrating that way.
Midway-AGNC-
Member
I wouldn't see any problem at all waiting for more games later in 2026 if I already knew there were things on the way earlier. Quite the opposite, actually. It would give me more confidence knowing that the games I'm interested in are coming and that 2026 is already accounted for, instead of everything being kept vague until the last minute.
Vaquilla
Member
I feel the same way actually, but for my personal sanity I've just had to accept that nowadays it's best to think short term when it comes to Nintendo software.
There's almost always a February Direct that announces what's coming up up til August or so, best to just stay tuned for that.
Chukhopops
Member
People worry way too much about objective lists when the question should be "is there enough stuff I care about?"
When I look at Switch 2 next year I see as clear purchases:
- Ys X: Proud Nordics
- Fire Emblem
- Pokopia
- Binding of Isaac: Repentance +
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
Then there are lots of maybes between Monster Hunter Stories 3, Witchbrook, Rythm Heaven Groove, Requiem, Pragmata.
No one is getting hungry next year.
When I look at Switch 2 next year I see as clear purchases:
- Ys X: Proud Nordics
- Fire Emblem
- Pokopia
- Binding of Isaac: Repentance +
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
Then there are lots of maybes between Monster Hunter Stories 3, Witchbrook, Rythm Heaven Groove, Requiem, Pragmata.
No one is getting hungry next year.
![L*][*N*K](/data/avatars/m/842/842515.jpg?1756724107){kind=avatar}
Sakura
Member
I read all of your posts (unfortunately).
You keep talking about them announcing games only immediately before release or 6 months max.
This isn't true. They do announce games longer before release. Pokemon ZA was announced in Feb 2024. Tomodachi collection in March this year. Fire Emblem as well could very easily be a year out. How long before release was Tears of the Kingdom announced?
Some games they announce well before release, some games just a few months before.
You say you want a middle ground, so what is your middle ground when they already do announce games 1+ year out?
You want every single game to be announced years in advance?
HerjansEagleFeeder
Member
Isn't this the exact state of Nintendo ever since the Wii days were gone? Their primary audience doesn't care.
Ar¢tos
Member
They had devkits for random dudes to make a bonfire chat game and some other unknown indie devs to make their unity games, but ran out when it came to Activision or EA?!?
Nobody believes that shit.
Most likely these big studios don't see a justification to make SW2 ports yet, because the install base is not big enough and/or the percentage of the install base that might be interested in the games is not big enough to make it profitable.
WhiteWaterM00se
Member
Personally, I believe you already know most of Nintendo's 2026 lineup: (as OP listed)
1.) Zelda port or remake
2.) Pokemon next gen or collection?
3.) Smash Deluxe or 3d Mario or Switch Sports 2! (Next year is Wii anniversary)
Wildcard: starfox (not kidding)
Also remember Duskbloods in coming. (I wouldn't be surprised if it is held until 2027)!
Pokemon champions is coming.
COD is coming.
And yes, GTA VI is coming. Probably not day and date. But yes, you will get it.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Jan 15, 2026)
- Mario Tennis Fever (Feb 12, 2026)
- Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave (2026)
- Splatoon Raiders (TBA)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park(2026)
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (2026)
- Pokotopia
- Tomadachi Life
- Rhythm Heaven
1.) Zelda port or remake
2.) Pokemon next gen or collection?
3.) Smash Deluxe or 3d Mario or Switch Sports 2! (Next year is Wii anniversary)
Wildcard: starfox (not kidding)
Also remember Duskbloods in coming. (I wouldn't be surprised if it is held until 2027)!
Pokemon champions is coming.
COD is coming.
And yes, GTA VI is coming. Probably not day and date. But yes, you will get it.
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MatrixReloaded101
Member
The news cycle moves faster now, it doesn't make a lot of sense to talk about games that have a far out release date because that news will be quickly forgotten.
No one is going to rush out to buy a switch 2 right now because a new 3D Mario game is releasing in 2 years. They have to give people reasons to buy now so they focus on games that will release sooner.
KungFucius
King Snowflake
Me too. I say, DK was developed in parallel and pretty much done 2 + years ago. And that they are still going to tie it in with the movie, even though Galaxy 1 & 2 just dropped and Yoshi isn't really Mario adjacent anymore. Pretty rational right?
I also tell myself a 3D Zelda is only 3 years out and preceded by a TOoT and a LttP remake.
Finally I am convince Monolith has something big for next holiday.
The reality is that either Nintendo has a lot of stuff banked since the Switch lasted so long and they are just putting out cash grabs now for people eager to load their Switch 2 with content or they stretched themselves to do well in the Switch 1 era but are now struggling to make games that are actually Switch 2 caliber so they only managed to put out 1 real next gen game so far.
Switch 1 had so many great early games because the WiiU failed and there was incentive to hold in development games back. Now it appears that they put a lot of resources into making small DLCs for Switch 1 games instead of making something new. Maybe that was what they banked. These upgrade content packs could have been something they let teams do immediately after finishing the Switch 1 games before moving on to a longer term project. It seems like a smart move money wise, but it is kind of a shitty thing to do to their fans. I mean sure I will buy some of these packs because they should be cool to play with my kids, but we'd much rather have a new full game 6 months sooner or whatever.
KungFucius
King Snowflake
This isn't true. The promise of a big game with some info adds to the likelihood that a fan will pick up a system sooner rather than later. 2 years is kinda long, but we know nothing of Summer 2026 or no hint of what will be available next fall.
If you want to buy the system to play 3D Mario and you have no idea when it is out, your interest in buying it is low until you see more about 3D Mario. When you see a teaser of 3D Mario, you might then look at DK as another reason to get a Switch 2 and get it earlier, or you may look back at Odyssey or 3D world and say, I want to replay that in 4k. It's not going to make people buy the system, but it increases the chance of an impulse buy and when you are talking about 140 Million Switch 1 owners who have yet to buy a Switch 2, small chances can add up to a lot of sales.