I've been recently thinking about how a logical approach could be taken with the release of a Switch 2 and how Nintendo could give it a good first few years. I'm no professional in marketing or business (far from it), but I do still have some opinions. I feel that what the Switch 2 as a console could or should be like has perhaps been a bit over-discussed at this point, so I'd like to talk more about how it could be made successful from a business perspective. Let me know your thoughts.
Many people have been wondering lately how Nintendo can make a Switch 2 that will actually sell well, and not be another flop like the Wii U was immediately proceeding the Wii which sold like crazy. I would probably drive Nintendo straight into the ground if I was in charge with my zero experience, but here's my opinion.
If I was Nintendo I would be slowing down the release of games massively for at least a year before the Switch 2's release. They already seem to be doing this with the Switch 1, so this is a pretty obvious one. I would start by first slowing down the release of big new first-parties, and would as time goes on, slow down the release of the smaller first-parties, like Princess Peach Showtime. Whatever big first-party games weren't finished development on the Switch, I would start to transition the development of, over to the Switch 2, because a big game like a main-line Mario or big spin-off Zelda game that isn't a remake would convince many people to buy the new console if the game is exclusive to it.
I would, starting today, start printing new physical games in the Nintendo Selects line (Nintendo Selects is similar to Playstation Hits). I would also release this line on the Nintendo eShop as was done on the Wii U and 3DS (RIP). These games would be massively discounted from the original releases, for example, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom which both released for $89 AUD (Australian Dollar) would be discounted. BotW would be dropped to $29, and Tears of the Kingdom would be dropped to $59 (which is about $40 USD) due to being less than a year old at this point. The prices of all the other Selects would depend on a per-game basis with how popular it was and how "big" of a release it was.
Due to the sheer success of the Switch and the sheer amount of great games available for it that a huge amount of Switch owners want: dropping the price of the games they want while simultaneously slowing the release of new games is a great way of allowing people to focus on buying the games they never got a chance to get (especially since Nintendo was so greedy by hardly, if ever, doing permanent price drops of their games (Breath of the Wild still $90)) making it very difficult to collect for a lot of people. They will be focusing on buying the games they want, while not thinking too much about the Switch 2. So, the more people who have bought the games on their wishlists, the more willing they will be to buy the new upcoming Switch, because they will actually be able to start buying the new games for that new console, without missing out on the games they wanted on the last console (the Switch 1).
I would announce the Switch 2 in around Feb 2025 (to allow the Christmas spending shock to wear off), and launch it in September 2025. Starting now, I would semi-rarely tease tiny tidbits of details about the new console without revealing any major details, this will create a build-up of hype to the reveal. The full reveal in Feb 2025 would reveal most major aspects of the console, without explaining the nitty gritty smaller details that get the hardcore fans excited. This will cause the fans imaginations to run wild as to how each thing will work, ramp up discussion about the console, and thus cause an influx of hype in the community, greater than what a simple reveal would be capable of on its own. Tease a tiny bit of the next main-line Mario game and Metroid Prime 4.
During the months of build-up of hype between the reveal and release of the console, announce that a new Smash Bros. IS happening, but don't announce a release year yet. About 2 weeks later, announce the development of the new Animal Crossing game, while revealing that the planned release date is in 2026. Animal Crossing is the second best selling Switch game and this is a vital announcement to ramp up the excitement of future customers and fans. In mid-late July 2025, hold a Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it will be called) Presentation, similar to the January 2017 one for the OG Switch. Hold it at an actual convention and allow visitors to get to play the early version of Mario Kart 9 or mainline Mario game on the new Switch that was only JUST announced or fully revealed after previous teases, during that presentation.
Of the smaller first-party games that were previously in development for the OG Switch, but were moved onto the Switch 2; the ones that most people don't generally buy a whole new console over, like Metroid (as much as it makes me cry to say that out loud); make those games cross platform releases, but keep the huge ones like the new Mario game exclusive to the new console. If Metroid Prime 4 releases in the first year of the Switch 2's life, and it's an exclusive game to that console, many potential sales may be lost due to a large portion of the Nintendo playerbase still being on the OG Switch, including players new to the Metroid franchise who still haven't bought the new console. So in that case, release the games on both platforms. The hardcore fan will either wait to get the new Switch to buy the game, or will buy it on the OG Switch that they already own. Either way, Nintendo will make a sale on this. I would only do this for the few remaining Switch games that were already in development for the OG console, and then be done with the console (in terms of new releases), because keeping new releases on the old Switch for too long will hinder the sales of the New console.
That's my thoughts. I'm not going to try to look too far ahead. Other than that, I would say that I would personally really like the next mainline 2D Metroid game (if the next Switch releases in 2025) to release in 2026. Hopefully the console will have done well enough by that point for the new Metroid game to sell well though, because according to Nintendo, Metroid Dread was supposed to be the end of the previous story-arc about "Metroids", implying there will be more future 2D games with a new story-arc. What are your thoughts on all of this?