By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - From its reported backstory, it seems like Nobody 1-2-Switch.
Do you remember Nintendo's Nintendo Switch launch title 1-2-Switch? Not that many people bought it for a casual launch title that was supposed to prove the value of the console and its new control scheme. Even Nintendo Land on the Wii U sold 5.21 million copies versus 1-2-Switch (3.63 million at my last count), despite the Switch outselling the Wii U nearly 10:1. (Note: Nintendo Land was bundled with the Wii U for a limited time in limited circumstances, while 1-2-Switch was not. 1-2-Switch was also $50, while for some time, Nintendo Land MSRP'd at $60 but later $30.)
While 1-2-Switch didn't sell as much as Nintendo might have wanted, and its critical and fan reception was severely negative, someone at Nintendo apparently thought they oughta make a sequel. And so... Everybody 1-2-Switch. But it was announced in... a tweet. Not even a trailer or anything, and it's a tweet that omits any details on what the game is:
#Everybody12Switch is coming to #NintendoSwitch on 6/30.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 2, 2023
Pre-order now: https://t.co/Z2OfGsMa1M pic.twitter.com/5Wm9WLsDpG
The nintendo.com page is abysmal. Besides that key art, this is the only photo, which isn't very informative or enticing at all:
 |
| No game screenshots or trailer. But multiple Nintendo employees agreed this single image would help sell the game to... everybody? |
The game features Joy-Con controllers... “or smart devices”. Or smart devices? Mobile phones? What do you mean or? The disclaimer text states that “Certain games only available in Joy-Con mode.” But it also states, “Certain games only available in smart device mode. Players must be in the same room to play.” What is the point of getting a Nintendo Switch game if you sometimes don't even use Nintendo Switch controllers for it? If 1-2-Switch was a poor attempt at trying to showcase the Joy-Con controllers (and the original's product page actually says as much), the sequel is there to... uh... just abandon those sometimes? Why buy and play this on a Nintendo Switch at all? Why not buy another party game on the PC? The value proposition is unclear and doesn't make sense.
It's almost as if Nintendo's marketing department is purposefully sabotaging Everybody 1-2-Switch. It reminds me of Electronic Arts and their depressed launch article about FIFA 23 Legacy Edition for Nintendo Switch, except this is a first-party game and not by a third-party publisher that hates Nintendo.
According to reporting by Imran Khan (then) of Fanbyte from June 2022, Nintendo has been sitting on Everybody 1-2-Switch for a while, but its playtesters despised it. The fact that Fanbyte knew the title of the game was Everybodoy 1-2-Switch a year before Nintendo publicly announced this game's existence (for release at the end of the month) lends enormous credibility to the article, so I'm going to take the report as very accurate. They also accurately reported on the weird horse mascot
According to Fanbyte's sources, Nintendo wanted Everybody 1-2-Switch to be like a family-friendly version of the Jackbox Party Pack games at parties. (Except local multiplayer only, I guess.) But the games were allegedly so bad in quality that Nintendo employees were worried that releasing the game as-is would “damage the company's reputation as a great software developer.” Nintendo arrogantly began the manufacturing process anyway.
And... now this game is announced instead of quietly cancelled forever. Maybe they have improved the game since so it won't damage Nintendo's reputation. But probably not, if they aren't trying to actually market it. I liked the one anonymous suggestion in the Fanbyte article about making Everybody 1-2-Switch available for free to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. That might have gotten millions of people to try it. But now? Nobody is going to buy and play this. ...Right?
Ludwig might look silly if millions of people do, in fact, buy Everybody 1-2-Switch and the game is a success, but he isn't sure how that should be a possible outcome. Not many people should even know this exists, and what little “marketing” is out there is sabotaging the game. Plus, there are SO many better things you can buy on the Nintendo Switch right now, even at equal or less expensive prices. One of those games is releasing on the very same June 30, 2023 release date, too.
Feels like they had this game half completed on the shelf and said "eh, June doesn't have a whole lot and we just released the Zelda so lets throw this out too". Not looking forward to it, but it does say 'Switch' and 'Two' in the title, could this be a clue? Hey, I could be a real reporter don't'cha think? Nintendo land was a very fun game with multiple unique things to do, 1-2-Switch was certainly unique but there really wasn't too much to do. Had it come out later in the switch's lifespan i think they would have added a lot more to it, so having said that this new game could have the potential to be really really good. Buuuuuuuuuuuuut, i doubt it.
ReplyDelete"Had it come out later in the switch's lifespan i think they would have added a lot more to it,"
DeleteWell, this sequel is Nintendo's chance to demonstrate what might happen in that alternate timeline.
"Real reporters" look for use of the word "Pro" and not "2"... I think. I wouldn't know, I'm a fraud.
Switch pro sounds like an upgrade not a new console, but I guess the same thing was said about the Wii U
DeleteAlthough it didn’t sell so well because of that fact, so maybe Nintendo learned somthing?
DeleteMaaaaybe they learned something but then you see Everybody 1-2-Switch...
DeleteThe next console should have different branding, most likely because the Switch refers to new and innovative product functionality (they wanted you to switch between docking and handheld modes mid-play). The next console will have its own functionality. ...Probably.