Support NeoGAF

[WordAssassin]

If this hold up, then 2018 is gonna have

Kirby
Yoshi
Pikmin 4
Metroid Prime 4
Pokemon
Fire Emblem

and if they space them out in 2018 like they did this year that's 6 months covered and that is a crazy lineup. Then add in the rumored Mario Maker DX and Smash Bros DX and 2018 could be another ruthless year from Nintendo goddamn O_O

Edit: Shit just caught the update. I still think one of them could make it next year, probably not Pokemon. We have no idea when Prime 4 started development or how far along it is, just that Nintendo typically doesn't like to show off games that won't be releasing within a year of their reveal (plus obviously they were afraid people would shit and riot if Metroid was announced for 3DS and not Switch)

 

[ksamedi]

Didnt they say that they wanted to make a new Metroid game at e3 2015? I believe Tabata said if they started now, that it would tak 3 years. Maybe that was 2016 I dont really remember but I could see a holiday release in 2018.

 

[budpikmin]

That would be amazing if it's true but I don't believe it. A HD prime from a new team will take a long time cooking and we've got a new Pokemon this year. Do Pokémon games ever get releases that close to each other?

 

[WordAssassin]

That would be amazing if it's true but I don't believe it. A HD prime from a new team will take a long time cooking and we've got a new Pokemon this yea. Do Pokémon games ever get releases that close to each other?

A year apart? Yeah, we're witnessing it right now with Sun/Moon (2016) and UltraSun/UltraMoon (2017)

Though I kind of wonder if maybe Nintendo is putting pressure on GF to step the fuck up and put out a Switch game instead of dragging ass on old hardware like they usually do.

 

[Charles Brandon]

Then why did they show off Zelda a couple years from release? And xenoblade chronicles x and star Fox zero?

Who the fuck knows why they do the things they do?

.

 

[reelbigtink]

Hey, everybody doubted them with Xenoblade 2 and they're sticking to 2017. I'm willing to believe them for now since they've got the extra manpower after being able to shift some 3DS development to the Switch side.

 

[Spy]

Just give me Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros., and the Virtual Console service (preferably this year) along with those games and I'm good.

 

[Mister Wolf]

MP4 is 2-3 years into development, then why was their only reveal a repurposed Metroid Prime 3 logo? They can't even do a teaser on a game that's 12-18 months from release?

Why would they bother showing it when they can do that at next E3 and tell you its coming out in the fall like they did this year with Mario rabbids, odyssey, xenoblade 2, and remake Metroid 2 remake. The leadership at Nintendo are handling the revealing of their games properly. Credit to bethesda for doing the same as well.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Makes Next Level Games even more likely: by then it's three years since they've finished MPFF.

They finished it a year before they released it? It released in the second half of 2016

 

[border]

They wanted to focus on Mario Odyssey?

Why would a 30-60 second teaser somehow distract from Mario Odyssey?

Why would they bother showing it when they can do that at next E3 and tell you its coming out in the fall like they did this year with Mario rabbids, odyssey, xenoblade 2, and remake Metroid 2 remake. The leadership at Nintendo are handling the revealing of their games properly. Credit to bethesda for doing the same as well.

Bethesda showed off only 2017 games. Nintendo announced four games that are not releasing in 2017. 2 of them had trailers, 2 of them cannot commit to a 2018 release date.

They want to be like Bethesda, but can't really seem to resist showing far-off material. The Pokemon announcement really just seemed like hasty damage control in response to all the negative reactions to the Pokemon Direct.

 

[Soapbox Killer]

I shouldn't believe them but Mario and Xenoblade 2 makes me think a strong possible.

 

[darkistheway]

What if they use Unreal Engine 4?

What if they started developing it in 2015?

 

[budpikmin]

A year apart? Yeah, we're witnessing it right now with Sun/Moon (2016) and UltraSun/UltraMoon (2017)

Though I kind of wonder if maybe Nintendo is putting pressure on GF to step the fuck up and put out a Switch game instead of dragging ass on old hardware like they usually do.

Just had a look at the gaps between previous releases. Focusing specifically on the jump from DS to 3DS.

Black and white (DS): September 2010
Black and white 2 (DS): June 2012
X and Y (3DS): October 2013

I find it odd that the gap between Black and White 2 and X and Y is shorter than the gap between Black and White 1 and Black and White 2.

Y'know. This might actually be possible.

 

[Exterminieren]

What tells you this particular generation will be short?

There was only two Mythical Pokémon in Sun and Moon's code, both of whom have already been revealed (Magearna and Marshadow). With the exception of 2011, when they revealed the first Black and White Mythical (Victini) early for the sake of a launch-day giveaway, there hasn't been a single year since the franchise started where they haven't unveiled a brand new Pokémon of some description, and when they run out of Mythical Pokémon for one generation, they get right on with revealing the next lot. I can almost guarantee that you see a Gen VIII Pokémon of some kind next year, and it's been over a decade since they revealed a new generation's first Pokémon more than a year before their games come out.

They are only 30 episodes into Sun & Moon and Ash only has 4 pokemon on his team at the moment. There are approximately 50 episodes in a year. You think by this time next year, when they will be about 80 episodes in they will have already announced a new generation. Nah.

30 episodes into X and Y, Ash only had 3 Pokémon. Getting 4 this early IS an accelerated pace.

All these points about the progression of the Sun and Moon anime also ignore the radically different structure that this series in comparison to previous generations. Ash is not traveling through the region in a linear fashion, like he has in previous series; he's spending most plot-irrelevant episodes at a school on Melemele Island. There's absolutely no reason to believe that he'll spend as much time on Akala as he has on Melemele; indeed, the series will almost certainly be back there after Akala Island is dealt with for more slice-of-life stuff. It's not building up to a league, and he's not going on a journey- it would be an incredibly easy thing to accelerate the progression of the Sun and Moon anime in a way that simply wouldn't have been possible for any previous anime. In any case, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Akala Island had been dealt with and Olivia beaten in the anime within a year of it starting, making another year to finish it all off perfectly possible.

Also if Sun & Moon happened to be shorter than previous generation (we've received no indication of that) then it wouldn't 1 year short. Look at the history of Pokemon and how they operate, when was the last time there was anything less than 3 years between a generation?

Pokémon never released direct numbered sequels to its games... until it did. Pokémon never skipped third versions... until it did. Patterns don't have a great deal of meaning any more.

 

[Nategc20]

I like how people are saying "but but, no footage?" Nintendo can easily drop a Nintendo Direct like a Beyoncé album from now to after Mario Odyssey release date. Easily.

 

[FleetingFlowAir]

I don't believe them in Prime 4.

But at the same time, we doubted Xenoblade 2 would be this holiday outside of Japan.

I'll still go with doubt.

 

[Opa-Pa]

Why not? We don't know how long it is in development.

That they showed no gameplay in the e3 trailer does not mean they couldn't. Most likely they wanted to announce it for Switch to avoid a backlash when they only announce the 3DS game.

Reggie had an interview where he specifically talked about how for Prime 4 they felt it was right to announce it early to assure fans that it's happening, and that showing stuff so early isn't what they do most of the time, but thought it was the best thing to do in Prime 4's case.

That pretty much screams "It's barely made it past pre-production" to me. And they haven't even presented this "talented new team" behind the game in society yet, so I'm skeptical.

As for Pokemon, well, GF is slow (which is fine).

 

[JustenP88]

I like how people are saying "but but, no footage?" Nintendo can easily drop a Nintendo Direct like a Beyoncé album from now to after Mario Odyssey release date. Easily.

Plus, anything they're going to release next year, outside of Kirby and Yoshi also has "but but, no footage." I don't know where the expectation was set that we have already seen gameplay of everything coming out in the next 18 months.

 

[border]

Reggie on Why Nintendo Revealed Metroid Prime 4 So Early In Development

“You know, for us, we believe that having hands-on opportunity married to an announcement is really the best way to do it,” Fils-Aime told IGN. “And so let’s take Super Mario Odyssey for example. We could have announced it months ago, but we weren’t yet ready, the team wasn’t ready, to show it and to let the consumer really understand visually how the hat mechanic works, how the capture mechanic comes into play. And so that’s how we think these through.”

“For certain games, games that will be in development for, let’s call it a decent amount of time, like Metroid Prime 4 -- also, given that it’s a franchise that we know people have been very eager to get some news -- that’s when, fine, we’ll share it. We’ll share it early,” Fils-Aime added. “Others, we want to hold closer in and reveal it when the gameplay is going to be available. It literally is game by game, title by title, how we make that decision.”

Yeah, that does not exactly sound like the game is too far along.

 

[Liliana Eileen]

I like how people are saying "but but, no footage?" Nintendo can easily drop a Nintendo Direct like a Beyoncé album from now to after Mario Odyssey release date. Easily.

Yup. People doubting Nintendo but they've been magnificent thus far with the Switch.

 

[Opa-Pa]

Yeah that's the interview I was talking about. It's pretty clear that the Prime 4 teaser was basically Federation Force damage control, and honestly Pokemon was kind of the same.

 

[falconxcrunner09]

Willing to icon bet Metroid Prime 4 doesn't hit 2018. No way in hell.

 

[Liliana Eileen]

Willing to icon bet Metroid Prime 4 doesn't hit 2018. No way in hell.

And if it does?

 

[Exterminieren]

They basically never show off Pokémon games more than six months in advance any more, with the exception of the X&Y Direct. I would expect to wait until May next year to get any substantial glimpse of a new, non-USUM game if any kind- footage this far in advance would have been unprecedented, particularly with 3DS games still on the way.

 

[Wandering Robot]

I want it to be true, but I'll expect the worst to protect myself.

 

[Jorok Goldblade]

If this hold up, then 2018 is gonna have

Kirby
Yoshi
Pikmin 4
Metroid Prime 4
Pokemon
Fire Emblem

and if they space them out in 2018 like they did this year that's 6 months covered and that is a crazy lineup. Then add in the rumored Mario Maker DX and Smash Bros DX and 2018 could be another ruthless year from Nintendo goddamn O_O

Edit: Shit just caught the update. I still think one of them could make it next year, probably not Pokemon. We have no idea when Prime 4 started development or how far along it is, just that Nintendo typically doesn't like to show off games that won't be releasing within a year of their reveal (plus obviously they were afraid people would shit and riot if Metroid was announced for 3DS and not Switch)

Not only that, but Retro's about four years into whatever it is they're making at this point.

 

[Espada]

Metroid Prime 4? Next year? Bullshit. If that game is a AAA effort for the Switch and taking into account the average development time for modern HD games, I really doubt it.

Pokemon on Switch next year is far more believable. GameFreak has had periods in the past where they put out a game a year. IIRC 2008 was Platinum, 2009 was HG/SS, 2010 was Black and White.

If this is the rumored Pokemon Stars, it might be an upgraded Ultra Sun/Moon. As we've seen they definitely have higher quality assets on hand, the game looks excellent when rendered at a higher resolution with some anti-aliasing. And since it's not a brand new game the turnaround on it would be faster than a title from scratch.

Oh, and I definitely agree that this pokemon generation will be a brief one.

 

[Hero]

Reggie on Why Nintendo Revealed Metroid Prime 4 So Early In Development

“You know, for us, we believe that having hands-on opportunity married to an announcement is really the best way to do it,” Fils-Aime told IGN. “And so let’s take Super Mario Odyssey for example. We could have announced it months ago, but we weren’t yet ready, the team wasn’t ready, to show it and to let the consumer really understand visually how the hat mechanic works, how the capture mechanic comes into play. And so that’s how we think these through.”

“For certain games, games that will be in development for, let’s call it a decent amount of time, like Metroid Prime 4 -- also, given that it’s a franchise that we know people have been very eager to get some news -- that’s when, fine, we’ll share it. We’ll share it early,” Fils-Aime added. “Others, we want to hold closer in and reveal it when the gameplay is going to be available. It literally is game by game, title by title, how we make that decision.”

Yeah, that does not exactly sound like the game is too far along.

So Mario Odyssey, ARMS, Splatoon 2, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were all first shown in January and are coming out this year, but MP4 is out of the realm of possibility for 2018?

Give me a break.

 

[ghostwritingduck]

MP4 is 2-3 years into development, then why was their only reveal a repurposed Metroid Prime 3 logo? They can't even do a teaser on a game that's 12-18 months from release?

Nintendo refused to discuss Switch at last year's E3 and the thing released in March the following year. Nintendo shows things when they want to.

 

[falconxcrunner09]

And if it does?

Then I lose!

 

[-Horizon-]

All of that in 2018?

Yo, I think we're slowly working ourselves back onto the best timeline.

 

[Opa-Pa]

So Mario Odyssey, ARMS, Splatoon 2, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were all first shown in January and are coming out this year, but MP4 is out of the realm of possibility for 2018?

Give me a break.

They were all shown with actual footage and didn't have Reggie saying they showed them off particularly early, yes.

 

[SalvaPot]

The only way Prime 4 is happening next year if its been in development since the Wii U days or its rushed and they get extra help like with Star Fox Zero.

Pokemon could happen if they are recycling a lot of the assets from Sun/Moon.

 

[BassForever]

Yall are right, and xenoblade 2 is for sure a 2018 game, no way that makes 2017, especially not worldwide

Wait

 

[border]

So Mario Odyssey, ARMS, Splatoon 2, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were all first shown in January and are coming out this year, but MP4 is out of the realm of possibility for 2018?

Give me a break.

When did I say that MP4 in 2018 was "out of the realm of possibility"? Give me a break.

Reggie's quote already explains why sometimes they reveal games early, and sometimes they wait until a game is nearly finished. I don't see what the point is in comparing MP4 to titles that they couldn't even reveal until the hardware was unveiled.

 

[Sevyne]

Next year's E3 show floor for Nintendo should be Metroid themed. Will probably be Pokemon themed, but I can dream.

 

[phanphare]

They were all shown with actual footage and didn't have Reggie saying they showed them off particularly early, yes.

fwiw they showed this in January and we still haven't seen footage of it yet

 

[JustenP88]

Reggie on Why Nintendo Revealed Metroid Prime 4 So Early In Development

“You know, for us, we believe that having hands-on opportunity married to an announcement is really the best way to do it,” Fils-Aime told IGN. “And so let’s take Super Mario Odyssey for example. We could have announced it months ago, but we weren’t yet ready, the team wasn’t ready, to show it and to let the consumer really understand visually how the hat mechanic works, how the capture mechanic comes into play. And so that’s how we think these through.”

“For certain games, games that will be in development for, let’s call it a decent amount of time, like Metroid Prime 4 -- also, given that it’s a franchise that we know people have been very eager to get some news -- that’s when, fine, we’ll share it. We’ll share it early,” Fils-Aime added. “Others, we want to hold closer in and reveal it when the gameplay is going to be available. It literally is game by game, title by title, how we make that decision.”

Yeah, that does not exactly sound like the game is too far along.

I mean, he refers to "months ago" as too early to show Mario Odyssey... We saw Odyssey gameplay for the first time 4 months before its release. I'm fairly certain that Splatoon and Pokken both went less than 12 months between reveal and release on WiiU. Outside of BotW, ~18 months between announce and release does seem pretty early for Nintendo given the recent history that I can recall.

 

[Neoxon]

http://gonintendo.com/stories/283466-nintendo-pegs-metroid-prime-4-pokemon-switch-for-2018-update

A Nintendo rep reached out to us with the following statement.

No change in what we announced last week, which is that those two games are coming, but they have no specifically announced release window/year.

Just wanted to quote this in case anyone missed it.

 

[Opa-Pa]

fwiw they showed this in January and we still haven't seen footage of it yet

But they mentioned the planned release window in its first reveal either way.

With Prime 4 they only showed a teaser with no release window, then Reggie uses it as an example of games that they deem necessary to reveal early in their development, and now suddenly it's supposed to launch next year. I find it hard to believe unless they plan to rush it hard.

 

[The Giant]

As expected. MP4 and Pokemon will be their big switch games for the 2nd half of 2018.

 

[Quasar]

Didn't they say more than a year off in the direct anyway doesn't sound like 2018 to me

Well that could just mean 2nd half of 2018.

 

[maxcriden]

Yoshi's Woolly World was finished in early 2015, the 3DS port in October 2016. They also had some smaller Streetpass projects in-between, but I could see that launch in February or so.

HAL has the two small 3DS eShop Kirby games, which were finished last year and launched in April or will launch this summer. They also have some multiplayer Kirby fighter which will launch on 3DS later this year, but which we haven't seen. But here it also looks like the team has moved on since Planet Robobot.

Nintendo doesn't have anything else announced for Q1 yet, and I would be surprised if Fire Emblem launched before these games.

Do we know what the experimental Kirby team is up to? Like, Mass Attack and Rainbow Curse? Is that the eShop peeps at HAL?

Anyway, I see what you mean. Thank you. I don't want to get my hopes up but I'll inch them up a bit because I read your posts and I know you are right about these things.

 

[TechOne]

Heh.. Just like BOTW releasing in 2015.

 

[Hero]

They were all shown with actual footage and didn't have Reggie saying they showed them off particularly early, yes.

Do you think it makes strategic sense to show off an HD Switch game that isn't going to come until (at earliest) next year when they want you to buy the 3DS game in the series? This applies to both MP4 and Pokemon Switch. You guys act like footage accounts for much, when we have games from other developers/publishers like Sea of Thieves, Cuphead, Crackdown 3, etc that have had "actual footage" for years through multiple E3s and still aren't out.

When did I say that MP4 in 2018 was "out of the realm of possibility"? Give me a break.

Reggie's quote already explains why sometimes they reveal games early, and sometimes they wait until a game is nearly finished. I don't see what the point is in comparing MP4 to titles that they couldn't even reveal until the hardware was unveiled.

What strategic sense does it make to show off footage of a game that's over a year away when they want you to buy all those games I mentioned that are coming out in the near future?

 

[kc44135]

Ehh, Pokemon? It might depend on how ambitious the game truly is on Switch, but if it's just the same old Pokemon in HD? Yeah, I could see that hitting in 2018.

Metroid Prime 4 in 2018? Lol, sure Nintendo.

 

[phanphare]

But they mentioned the planned release window in its first reveal either way.

With Prime 4 they only showed a teaser with no release window, then Reggie uses it as an example of games that they deem necessary to reveal early in their development, and now suddenly it's supposed to launch next year. I find it hard to believe unless they plan to rush it hard.

yeah I don't necessarily believe it'll release next year I just keep seeing people bring up the fact that Metroid Prime 4 was just revealed with a logo as evidence that it's not coming in 2018

hell, that Fire Emblem game doesn't even have a title yet

 

[Josh7289]

Sorry but if it's not coming from the top I'm basically skeptical of any statements about release schedules like this, and I think you should be too.

 

[ResidentWeevil13]

I'll believe it when i see it

.

 

[zelas]

What strategic sense does it make to show off footage of a game that's over a year away when they want you to buy all those games I mentioned that are coming out in the near future?

"I'm not going to buy any games releasing next year because I bought a game this year."

Funny how the consensus wasn't that people were passing on Mario Kart, Splatoon or Mario Maker because BotW was coming. God forbid a company with a spotty record, when it comes to providing a steady stream of releases after year one, give good reasons for fans to be excited about what they have down the line.