nintendo’s internal motto has been “software sells hardware” why would they put such enticing software as a brand new mario kart on the original switch
Because Switch 1 still sells a lot of units and has an install base of 100 million. They’d be leaving a lot of potential $ on the table by ignoring that, they’ll probably have features that differentiate the Switch 2 version but I’m pretty convinced it’s a cross gen game since the footage looks like something that could easily run on a switch 1.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss Mario Kart 8 was a port, came in the first months on the console and almost 8 years later still sells like hotcake. Best selling game on the console by quite a lot. About half the people that owns the switch owns this game. This is an evergreen title if there has ever been one. They would be leaving a lot more potential $ if they didn't use the next iteration (after 10 years) of their best selling game to sell hardware, which in turn will make the player base bigger for their not as well selling software to thrive and 3rd parties to put games in the machine and keep the cycle going. If there is a Multiplatform game, it will most likely be Metroid Prime 4. That game can get a new audience for the franchise in the Switch 2 before there is much else to play, while ensures it doesn't lose money appearing also in the switch's huge instal base.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss Even fully new Switch games coming out now don't sell much now these days, why would people want to play a worse running and possibly worse looking Mario Kart game.
Why would they ignore an install base of 100 million switches especially if they’re able to run it. It honestly looks worse than Mario Kart 8, the environments look sparse and the textures look simple and pretty rough. They are making a 24 player Mario Kart but graphically it looks like there aren’t significant improvements, Mario kart 8 was a Wii U game, the switch could handle a more advanced Mario Kart game. They might have another system seller that’s more graphically demanding like a 3D Mario.
@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss You are really basing all this off of A FEW SECONDS?! How do you know that Mario Kart 9, or whatever it's called, will look and play worse than 8 when we haven't gotten a FULL LOOK AT THE GAME YET?!
@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss The Switch 2 is far more capable than the Switch 1 and this is no further exemplified by the fact that there are now 24 Racers all at once.
Another possibility is that they don’t bother to make first party console exclusive. What if the switch 2 is a stop-gap console? They may want to hold over the hardcore gamer crowd.
@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss Doing a Cross-Gen significantly kills any sales numbers for the Switch 2 as all it does is give people less of a reason to buy it. The Switch 2 is already backwards compatible.
nintendo are the kings of optimising their big games, they could prolly do it at 720p 60fps fall guys has like 68 player online and ran at a locked perfect 30fps during season 1 (although they do cut down the framerate of other player's animations)
24 players online doesn't sound impossible. Now, with the sheer size of the track in the teaser...it wouldn't run well, that's for sure. This is clearly a next-gen game
It’s not like they’re above porting it to the next system anyways if switch 2 flops. Makes me think it’ll be exclusive and they can save resources for next system Mario kart if the system does end up flopping. I hope it’s not the case though, I do not wanna play another Mario kart for several years.
@DeltaFrazzle I don't see the S2 flopping (Nintendo still profited from previous lacklustre generations) but I think it could easily under perform (in part because Nintendo tends to give itself high sales expectations because, frankly, sometimes they achieve them). Could be like 3DS again. Legacy hardware and the more expensive upgrade could work heavily against it. To that end I think Nintendo needs to work hard to emphasise that the S2 is now the new home for new premium Nintendo content. Otherwise people will just keep buying S1's. If Nintendo can afford it (no idea how expensive these things are) I could see them making a price cut in the first year. If not, they won't, since selling hardware at cost or below to sell more software is quite alien to them.
@@catmario-_3170 I just mean better for MK9. It would definitely sell better since everyone buys MK. But precisely for that reason it would be bad to make it cross gen, it would hurt Switch 2 (and also be bad for the game and how far they can push the hardware).
people seem to be misunderstanding. the goal of this isn't to sell as many copies of this new mario kart it's to sell as many new consoles in order to play this new mario kart which will then lead to more people buying other switch 2 games. if they were going for just straight software sales on this game obviously switch 1 had a bigger install base now and probably forever but that isn't the point. it's not even a question that should be discussed, this is the system seller for switch 2.
This is an interesting concept, however I think it's largely unprecedented despite the obvious parallels to Twilight Princess and BOTW. They were both announced for exclusive release on GameCube and Wii U, respectively, before later being delayed and ported to Wii and Switch. This new Mario Kart was announced specifically alongside Switch 2, so there's a critical marketing difference here. On a development level, you could imagine the stories are more similar, though. Although Nintendo EPD 9 worked on Home Circuit and Tour and the Booster Course Pass, the first two of that list being co-development projects make me doubt that either consumed the team's full attention. As such, you could imagine that this game did indeed begin development on Switch 1. But I might argue that the somewhat debatable fidelity of the Booster Course Pass content and oddly protracted release schedule suggest that it was a band-aid solution to a gap left by a conscious decision to move *this* Mario Kart title to Switch 2 exclusively. That's all conjecture but it feels sensible, EPD 9 wasn't just sitting on its hands until, say, 2022 when they suddenly entered pre-production on an NS2 Mario Kart game. I want to highlight one other key difference between Mario Kart and TP/BOTW as well. The cross-gen benefit there was in bringing incredibly expensive and artistically significant games forward from a flagging system to a platform that'd give them more visibility and chance of success. The argument for Mario Kart's cross-gen release hinges on the inverse: benefit to the prior platform. As such, I think the Zelda precedent lends credence to Prime 4 being a Switch 2 title more than it lends credence to Mario Kart being cross-gen in the reverse. None of this is to discount the strong case you make for its benefit as an NSO benefit and holiday title for NS1. But I have to say my personal forecast for a cross-gen strategy would be much lower than 50% :)
I think the argument that they could sell more units of the game to a larger install base doesn't hold much water. Y'know what game they are selling to that install base? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe... it's still going strong, so why bother adding a second one to the same pool? It makes much more sense to bring in players to the new platform instead of hoping to sell more units of one game that's already going to sell like hotcakes anyway (and doesn't look that much more expensive to make than current Switch games)
I sincerely doubt that it will be a cross gen title, that would in my eyes severely hurt the switch 2s sales prospects for a lot of people, especially if it's a launch title. They could get away with breath of the wild being cross gen because no one had or wanted to play a wii u, but now, millions of parents who bought their kids consoles and more casual gamers WILL skip switch 2 as long as Nintendo keeps releasing titles for switch, adding a brand new cross gen mario kart to that will just further this problem, even if they're thinking of the raw sales numbers right now and figure a switch 1 cross gen title has more potential, there's no doubt in my mind that Nintendo thinks long term. And if they are in fact thinking of the long term sales, a switch 2 exclusive game from the get go is 100% the way to go.
This ^^ I don’t understand why people are having this theory. It’s like saying if Mario Odyssey was gonna be cross gen with the Wii U and switch when that was first shown off.
They don't need to sell it to kids year 1. Most of the audience are adults anyway. There will eventually be exclusives like Smash and Pokemon that the kids will want.
@@bobpotato1231 Doesn't matter. Mario Kart always stays exclusive to whatever platform it's on. Yes, the Switch got a re-release of a Mario Kart game from the Wii U, but Nintendo never releases two iterations of mainline Mario Kart on the same console. Mario Kart has always remained a "one per console" type of franchise. Not a SINGLE Nintendo console has ever received two mainline iterations of Mario Kart, and I don't anticipate that changing here. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the Switch's iteration of Mario Kart, and whatever this next one is will be the Switch 2 iteration.
The only way I see it being a cross gen is if they make it planned obsolence to push towards an upgrade to switch 2 by shutting servers down on the original switch. I highly doubt they’ll do that because the install base for original switch is so large is very likely to cause backlash. I agree that the sentiment is in long term sales and they probably wouldn’t make it cross gen after making the booster course pass as well.
The fact the tracks are considerably larger, and for twice the number of racers, may be why they're not pushing for a larger graphical upgrade. It's a technical jump
IMO a new feature like 24 players and better tracks is going to sell much better than a graphical upgrade. MK8 still looks amazing to this day in my opinion, so they’d be better off just adding more features to make the game fun like you said
I was in the "this looks basically like MK8D" camp, but the more I look at the footage, the more I think we are fooled by the more cartoony artstyle and the fact that it is not direct footage. The game does look like it has quite some improvements to MK8D (which was a technological marvel, let's not forget that). And I do think this looks to be around the ballpark of Team Sonic Racing on the stronger consoles. But that game also ran on Switch 1. So I think it probably could run on Switch 1 (in maybe 30fps 900p or so), but doubt it will due to Nintendo probably wanting it to be the big system seller of the Switch 2 ... why else is it the one and only game they showed running on it in the Trailer? But I do not think this game will push the Switch 2 to it's technological limits quite like Mario Kart 8 used to do to the Wii U. I do not know if you already made a video about that topic, but maybe that is Nintendo's approach when it comes to "escaping" the next-gen-development-trap of massively increased cost and time resources needed to make games. Just push the games graphically as far as needed and not go all out and increase cost.
I was actually wondering the same thing when the teaser was shown. On one hand, the visuals aren't exactly something that couldn't also run on the OG Switch on first glance at least. On the other hand, I'm not sure how well the Switch could handle twice the amount of drivers on the track. But you know absolutely well, that the game would sell a ridiculous amount with having the soon 150 million Switch owners being part of it at release. The online experience should be quite lively from day 1 as well. But we'll see :)
We also don't know the resolution of the new Mario Kart. It could be running at 1440p or even 4k. So even without a big graphical bump, it could still stand out visually.
@@GameDragon2k The textures in the footage were extremely low quality, genuinely worse than the Wii U version, so even at a higher resolution it isn't gonna look impressive.
@@bobpotato1231 UA-cam compression of footage that isn't even full-screen will absolutely make things look worse than actual gameplay on a real system
I think making a switch successor that literally looks exactly like the predecessor, and then making their number one franchise cross gen would unironically tank their year 1 sales. Didn't their stock actually take a hit after the switch 2 reveal, because of "lack of surprises" or something as well?
Correct. The stock price went up Thursday, after rising all week in anticipation. It actually reached something like a five-year high, but wasn't all in one day. But then it collapsed Friday back to where it was Tuesday. The hype bubble burst after the reveal. There just weren't enough specifics in the reveal to illustrate why Switch 2 is an actual generational leap or merely a larger sized Switch 1. Note that initial western reaction was pointing to how the stock price had gone up, but Thursday's reveal was made after trading hours in Japan. Friday was the first trading day following reveal, and it dropped - not something Nintendo probably expected. Of course, one day fluctuation isn't ultimately important. What's really going to matter is where the stock price is right before the investors meeting in February. If the stock stabilizes and remains high, then investors won't care about Friday's dip. If the stock continues to slide from now until then, that's a huge problem. I've been thinking that it would really be smart for Nintendo to have a Direct ready for last week of January in case an earlier January reveal didn't go over well (which is what has happened) but we keep hearing February for Direct, and that doesn't get Furukawa off the hot seat in the investors meeting. Massive leaks, a failed reveal, release delay into summer (after already not making a 2024 date), almost certainly falling short of that Switch 1 units sold mark they already revised once, and three poorly selling games since the last time they'd met will really have some people questioning leadership. This is after all the first generational change for which he's been the top man, and it hasn't gone well at all. Nintendo Forecast might cover the implications of stock price and other matters prior to the investors meeting, but I'm frankly shocked Nintendo set February 4 as the date if they were going to show as little as they did in the reveal trailer and then have a February Direct and not January. This puts cart before horse by having the investors meeting before both the Direct and the presumed Super Bowl commercial (February 9) in America, which is being tossed around as the potential start of the big advertising push for the North American market. I don't know why they wouldn't have scheduled the investors meeting for February 11, and give us Direct on February 5 or 6, allowing both events in the prior days to feed the hype engine and ratchet up the stock price a bit more a bit more so Furukawa has some extra hooks to hang his hat on. He doesn't have a single officially revealed new game that he didn't already have in November (and only one remaining to release, in Xenoblade X), and the Switch 2 seems just as far off now as it did back in November and most likely STILL won't be to market by the time the May investors meeting comes around.
@ @Elchinodawn @TlocRevelc Guys, they're almost certainly having a general/Switch 1 Direct before April. They always have one January or February and still need to lay out the plan for Switch 1 before Switch 2 arrives. If April is Switch 2-specific, they aren't going radio silent on Switch 1 until a June or July Direct. That's too many months with no Direct-advertised releases at all. So why not cover this Switch 1 stuff before the investors meeting?
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh doubts on the technical level alone. That Mario Kart map seemed to be quite detailed in terms of its surroundings, not to mention the fact it supports 24 players at once in all likelihood. A 10% chance of being cross-gen is already feeling generous to me, not gonna lie.
They will NOT go cross-gen with their HIGHEST SELLING GAME. They can with Metroid and Zelda, but no no no... Mario Kart will be exclusive. If they want to push hardware sales, Mario Kart is the answer.
Based on the comment section, I’d wager many people clicked off (or commented on) the video before the end segment. These are my thoughts: I think it is relatively unlikely that there will be a true “cross-gen” situation (like with Breath of the Wild or Twilight Princess), but I do think that it is VERY possible, as you mentioned, that there could be a ‘test drive’ demo exclusive to NSO Members (or possibly Expansion Pass members) on the Switch 1. This would not only serve as an incentive or reward for new and old NSO+EP members alike; but a great way to show what indeed is so new and great about the Switch 2!
Not to mention the game will probably have to have a low framefrate, and resolution, it might even look worse and run worse than mk8. There's no point at that point.
What about 3D Mario, Smash, Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, the next Pokemon generation, etc.? They have plenty of exclusives possible without Mario Kart.
@@bobpotato1231 Those aren’t coming the first year, what’s coming based on this will be all on the OG Switch tho: Metroid 4, Pokemon ZA, Mario Kart and other games so why move on to the next console?
I don't think it will be, the current Switch already has a Mario Kart so I think this will be Switch 2 exclusive and will be a launch title that will be a HUGE system seller which is really smart. And there is no way the Switch would be able to handle 24 PLAYER races!
It only made sense to do this in the specific contexts of a core audience game like (Zelda TP and BotW) trying to squeeze out as many sales as possible hot off the transition from a financial failure system. Thus, I don’t think there’s any shot that “Software sells Hardware” Nintendo would shoot themselves in the foot by doing the same thing Sony/Microsoft have, allowing people to cling to their older systems for waaaaay too long. Kit and Krysta said recently that Mr. Iwata had drilled in a philosophy of “Every audience out there needs to have at least three exclusive titles they’d want to be convinced to buy a system” during his time at Nintendo too, and it doesn’t seem as if that’s changed.
It's a fun little video but really the next Mario Kart is THE system seller. This is just nonsense talk because the visuals were not crash hot. My theory is that they are holding back the good visuals until April
They need to sell new systems, exclusive MarioKart will do that. Look at there advice to Ubisoft re: Mario Rabbids - one game per system.... Im probably just biased and want it on the SW2. Realistically I think Nintendo have learned from PS and the cross gen strategy that hasn't worked.
thats an incredibly bad idea. Why would they essentially ruin the Switch 2's value by getting an exclusive taken away from it. Software sells consoles.
interesting reasoning, but i still think a 50% forecast is too high, a streaming-only first party title has never happened and while mario kart is particularly suited for being a mainly online game, any lag in the controls will feel very bad
in those two cases of cross-gen titles, i think the more significant reason for them is, they announced them for one system, yet they slipped so far beyond their original launch dates that they happened to be good launch titles for the succeeding systems. and i think they wanted to keep their promise to those that wanted to play said games on the previous systems, for the case of twilight princess and breath of the wild in particular. i'm sure more than a few folks bought a gamecube and a wii u respectively just to play those games (unlike a case such as super paper mario, which was announced for gamecube in 2006, but was then delayed and moved to the wii. i think very few people got upset at that move)
as far as branding games as "switch 1 and switch 2" compatible, if two versions of a game were to be included in one case, either they would have to use a larger-capacity cartridge, or require a download for switch 2 owners, which is something they've avoided on switch 1 at all costs (even if it meant raising the price of a game above $60, in the case of tears of the kingdom)
Edit, I watched this video up until like the 13 minute mark right before he mentioned something very similar, I should just keep these thoughts to myself. I haven't seen many people talking about how Nintendo will handle cross-gen games. Xbox and Playstation have offered next-gen upgrades that let you use the last gen disc to play the digital version, but I think Nintendo could put both on the same card. A 4K Blu-Ray disc could never work in the regular Blu-Ray drives of the Xbox One and PS4, the lasers just can't read it, but game cards work differently, they're more like SD cards, which limit themselves to whatever standards are supported by both the card and the reader. The Switch already has support for cards with more than one game meant for things like 2 in 1 packs, with a firmware update it should be able to recognize the difference between Switch 1 and Switch 2 executables. This would make upgrading easier since people could continue to use their cross-gen game cards exactly as they did before, if this does happen they could even relrelease games like Breath of the Wild on these cards.
Let the Switch rest at this point. It's had so many great games. Let Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Legends sing its swan song. It's time for Nintendo to use its hardware potential once more.
I think if we are going to get a cross-gen launch title, it's going to be Prime 4, since that lines up a lot more closely with what happened with BOTW's development, though I'm less certain of it since it'll be playable on Switch 2 regardless and might just be used to show off the backwards compatibility enhancements, if any. I really don't see Mario Kart filling that niche, aside from just not making sense from a business standpoint. There's more first-party games on Switch coming out that are struggling to run stably in its golden years. Even 8 Deluxe's online can be pretty spotty with just 12 racers, so I can't imagine doubling that would be a smooth experience on Switch without some major compromises. The size of the one track we did see alone seems a lot larger than anything we could've gotten out of 8 as well. Plus, the fact there doesn't seem to be a huge graphical leap yet could just be because we only got a tiny glimpse of it and they're both HD games, I believe it'll be more apparent once we actually get hands on with Switch 2.
The packaging discussion with Switch 1 and 2 logos is an interesting one. The physical games at any store near me are always locked behind glass, and I don’t want to bug workers to look at stuff, so the only time I see the back of a game is when I am ready to purchase it. If others are like me, that means you might not want to put important information like “this game is only for Switch 2” solely on the back. All of that to say, video game companies have half of the real estate to get important information that’s relevant to consumers, i.e. it needs to be on the front. That could definitely make the covers busy…
Keep in mind that Mario Kart 8 was a Wii U title and the switch version had a lot more overhead that was untapped in 8 Deluxe. They increased the resolution to 1080p but beyond that they didn’t make any graphical changes and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Deluxe drop a single frame in my years playing it, I definitely think Nintendo could get a 24 player Mario Kart working on switch, especially if the graphical improvements are minimal as it seems from the footage.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss It's highly unlikely that Switch can handle double the racers (thus double the shenanigans) on screen even with the same exact graphics as MK8DX
Why not? They've had Mario 35 and several 99 series games that do a similar tracking of a large number of user's play submitted across internet to be rendered as actions on other players Switches, and at four times the scale. The network-transmitted actions of an F-Zero vehicle and a Mario Kart vehicle are not that radically different.
@@lilisaur the problem is not if the switch can handle 12, 24 or 100 players at once. it can. The problem is the switch being able to run (even playing solo) 24 cars and all the items and stuff involved without the frame rate tanking. Which most likely can not at the graphical level shown.The games you mention are 8 and 16 bit games. Of corse they can do it.
Unless I'm forgetting something obvious, the times Nintendo have released a cross gen title are specifically games that were announced for one system and got delayed into oblivion (Twilight Princess; Breath of the Wild) and happened to release about the time of the next system as a result - As such if there is a cross gen title, I'd expect it to be Metroid Prime 4 rather than Mario Kart 9. (The Pokemon Company have been happy to release titles on previous hardware with and without backwards compatibility of the next system, at least until a system's second holiday, so while I've seen some speculation about Legends ZA, I doubt that will be a cross gen release).
This is not likely at all. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe struggled to run at 60fps on the Switch with just only 12 racers (I believe it was locked at 30fps with 3 or more players locally). With 24 racers and the additional graphical details (poly count) of the racers in the new game, I highly doubt this will be cross gen.
What Switch 1 games are you playing? Theres a ton of games that are rendering high poly count enemies with well more than 24 on screen at once in independent movement. While I doubt its cross-gen for business reasons, I've no doubt that Switch 1 could handle 24 if they designed it so.
@ let’s not be dense here. I play Splatoon 2-3, Luigi’s Mansion, Smash Bros, BOTW TOTK EOW and Skyward Sword, Animal Crossing, MK8, Xenoblade 1-3, I’m currently playing Disgaea 5, have Mario Wonder, Odyssey, Jamboree, ARMS, Metroid Prime, Dread, etc and if you don’t believe me about all these games I can just give you my Switch code lmao Please do yourself a favor and play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with 3 or more players and tell me if it runs at a stable 60fps… it’s 30. Same with 3 or more players on ARMS. The point is that Mario Kart Switch 2 or whatever this will be, will NOT be cross gen for that exact reason. If MK8D can barely handle 12 players locally, I doubt Nintendo would want to double to player amount and have it slog even more. Not even saying the Switch can’t run certain games, I’m just saying I DON’T think THIS game will run on Switch due to the player count alone. Let’s not even get started on the animations, higher poly count and the new models. ANYWAY. I’m stocked for Switch 2!
Is it possible? Sure. Do I think it’s likely with the runaway success Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was, bundle or no? …Not very, but I won’t ignore the possibility.
I doubt it is. I just think the reason it looks so underwhelming is because it might be pushing a truly massive open world behind the scenes with all the tracks integrated into it, not unlike Forza Horizon, where you can play online whether you are free roaming or racing, take part in quests or missions, upgrade your load outs all while keeping separate cup and versus modes for pick up and play stuff. They're just hiding all that, obviously, but I can definitely see plenty of signs of it in even the tiny glimpses we got. Pushing such a potentially huge, seamless open world with all the typical potential variety would explain the relatively minor graphical leap yet still showcase the Switch 2's huge leap in power.
I'll kill for some kind of "history" mode, I don't even need it to be that deep. Give me the "Diddy Kong racing" experience but modernized. I too think with what is shown (the impressive drawing distance, the long straight roads, some kind of new type item...) that we might get something there...
I would personally love to see this I think a Forza Horizon style open world driving through the Mushroom Kingdom doing missions like deliver mushrooms to some hungry Toads within a set time limit without using them to boost, or some other goofy madness would be very cool. However, I can’t see it happening so I’m just gonna shut this hope down now so I don’t get disappointed
I think this would signal a serious lack of confidence in moving forward to new hardware, which would not be a great look. The original switch will of course still be kept around a bit, but they still need to be willing to market switch 2 as the definitive step forward. Having a title as major as a new mario kart, which was specifically revealed alongside new hardware, plopped onto old hardware as a safety net of sorts, would signal the switch 2 as more of a sidegrade that they aren't willing to commit to. Things like Metroid Prime 4 being potential fully cross gen titles with native switch 2 versions makes more sense because that game for example had already been promised for switch 1. (Sorry if this is basically all said in the video, I just saw the title of the video and wanted to comment despite not having the time to sit and watch right now lol)
if it wasn’t for the fact that it clearly has 24 racers, i think the entire internet would be thinking it’s a cross gen game. that’s the only think making people go “this can’t run on switch one” when it very well still could. says a lot about how little of a graphical leap this is, considering we know the specs of the console and it’s a GIANT leap.
I actually think there's a lot more of an improvement to visuals than you might thing but the improved visuals are a bit more subtle in that there seems to be a higher polygon count and there's more detail in general. I think what might be throwing people off is the fact this game is going for more of a cartoony art style, which is something that we're used to seeing on Switch 1 so it might not seem super impressive visually at a glance!
@ there’s better animations, but luigi’s mansion 3 and wonder already did that to a greater extent on switch 1. there’s higher poly models, and that’s about it from a legitimate tech leap. the texture quality seems reduced to non existent (especially on karts in comparison) so that’s not really a leap. the lighting clearly is not a noticeable leap, in fact i’d say mk8 has prettier lighting effects. and the draw distance is identical. it’s just more cartoony, which is fine, but nothing about it reads “next gen” and worth an 11 year gap between releases. the mk team hasn’t worked on a game in 8 years (since arms) so it’s hard to see what they spent the 8 years doing, at least visually.
@@friendlyotaku9525 it's honestly a little confusing to me why Nintendo chose to make such a cartoony and simple art style for this game when they could be doing a lot more to show off the console's new hardware power. I can tell by looking at the ground that textures are much crisper and higher resolution, but then the characters and Karts look super smooth and simplified. I'll give it some time, but right now MK8 looks prettier.
It's Mario Kart, a very cartoony and stylized game. Expecting it to use 100% of a system's graphical capabilities is a little silly. Mario Kart doesn't need hyper-realistic worlds, the amount of realism in Mario Kart 8 is about as far as it should ever go. It looks like this new one isn't aiming for fancier graphics, but just more stylized and expressive ones. While the extra power of the system is being tapped into more for the 24 racers.
I know it’s *slightly* off topic, but I do believe that Pokémon Legends Z-A will be a cross-gen launch title. There were trademarks filed for 2 new Mega Evolution-themed sets for the TCG, likely meaning that the upcoming set after Journey Together (March release btw) is probably coming in June/July. We all know that TPC loves timing all of their releases together, so Z-A will probably launch around the same time. I personally see the Switch 2 coming either in late May or in June, and if both Mario Kart and Pokémon are launch games, that would be really, really crazy. I believe Z-A will be a cross-gen title, I think that’s a safe bet. But if both big launch games are cross-gen, that could really hurt the initial sales of the console. The Switch 2 versions would obviously run better, but I’m not sure that the average consumer cares about that as long as they can play it. I think it would be smarter if Nintendo keeps the new Mario Kart a Switch 2 exclusive.
Before watching the video I was like “no no no that doesn’t make any sense” But after watching it I thought “mmm that sounds reasonable” xD kudos to you for the great content! Love this channel
This is an interesting thought experiment, but still highly unlikely. The previous cross-gen titles of Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild had a lesser risk since the GameCube and Wii U did not do very well commercially. That's not the case with the Switch's massive install base.
It should not be a cross gen title. It would defeat the whole purpose of having a Nintendo Switch 2. Software is what sells hardware after all. This is one of the reasons why Xbox is failing, they put too much flexibility to a fault in accessing their IPs in various platforms. Why bother even having an Xbox?
Maybe we are looking at a Gran Turismo 7 situation. Mario Kart 9 may be initially planned as a Switch 2 exclusive, but if the system don't sell as expected, they are ready to release it on Switch 1 if it's needed. I don't think it will release on Switch 1 if pre-orders of Switch 2 start strong, but if it doesn't meet Nintendo's sales expectations, we may see the game showing up on Switch 1.
Put Mario Kart X on one common cartridge and run the high res version on the Switch 2 and the low res on Switch 1. When people are ready to upgrade their console, they get to transfer the save games and profile to the Switch 2. Its crazy, but it might work.
I think one of the big reasons why they may not do this is because of how compromised the OG switch is. Do they really want to deal with the piracy and early leaks of the last console with their new releases. I don’t think so. There are still games I would expect to come like Pokemon, but as far as major 1st party releases from Nintendo studios proper I think that is over
Only Crossgen games I can remember from Nintendo are Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, which were first announced for the Last-gen console instead of the new gen, which isn't the case with the new Mario Kart which has been announced at the same time as the new generation
I think an exclusive Mario Kart is just as important as the number 2 for making it clear this is a new system. I also don't think you could sell people on buying another Mario Kart for their current Switch the same way you can sell them another Mario Kart for a new Switch.
If it’s not cross gen Nintendo is leaving a lot of money on the table. They would sell conservatively 20 mil on Switch alone. Possibly 50. That means on the low end they would pocket 1 Billion. I think Cross gen is likely… there will be plenty of cross gen first few years for this reason.
Even though I think the Switch 2 will sell very well, Nintendo need to have a very strong line up of games, to keep fans interested and persuade people on the fence.
This new Mario Kart will probably have a track maker which is why the layout is so wide and huge. And it’s a good way to utilize the Switch2’s mouse functionality.
Yeah, I don't see it coming. Releasing MK9 will help with sales of that game, BUT it will hurt Switch 2 sales in the long run. S2 will sell out in the launch year, but what's after that? People might think "MK9 came out on Switch, which means we'll get probably more crosss gen games". And if there is one thing Switch proofed, seperating sales on two system aint good for sales. I think Switch will get some Nintendo games, but not MK9 & not longer that mid or end of 2025.
The only cross gen big titles i see are metroid and pokemon za, bc both were announced for the switch first, but it they likely make sure they look so mucb better on switch 2 to the point you wanna get them on it instead
Cross Gen Mario Kart 9 sounds like a really bad idea for Switch 2. Sure it’ll sell more copies on paper but then people would have no reason to buy a Switch 2. The console will become a flop with no exclusives, it needs them to be worth buying and Mario Kart is a big one
They need a system seller and Mario Kart is it, it might damage console sales of the Switch 2 if cross-gen. As for the graphics being too similar to MK8? This can be explained in a three possible ways. First Nintendo may want performance for 24 player races. Second we only got a very small glimpse a game on a screen within a screen. Third: They are holding out on graphics performance and specs until April. The whole purpose was to show yes, the Switch 2 is official and it will play games.
If the new MK is cross-gen, then it needs to be one single cartridge and digital release which showcases how a game still works on the original Switch but is enhanced on Switch 2! But I suspect they would want a system-seller level game like Mario Kart to actually sell the new system exclusively.
It looks like a switch 1 game. If this is their switch 2 showpiece titles then idk if it’s gonna convince casuals that a switch 2 was a necessary upgrade. I think it’s gross gen, the switch never got its own Mario Kart, 8 was a Wii U game and 8 Deluxe was a nice upgrade from it but fundamentally no graphical changes beyond resolution and fixing the 59fps bug that the Wii U version had. Launching a Mario Kart cross gen makes too much sense imo, especially if it’s more online focused with its 24 player gameplay that everyone’s speculating about. They may have other system seller games at or near launch but the fact that it looks like a switch game is I think indicative of it being a cross gen game, if it’s an exclusive for Switch 2 then that’s a bad sign for the switch 2’s graphical capability.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqssYou're overestimating the casual audience's sensitivity to graphics, like a lot. The fact of the matter is that visual leaps are no longer as severe as they were between MKW and MK8. This new game technically "looks better" than the last one, but 7 to 11 times more powerful now means so much less than 7 to 11 times more powerful then. Without the change in artstyle and character design from 8, most frankly wouldn't be able to tell even with RTX and DLSS that it's definitively a new game without a side-by-side comparison because 8 is already a great enough-looking game. As is always the case with Nintendo, it will be the still-unknown new mechanics and "ways to play" of this entry that draws in buyers. Launching crossgen just because it's not graphically top notch makes _no_ sense in the long run. It would tap into the massive player base of the OG Switch, but all that does is fracture audiences and cement the Switch 2 as something not worth buying in the first place. This is even worse if it's the supposed big launch title. Why risk the success of a whole console because of a factor most Nintendo consumers aren't very concerned about?
Could be a good way to keep Switch owners engaged and give Switch 2 buyers something to use it with, but there needs to be more games at launch and Nintendo exclusives announced to entice people to buy the console.
Mario Kart 9 will not be cross gen for a few reasons: -Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is already on the Switch 1 and now has 96 courses after a bunch of dlc updates. -Only one mainline Mario Kart title has ever released on a single console (Live doesn't count. That's an RC Kart that needs software to function. You're stretching there) -Putting your best selling Switch 2 game on the old Switch 1 is a good way to cripple Switch 2 sales for no reason -It's the only game that was shown off in a Switch 2 reveal that wasn't even focused on games to get ppl hyped to play it on the new system -Nintendo wants ppl to move away from the Switch 1 system. That's why the Switch 2 trailer mentions it's backwards compatible with Switch 1 games -Nintendo has special events planned in certain locations to test the Switch 2 early, and seeing as MK9 is the only game announced, it makes sense it would be the playable exclusive One example that is brought up is that cross gen games have happened before, which is true. Zelda BOTW being the big example. The difference however is that BOTW was originally meant to be a Wii U exclusive and was known about before the Switch 1 was even known to the public. It makes sense that was released to both consoles as it was promised to be on the Wii U. I think the same thing will apply to Prime 4. Again, a game that was meant to be a Switch 1 exclusive LONG before Switch 2's existence. I believe that will be one of the last big Switch games that'll be cross gen. Mario Kart 9 will be Switch 2 exclusive, and I believe Nintendo did the Switch 2 reveal early to get ppl prepared for the switch (no pun intended) to the new console.
I absolutely 100℅ believe on the hunch that MK9 will be a cross-gen title. It'd be extremely stupid of Nintendo to just immediately abandon the 140+ million install base in favor of their brand new (yet unproven) system.
I can see this happening, because if this new title was cross gen, then they'd be able to sell it to more people. And we know for a fact they prioritize software sales over hardware sales, why? Well answer me this: Why would Nintendo make a hybrid console? They wouldn't be able to sell you two consoles anymore! The answer is the fact that they value their games being available to as many people as possible over the possibility of selling hardware units.
For once I really disagree with the video Nintendo thinks long term and Mario Kart is the definition of long term, they will prioritize this to some short term gain. They also don't need the extra immediate cash as they are the richest company in Japan. If it really was cross-gen, they wouldn't have wanted this title to be the switch 2 showcase title either There are big differences with let's say a BotW which while it was indeed the switch showcase title and cross gen, it was made for Wii U first and foremost but the short lifespan of the Wii U and its small install based participated in that decision. It's also a very different thought process, BotW stepped up to become something more, while revealing a new Mario kart so late and with the new console only for it to be cross gen would feel like the title taking a step down to get at the og's switch level. Also, you have to consider that Mario Kart 8 still sales like crazy on switch 1 and its DLC is quite recent so Switch 1 users have a lot of new content to enjoy and it's still bringing massive cash amounts to Nintendo. The graphical argument is easy to ignore when it's probably an early look, too short of a trailer and it also wasn't direct footage.
Uhm that track goes out to the three mushroom mesas and possibly beyond, that wavy highway looks like the start of a 200cc+ speed zone, im not sure the Switch 1 could have 24 online racers racing that length with wonder seed mechanics shifting the terrain all at once
i would hope not purely based on the implications for the performance in online multiplayer. we know switch is a problem when it comes to this. hopefully switch 2 improves on this.
It could run on the Switch with lower graphics, but not even that much lower. I really hope Nintendo pulls a PS4 and still continue releasing some their new games on Switch
I think the biggest consideration in Nintendo's mind, and why I think it's nigh improbable that they would make MK9 a cross-gen title: Momentum. Through the directly contrastable launches of the Wii U and Switch 1 back to back, they've empirically seen that first impressions and sales momentum is crucial to a system's long term success. Lack of exciting, exclusive "killer app" games in the Wii U's launch window drastically hampered people's excitement and desire for the console in the short term, which kicked off a feedback loop where 3rd parties (and to an extent Nintendo themselves) seemed to have less and less faith in the system, which lead to less people wanting to get invested, which lead to even less faith from devs and so on. They managed to perk things up a bit later on by 2014 with Smash and MK8, but unlike the 3ds (a portable, far cheaper option with a broader game library), they just weren't able to overcome that slow start and make the Wii U truly appealing in consumers eyes, especially with a lot of even the stand out Wii U games having similar versions on 3ds already too. (MK7, Smash, 3D Land, NSMB, etc.) In comparison, the Switch's phenomenal, breakneck launch year schedule made it a must have by that holiday season alone, which they were able to build and build on to literally the best selling Nintendo console of all time. There can certainly be arguments for Nintendo taking a more drawn out, half-step transition between 1 and 2, but it'll tank their long term prospects if they don't give the switch 2 a running start, and cannibalizing the long term prospects for the system in pursuit of potentially higher sales in the short term on the gargantuan existing (yet perhaps less active) install base of 1 seems especially short sighted and hasty, especially for post Wii U, Furukawa era Nintendo.
Spawn Wave released a video today comparing the Switch and Wii U day one games. Wii U had a MUCH better list. But we all know how that worked out. So I genuinely think they could get away with cross-gen MK9. Knowing how popular and mainstream it is, they could reward the massive install base who continue to play MK8. But with other franchises that sell under 10 million units, those should stay exclusive to new hardware and release sooner than later. I think niche audiences will pay more for a next entry in their favourite series. Having _some_ but a limited number of cross-gen games is also a good way to keep up with demand. As they release new 3D Mario, Splatoon, and Zelda games, which should be staggered, they will continue to hit sales targets for hardware.
Knowing Nintendo it will be Switch 2 exclusive but they could do a watered down version. I seriously hope we get a Nintendoland predecessor & Pilot wings, Punch out & a new Excite bike. They need to go heavy on their IP’s this time around. They played the system (Switch 2) safe now they gotta go all out on the games.
I think Nintendo will still make Switch games, and some games will definitely be cross-gen, I do not expect Mario Kart to be one of those games, gamers that only have a Switch already have a Mario Kart game, and Switch 2 needs big exclusives near launch. Breath of thr Wild worked as a cross-gen game because within a rounding error 0 people were still using their Wii U
I don't see this happening for a couple of reasons. Doubling the amount of players will make running the game on Switch 1 very difficult and we haven't seen direct footage of the game yet to assess the graphics. Nintendo is also planning to ship 20 million Switch 2's so Mario Kart 9 as a launch title could easily reach 10 million units on Switch 2 alone
I think it's unlikely. Mario Kart has never been bigger, and Nintendo would really want a popular launch title for Switch 2. The "NSO demo for Switch 1" seems like the thing Nintendo is most likely to do, since the full experience would still be exclusive to the new console.
Its a longterm mistake, the main reason why casuals wanna upgrade is to play new games, no new games no upgrade. Also if they wanna do longterm dlc for this game it would be weird to potentially give switch 1 game dlc 5 years from now.
I think the lack of huge visual upgrades between Mario Kart 8 & 9 is that even Nintendo is starting to hit the point of diminishing returns in graphical fidelity. A lot of first party games from Microsoft and Sony dont look that much better than their prequels on their older consoles shot for shot but the newer games will have bigger worlds, higher traveral speeds and generally a bigger scope. Track textures look more detailed and the characters are definitely higher poly but its not gonna matter much when you zip through tracks at high speeds and especially not when viewed in a zoomed out and skewed yt video.
Nintendo isn’t likely to go the cross-gen route with its games, as it would just cause confusion in the market, particularly with parents. I think Metroid Prime 4 may be the only title to get a true cross-gen release.
There may be some cross gen titles between Switch 1 and Switch 2, but Mario Kart won’t be one of them. Software sells hardware, and if Nintendo is telling the consumer that they can play a new game like Mario Kart 9 on either system, they’re sending the message to the consumer that they don’t need the new Switch 2. Nintendo’s focus is to sell the new hardware, because they know the original Switch will sell itself because it’s already established, has a positive reputation, a plethora of games with many more on the way, as well as word of mouth. It’s always trickier and more difficult to try to move your current install base onto a new system/console. Consumers aren’t just looking for the same but better graphics and performance . They’re looking for new experiences, and Nintendo is the best at giving consumers something they didn’t even know they wanted.
Yeah, I really don't want to be negative, but the reveal of this footage significantly lowered my expectations when it comes to next-gen Nintendo visuals. The new system is (according to rumors) 9-14 times more powerful than the Switch. It (supposedly) not using rtx or even dlss is baffling. This is not the jump I was expecting. Look at the improvements between MK Wii and 8 - day and night difference. And that took only 6 years, not 11+. It has to be cross gen. But if that is the case, why not show something more impressive, like a new 3D Mario instead? Again, I hope the April presentation will change how I feel, but as of now - it's not looking great. Awsome video, like always
Keep in mind this is a game still in development so it's not finished yet but increased power does not just go into visuals, it also goes into features and one of the most notable features of this game is the fact that 24 players can race at a time, this is something the current Switch would not be able to do. And while it's not as easy to see there is clearly a higher polygon count and more detail in general.
@friendlyotaku9525 I agree, that gives me some hope. They still have time, and I have almost no doubt that gameplay will be amazing. And I am sure showing only 5 seconds of constantly moving, low quality footage didn't do the game justice. But the fact that plenty of people confused the game with MK8 is not a good first sign in my opinion.
we have so little footage currently, so i wouldn’t write this game off in terms of visuals just yet what i’m most excited for is improved performance, especially for switch 1 games like zelda
Yeah, no buddy, no one would buy the switch 2 without new games being locked there, like 150 million people own a switch, you might aswell cancel the console on launch day with this idea. BOTW and TP only got that treatment bc they had been in development for the whole console life time, meant for that console, they wouldn't do it for Mario Kart. I could see something like Pokemon getting that, as the thing seems to be intended for the switch and could just move over, but not the title that is the sequel to the 60 million sales copies game that may aswell be THE console seller for this new switch. They would do 1 or 2 of these, no more.
If there is a cross gen game my bet is Metroid Prime 4. The franchise could use the spotlight of not having many other high qualityt games on launch while ensuring it's not a flop on a 150 million instal base.
@aritzmartinez7892 yeah I agree, going back on the BOTW and TP point, I wouldnt be surprised if this game had been in development since early on honestly
The fact this discussion is even taking place is proof the reveal failed to show why the Switch 2 is a needed upgrade to the casual viewer. It came off looking like nothing more than a bigger Switch, territory the OLED model had already explored. Nintendo needed to show a game, or several, that were more clearly above and beyond the capabilities of Switch 1.
Games are motivation for consumers to own consoles, why would anyone, besides a hardcore Nintendo fan like many of us, invest in Switch 2 if the new Mario Kart was tailored to also work for Switch 1.
There are games supporting 99 concurrent players already. So yes to 24 players proving input. There are games that show more than 24 independently moving 3D enemies on screen. So yes to having 24 carts at same time. Would it be a perfect 1080p, 60fps game? That's more debatable. But in technical terms its certainly possible Switch 1 could handle a 24 cart Mario kart game because we've seen the required elements already.
@@lilisaur those 99 games are usually very simple, I would imagine a Mario Kart with 24 players where everyone and their powerups need to be taken into account would be much more complex.
@@birdflox1337 Ok, then I'll use an even older example. F-Zero GX had 29 machines. And that game had a pretty high graphics level for GameCube hardware. I can't see how a game like Mario Kart, which likely doesn't push the graphics envelope very far, couldn't do 24 simultaneous racers, twenty-two years later.
I absolutly do not see that happening and I do not think MK9 would be able to run on Switch 1. 24 racers, more polycount in the models, the distance and openness at the end of the footage & the lighting in the new game looks different/more dynamic compared to MK8DX. I also just watched a video from the YT channel Sungrand Studios game dev who have worked with the Switch 1 about the MK9 footage. One thing about MK8DX and why it is able to look so good is that all the tracks use baked lighting as they are always static (sunset wilds doesn't change the time of day and people were upset about that and that's why others pointed this out and why I know about it)
I doubt this… because there's no precedent for it. Nintendo doesn't release two iterations of any mainline Mario Kart games on the same console; it's always been "one per console." Yes, the Switch got a re-release of a Wii U game instead of its own entry made from the ground up. However, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe already fills the void of being the Switch's iteration of Mario Kart, at least that's the way Nintendo sees it. Nintendo is well aware that exclusives sell hardware, and they'd be profoundly stupid to ruin that exclusivity by giving Switch 1 owners a redundant entry of Mario Kart when they already have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (which is still selling MILLIONS a year).
Animal Crossing, a new Mario, other launch titles. The Switch never had its own Mario Kart, 8 was a Wii U game, this looks like a switch game graphically, it would be pretty underwhelming if this was their big switch 2 exclusive when it honestly looks worse than 8 deluxe in some ways.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss To be fair, for the great majority of people, Mario Kart DX might as well has been switches own Mario Kart. Mario kart 8DX has sold over 4 times more than the WiiU console itself. Most people had never played that game before. This is their best selling game. They will be hampering switch 2's early sales like crazy if this was cross gen. It's probably a bit early to judge the game for non direct from hardware UA-cam compressed few seconds video of a (most likely) unfinished build. Also, even if it looked exactly like MK8DX, I doubt the switch can handle that game with double the racers (thus double the shenanigans) on screen.
@excadrillo99 I think that's jumping the gun a bit, considering all we have is a few seconds of indirect footage of a game still probably a half-year off
@@grillm4ster If it's cross gen than I can probably emulate it just as well as on a switch 2 so I don't really have an incentive beyond racing online, which I could do on my original switch
My take is that Nintendo is going to bring Cross-Gen titles during (at least) the first two years of Switch 2. With a forecast of 20 millions units produced/sold the first year (Bloomberg) and probably around the same number the second, there is not way Nintendo can sit on the + 146 millions of Switch sold. I don't Think everybody who wants a Switch 2 will bé able to get one during the launch window. If the want to sell millions of software, a cross-gen strategy is mandatory, until there are enough Switch 2 units available on the market. They will also most likely launch Switch 2 exclusives games to push people to migrate from Switch to Switch 2 and third parties studios will probably do the same.
If Nintendo makes games cross-gen, then tons of people are going to stick with their old systems. Just give Switch 2 a decent price, and develop games around it.
50-50 odds seems awfully high. Surely Z-A will be a last-gen game (like USUM and B2W2 were), but Mario Kart...? If they want Switch 1 owners to have a software "bridge" to Sw2, they can do that just as well with upgrade showcases for existing Sw1 games. The idea of a Sw1 game with Sw2 DLC is intriguing, but I would expect them to do that for TOTK, not the new Kart. I think they'll use Kart to sell the Sw2, not just to sell Kart.
Should have been clearer in the video; I agree on 50% for a full cross-gen title is high but the wording includes any kind of playable option on Switch by March 2026. If they do a one-track, single-player limited demo experience for Switch 1 Expansion Pak subscribers that would count.
I really enjoy your speculation but I think MK9/10 is going to be Switch 2 only, because some of the features in the game can only run on the new system. Can you imagine working on this game for 8 years only to have it run on last gen's console? :/ Players need to see something that is so great they want to pay $500 for it, and it looks like Mario Kart + Forza is it.
nintendo’s internal motto has been “software sells hardware” why would they put such enticing software as a brand new mario kart on the original switch
Because Switch 1 still sells a lot of units and has an install base of 100 million. They’d be leaving a lot of potential $ on the table by ignoring that, they’ll probably have features that differentiate the Switch 2 version but I’m pretty convinced it’s a cross gen game since the footage looks like something that could easily run on a switch 1.
@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss well if they do that they need to be prepared for another Wii U situation
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss Mario Kart 8 was a port, came in the first months on the console and almost 8 years later still sells like hotcake. Best selling game on the console by quite a lot. About half the people that owns the switch owns this game. This is an evergreen title if there has ever been one.
They would be leaving a lot more potential $ if they didn't use the next iteration (after 10 years) of their best selling game to sell hardware, which in turn will make the player base bigger for their not as well selling software to thrive and 3rd parties to put games in the machine and keep the cycle going.
If there is a Multiplatform game, it will most likely be Metroid Prime 4. That game can get a new audience for the franchise in the Switch 2 before there is much else to play, while ensures it doesn't lose money appearing also in the switch's huge instal base.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss If the Switch 1 was still selling enough for Nintendo to keep supporting it then they wouldn't make a new console yet.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss Even fully new Switch games coming out now don't sell much now these days, why would people want to play a worse running and possibly worse looking Mario Kart game.
Cross-gen Mario Kart? Yeah it’s called MK8
Literally, it's on Wii U, Switch, and soon to be Switch 2.
@@skylanderstrapteam MK8 is cross-gen because of poor Wii U sales. MK9 is Switch 2 only. Videos like this exist only to make money.
thats a good point. mk8 is going to be on 3 generations of hardware. mk9 doesnt need to be cross platform.
I seriously doubt this.
Why would they ignore an install base of 100 million switches especially if they’re able to run it. It honestly looks worse than Mario Kart 8, the environments look sparse and the textures look simple and pretty rough. They are making a 24 player Mario Kart but graphically it looks like there aren’t significant improvements, Mario kart 8 was a Wii U game, the switch could handle a more advanced Mario Kart game.
They might have another system seller that’s more graphically demanding like a 3D Mario.
@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss
You are really basing all this off of A FEW SECONDS?!
How do you know that Mario Kart 9, or whatever it's called, will look and play worse than 8 when we haven't gotten a FULL LOOK AT THE GAME YET?!
@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss
The Switch 2 is far more capable than the Switch 1 and this is no further exemplified by the fact that there are now 24 Racers all at once.
Another possibility is that they don’t bother to make first party console exclusive. What if the switch 2 is a stop-gap console? They may want to hold over the hardcore gamer crowd.
@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss
Doing a Cross-Gen significantly kills any sales numbers for the Switch 2 as all it does is give people less of a reason to buy it.
The Switch 2 is already backwards compatible.
24 players in online mode on Switch 1 seems difficult.
Even if you lower at 30 FPS and 720 P
nintendo are the kings of optimising their big games, they could prolly do it at 720p 60fps
fall guys has like 68 player online and ran at a locked perfect 30fps during season 1 (although they do cut down the framerate of other player's animations)
difficult might be an understatment
24 players online doesn't sound impossible. Now, with the sheer size of the track in the teaser...it wouldn't run well, that's for sure. This is clearly a next-gen game
@@ask343dude, it’s a fucking online game. A single switch system isn’t rendering all that crap by itself
Better for the Switch 2 to stay exclusive, better for MK9 to be cross gen.
For Nintendo I'd say it's better to go all-in on the Switch 2 to bed it in.
It’s not like they’re above porting it to the next system anyways if switch 2 flops. Makes me think it’ll be exclusive and they can save resources for next system Mario kart if the system does end up flopping. I hope it’s not the case though, I do not wanna play another Mario kart for several years.
@DeltaFrazzle I don't see the S2 flopping (Nintendo still profited from previous lacklustre generations) but I think it could easily under perform (in part because Nintendo tends to give itself high sales expectations because, frankly, sometimes they achieve them).
Could be like 3DS again. Legacy hardware and the more expensive upgrade could work heavily against it. To that end I think Nintendo needs to work hard to emphasise that the S2 is now the new home for new premium Nintendo content. Otherwise people will just keep buying S1's.
If Nintendo can afford it (no idea how expensive these things are) I could see them making a price cut in the first year. If not, they won't, since selling hardware at cost or below to sell more software is quite alien to them.
It would not better if Mk9 was cross gen
@@catmario-_3170 I just mean better for MK9. It would definitely sell better since everyone buys MK. But precisely for that reason it would be bad to make it cross gen, it would hurt Switch 2 (and also be bad for the game and how far they can push the hardware).
people seem to be misunderstanding. the goal of this isn't to sell as many copies of this new mario kart it's to sell as many new consoles in order to play this new mario kart which will then lead to more people buying other switch 2 games. if they were going for just straight software sales on this game obviously switch 1 had a bigger install base now and probably forever but that isn't the point. it's not even a question that should be discussed, this is the system seller for switch 2.
This is an interesting concept, however I think it's largely unprecedented despite the obvious parallels to Twilight Princess and BOTW. They were both announced for exclusive release on GameCube and Wii U, respectively, before later being delayed and ported to Wii and Switch. This new Mario Kart was announced specifically alongside Switch 2, so there's a critical marketing difference here. On a development level, you could imagine the stories are more similar, though. Although Nintendo EPD 9 worked on Home Circuit and Tour and the Booster Course Pass, the first two of that list being co-development projects make me doubt that either consumed the team's full attention.
As such, you could imagine that this game did indeed begin development on Switch 1. But I might argue that the somewhat debatable fidelity of the Booster Course Pass content and oddly protracted release schedule suggest that it was a band-aid solution to a gap left by a conscious decision to move *this* Mario Kart title to Switch 2 exclusively. That's all conjecture but it feels sensible, EPD 9 wasn't just sitting on its hands until, say, 2022 when they suddenly entered pre-production on an NS2 Mario Kart game.
I want to highlight one other key difference between Mario Kart and TP/BOTW as well. The cross-gen benefit there was in bringing incredibly expensive and artistically significant games forward from a flagging system to a platform that'd give them more visibility and chance of success. The argument for Mario Kart's cross-gen release hinges on the inverse: benefit to the prior platform. As such, I think the Zelda precedent lends credence to Prime 4 being a Switch 2 title more than it lends credence to Mario Kart being cross-gen in the reverse.
None of this is to discount the strong case you make for its benefit as an NSO benefit and holiday title for NS1. But I have to say my personal forecast for a cross-gen strategy would be much lower than 50% :)
I think the argument that they could sell more units of the game to a larger install base doesn't hold much water. Y'know what game they are selling to that install base? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe... it's still going strong, so why bother adding a second one to the same pool? It makes much more sense to bring in players to the new platform instead of hoping to sell more units of one game that's already going to sell like hotcakes anyway (and doesn't look that much more expensive to make than current Switch games)
I sincerely doubt that it will be a cross gen title, that would in my eyes severely hurt the switch 2s sales prospects for a lot of people, especially if it's a launch title.
They could get away with breath of the wild being cross gen because no one had or wanted to play a wii u, but now, millions of parents who bought their kids consoles and more casual gamers WILL skip switch 2 as long as Nintendo keeps releasing titles for switch, adding a brand new cross gen mario kart to that will just further this problem, even if they're thinking of the raw sales numbers right now and figure a switch 1 cross gen title has more potential, there's no doubt in my mind that Nintendo thinks long term. And if they are in fact thinking of the long term sales, a switch 2 exclusive game from the get go is 100% the way to go.
This ^^
I don’t understand why people are having this theory. It’s like saying if Mario Odyssey was gonna be cross gen with the Wii U and switch when that was first shown off.
They don't need to sell it to kids year 1. Most of the audience are adults anyway. There will eventually be exclusives like Smash and Pokemon that the kids will want.
@@bobpotato1231 Doesn't matter. Mario Kart always stays exclusive to whatever platform it's on. Yes, the Switch got a re-release of a Mario Kart game from the Wii U, but Nintendo never releases two iterations of mainline Mario Kart on the same console. Mario Kart has always remained a "one per console" type of franchise.
Not a SINGLE Nintendo console has ever received two mainline iterations of Mario Kart, and I don't anticipate that changing here. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the Switch's iteration of Mario Kart, and whatever this next one is will be the Switch 2 iteration.
The only way I see it being a cross gen is if they make it planned obsolence to push towards an upgrade to switch 2 by shutting servers down on the original switch. I highly doubt they’ll do that because the install base for original switch is so large is very likely to cause backlash. I agree that the sentiment is in long term sales and they probably wouldn’t make it cross gen after making the booster course pass as well.
The fact the tracks are considerably larger, and for twice the number of racers, may be why they're not pushing for a larger graphical upgrade. It's a technical jump
IMO a new feature like 24 players and better tracks is going to sell much better than a graphical upgrade. MK8 still looks amazing to this day in my opinion, so they’d be better off just adding more features to make the game fun like you said
The switch 2 is 20x stronger than the Wii U, the platform MK8 was designed for. They could get a larger track/more playes and still upgrade graphics.
In the little bit of footage we got the graphics look much better to me, especially the detail on the road lol
@@Ur2ez4me81the graphics look considerably worse.
@@RiqMoran c’mon man, you can’t actually tell from 10 seconds of cropped footage from a compressed UA-cam video lol
I was in the "this looks basically like MK8D" camp, but the more I look at the footage, the more I think we are fooled by the more cartoony artstyle and the fact that it is not direct footage.
The game does look like it has quite some improvements to MK8D (which was a technological marvel, let's not forget that). And I do think this looks to be around the ballpark of Team Sonic Racing on the stronger consoles. But that game also ran on Switch 1.
So I think it probably could run on Switch 1 (in maybe 30fps 900p or so), but doubt it will due to Nintendo probably wanting it to be the big system seller of the Switch 2 ... why else is it the one and only game they showed running on it in the Trailer?
But I do not think this game will push the Switch 2 to it's technological limits quite like Mario Kart 8 used to do to the Wii U.
I do not know if you already made a video about that topic, but maybe that is Nintendo's approach when it comes to "escaping" the next-gen-development-trap of massively increased cost and time resources needed to make games. Just push the games graphically as far as needed and not go all out and increase cost.
Yep, the fact that is cropped footage from a 1080p trailer makes that only people who knows really well the software can differentiate them
I was actually wondering the same thing when the teaser was shown.
On one hand, the visuals aren't exactly something that couldn't also run on the OG Switch on first glance at least. On the other hand, I'm not sure how well the Switch could handle twice the amount of drivers on the track.
But you know absolutely well, that the game would sell a ridiculous amount with having the soon 150 million Switch owners being part of it at release. The online experience should be quite lively from day 1 as well. But we'll see :)
We also don't know the resolution of the new Mario Kart. It could be running at 1440p or even 4k. So even without a big graphical bump, it could still stand out visually.
@@GameDragon2k The textures in the footage were extremely low quality, genuinely worse than the Wii U version, so even at a higher resolution it isn't gonna look impressive.
@@bobpotato1231 UA-cam compression of footage that isn't even full-screen will absolutely make things look worse than actual gameplay on a real system
I think making a switch successor that literally looks exactly like the predecessor, and then making their number one franchise cross gen would unironically tank their year 1 sales. Didn't their stock actually take a hit after the switch 2 reveal, because of "lack of surprises" or something as well?
Correct. The stock price went up Thursday, after rising all week in anticipation. It actually reached something like a five-year high, but wasn't all in one day. But then it collapsed Friday back to where it was Tuesday. The hype bubble burst after the reveal. There just weren't enough specifics in the reveal to illustrate why Switch 2 is an actual generational leap or merely a larger sized Switch 1. Note that initial western reaction was pointing to how the stock price had gone up, but Thursday's reveal was made after trading hours in Japan. Friday was the first trading day following reveal, and it dropped - not something Nintendo probably expected.
Of course, one day fluctuation isn't ultimately important. What's really going to matter is where the stock price is right before the investors meeting in February. If the stock stabilizes and remains high, then investors won't care about Friday's dip. If the stock continues to slide from now until then, that's a huge problem. I've been thinking that it would really be smart for Nintendo to have a Direct ready for last week of January in case an earlier January reveal didn't go over well (which is what has happened) but we keep hearing February for Direct, and that doesn't get Furukawa off the hot seat in the investors meeting. Massive leaks, a failed reveal, release delay into summer (after already not making a 2024 date), almost certainly falling short of that Switch 1 units sold mark they already revised once, and three poorly selling games since the last time they'd met will really have some people questioning leadership. This is after all the first generational change for which he's been the top man, and it hasn't gone well at all.
Nintendo Forecast might cover the implications of stock price and other matters prior to the investors meeting, but I'm frankly shocked Nintendo set February 4 as the date if they were going to show as little as they did in the reveal trailer and then have a February Direct and not January. This puts cart before horse by having the investors meeting before both the Direct and the presumed Super Bowl commercial (February 9) in America, which is being tossed around as the potential start of the big advertising push for the North American market. I don't know why they wouldn't have scheduled the investors meeting for February 11, and give us Direct on February 5 or 6, allowing both events in the prior days to feed the hype engine and ratchet up the stock price a bit more a bit more so Furukawa has some extra hooks to hang his hat on. He doesn't have a single officially revealed new game that he didn't already have in November (and only one remaining to release, in Xenoblade X), and the Switch 2 seems just as far off now as it did back in November and most likely STILL won't be to market by the time the May investors meeting comes around.
@@lilisaurfebruary 4? What are you talking abour, the direct is on april
@lilisaur the date said April 2nd, not February 4th
@@lilisaur April, not february im pretty sure
@ @Elchinodawn @TlocRevelc Guys, they're almost certainly having a general/Switch 1 Direct before April. They always have one January or February and still need to lay out the plan for Switch 1 before Switch 2 arrives. If April is Switch 2-specific, they aren't going radio silent on Switch 1 until a June or July Direct. That's too many months with no Direct-advertised releases at all. So why not cover this Switch 1 stuff before the investors meeting?
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh doubts on the technical level alone. That Mario Kart map seemed to be quite detailed in terms of its surroundings, not to mention the fact it supports 24 players at once in all likelihood. A 10% chance of being cross-gen is already feeling generous to me, not gonna lie.
They will NOT go cross-gen with their HIGHEST SELLING GAME. They can with Metroid and Zelda, but no no no... Mario Kart will be exclusive. If they want to push hardware sales, Mario Kart is the answer.
If this was cross gen, they wouldve announced MK9 in a regular direct
Based on the comment section, I’d wager many people clicked off (or commented on) the video before the end segment. These are my thoughts:
I think it is relatively unlikely that there will be a true “cross-gen” situation (like with Breath of the Wild or Twilight Princess), but I do think that it is VERY possible, as you mentioned, that there could be a ‘test drive’ demo exclusive to NSO Members (or possibly Expansion Pass members) on the Switch 1.
This would not only serve as an incentive or reward for new and old NSO+EP members alike; but a great way to show what indeed is so new and great about the Switch 2!
I can’t really see why, no one is gonna upgrade if they can play the game on the current Switch
Not to mention the game will probably have to have a low framefrate, and resolution, it might even look worse and run worse than mk8. There's no point at that point.
What about 3D Mario, Smash, Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, the next Pokemon generation, etc.? They have plenty of exclusives possible without Mario Kart.
@@bobpotato1231 Those aren’t coming the first year, what’s coming based on this will be all on the OG Switch tho: Metroid 4, Pokemon ZA, Mario Kart and other games so why move on to the next console?
I don't think it will be, the current Switch already has a Mario Kart so I think this will be Switch 2 exclusive and will be a launch title that will be a HUGE system seller which is really smart. And there is no way the Switch would be able to handle 24 PLAYER races!
It only made sense to do this in the specific contexts of a core audience game like (Zelda TP and BotW) trying to squeeze out as many sales as possible hot off the transition from a financial failure system.
Thus, I don’t think there’s any shot that “Software sells Hardware” Nintendo would shoot themselves in the foot by doing the same thing Sony/Microsoft have, allowing people to cling to their older systems for waaaaay too long.
Kit and Krysta said recently that Mr. Iwata had drilled in a philosophy of “Every audience out there needs to have at least three exclusive titles they’d want to be convinced to buy a system” during his time at Nintendo too, and it doesn’t seem as if that’s changed.
Bro this channel always stresses me out.
That said, I do appreciate addressing the worst case scenarios
It's a fun little video but really the next Mario Kart is THE system seller. This is just nonsense talk because the visuals were not crash hot. My theory is that they are holding back the good visuals until April
They need to sell new systems, exclusive MarioKart will do that. Look at there advice to Ubisoft re: Mario Rabbids - one game per system.... Im probably just biased and want it on the SW2. Realistically I think Nintendo have learned from PS and the cross gen strategy that hasn't worked.
thats an incredibly bad idea. Why would they essentially ruin the Switch 2's value by getting an exclusive taken away from it. Software sells consoles.
interesting reasoning, but i still think a 50% forecast is too high, a streaming-only first party title has never happened and while mario kart is particularly suited for being a mainly online game, any lag in the controls will feel very bad
in those two cases of cross-gen titles, i think the more significant reason for them is, they announced them for one system, yet they slipped so far beyond their original launch dates that they happened to be good launch titles for the succeeding systems. and i think they wanted to keep their promise to those that wanted to play said games on the previous systems, for the case of twilight princess and breath of the wild in particular. i'm sure more than a few folks bought a gamecube and a wii u respectively just to play those games (unlike a case such as super paper mario, which was announced for gamecube in 2006, but was then delayed and moved to the wii. i think very few people got upset at that move)
as far as branding games as "switch 1 and switch 2" compatible, if two versions of a game were to be included in one case, either they would have to use a larger-capacity cartridge, or require a download for switch 2 owners, which is something they've avoided on switch 1 at all costs (even if it meant raising the price of a game above $60, in the case of tears of the kingdom)
Edit, I watched this video up until like the 13 minute mark right before he mentioned something very similar, I should just keep these thoughts to myself.
I haven't seen many people talking about how Nintendo will handle cross-gen games. Xbox and Playstation have offered next-gen upgrades that let you use the last gen disc to play the digital version, but I think Nintendo could put both on the same card. A 4K Blu-Ray disc could never work in the regular Blu-Ray drives of the Xbox One and PS4, the lasers just can't read it, but game cards work differently, they're more like SD cards, which limit themselves to whatever standards are supported by both the card and the reader. The Switch already has support for cards with more than one game meant for things like 2 in 1 packs, with a firmware update it should be able to recognize the difference between Switch 1 and Switch 2 executables. This would make upgrading easier since people could continue to use their cross-gen game cards exactly as they did before, if this does happen they could even relrelease games like Breath of the Wild on these cards.
I still appreciate the comment! :)
Let the Switch rest at this point. It's had so many great games. Let Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Legends sing its swan song. It's time for Nintendo to use its hardware potential once more.
i genuinely think that would kill the switch 2 immediately.
Love the “forward compatible” idea. Could see this happening with Prime 4 and Legends ZA as well.
I think if we are going to get a cross-gen launch title, it's going to be Prime 4, since that lines up a lot more closely with what happened with BOTW's development, though I'm less certain of it since it'll be playable on Switch 2 regardless and might just be used to show off the backwards compatibility enhancements, if any.
I really don't see Mario Kart filling that niche, aside from just not making sense from a business standpoint. There's more first-party games on Switch coming out that are struggling to run stably in its golden years. Even 8 Deluxe's online can be pretty spotty with just 12 racers, so I can't imagine doubling that would be a smooth experience on Switch without some major compromises. The size of the one track we did see alone seems a lot larger than anything we could've gotten out of 8 as well. Plus, the fact there doesn't seem to be a huge graphical leap yet could just be because we only got a tiny glimpse of it and they're both HD games, I believe it'll be more apparent once we actually get hands on with Switch 2.
The packaging discussion with Switch 1 and 2 logos is an interesting one. The physical games at any store near me are always locked behind glass, and I don’t want to bug workers to look at stuff, so the only time I see the back of a game is when I am ready to purchase it. If others are like me, that means you might not want to put important information like “this game is only for Switch 2” solely on the back. All of that to say, video game companies have half of the real estate to get important information that’s relevant to consumers, i.e. it needs to be on the front. That could definitely make the covers busy…
I don't think the Switch can handle 24 racers
Switch 1 mode could have less players? That feels unlikely though.
Keep in mind that Mario Kart 8 was a Wii U title and the switch version had a lot more overhead that was untapped in 8 Deluxe. They increased the resolution to 1080p but beyond that they didn’t make any graphical changes and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Deluxe drop a single frame in my years playing it, I definitely think Nintendo could get a 24 player Mario Kart working on switch, especially if the graphical improvements are minimal as it seems from the footage.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss It's highly unlikely that Switch can handle double the racers (thus double the shenanigans) on screen even with the same exact graphics as MK8DX
Why not? They've had Mario 35 and several 99 series games that do a similar tracking of a large number of user's play submitted across internet to be rendered as actions on other players Switches, and at four times the scale. The network-transmitted actions of an F-Zero vehicle and a Mario Kart vehicle are not that radically different.
@@lilisaur the problem is not if the switch can handle 12, 24 or 100 players at once. it can. The problem is the switch being able to run (even playing solo) 24 cars and all the items and stuff involved without the frame rate tanking. Which most likely can not at the graphical level shown.The games you mention are 8 and 16 bit games. Of corse they can do it.
Unless I'm forgetting something obvious, the times Nintendo have released a cross gen title are specifically games that were announced for one system and got delayed into oblivion (Twilight Princess; Breath of the Wild) and happened to release about the time of the next system as a result - As such if there is a cross gen title, I'd expect it to be Metroid Prime 4 rather than Mario Kart 9. (The Pokemon Company have been happy to release titles on previous hardware with and without backwards compatibility of the next system, at least until a system's second holiday, so while I've seen some speculation about Legends ZA, I doubt that will be a cross gen release).
This is not likely at all. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe struggled to run at 60fps on the Switch with just only 12 racers (I believe it was locked at 30fps with 3 or more players locally). With 24 racers and the additional graphical details (poly count) of the racers in the new game, I highly doubt this will be cross gen.
What Switch 1 games are you playing? Theres a ton of games that are rendering high poly count enemies with well more than 24 on screen at once in independent movement.
While I doubt its cross-gen for business reasons, I've no doubt that Switch 1 could handle 24 if they designed it so.
@ let’s not be dense here. I play Splatoon 2-3, Luigi’s Mansion, Smash Bros, BOTW TOTK EOW and Skyward Sword, Animal Crossing, MK8, Xenoblade 1-3, I’m currently playing Disgaea 5, have Mario Wonder, Odyssey, Jamboree, ARMS, Metroid Prime, Dread, etc and if you don’t believe me about all these games I can just give you my Switch code lmao
Please do yourself a favor and play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with 3 or more players and tell me if it runs at a stable 60fps… it’s 30. Same with 3 or more players on ARMS. The point is that Mario Kart Switch 2 or whatever this will be, will NOT be cross gen for that exact reason. If MK8D can barely handle 12 players locally, I doubt Nintendo would want to double to player amount and have it slog even more. Not even saying the Switch can’t run certain games, I’m just saying I DON’T think THIS game will run on Switch due to the player count alone. Let’s not even get started on the animations, higher poly count and the new models.
ANYWAY. I’m stocked for Switch 2!
Is it possible? Sure.
Do I think it’s likely with the runaway success Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was, bundle or no? …Not very, but I won’t ignore the possibility.
You’re right! 10% IS likelier than I think /j
I think the reason there’s not a big graphical upgrade is because it’s an open-world game.
Not convinced. The simple fact of 24 players is clearly using the extra power/memory of the new system. Metroid will be cross platform.
I think that releasing the new MK cross-gen, would make the consumer doubtful of nintendo's confidence towards their own new hardware
I doubt it is. I just think the reason it looks so underwhelming is because it might be pushing a truly massive open world behind the scenes with all the tracks integrated into it, not unlike Forza Horizon, where you can play online whether you are free roaming or racing, take part in quests or missions, upgrade your load outs all while keeping separate cup and versus modes for pick up and play stuff. They're just hiding all that, obviously, but I can definitely see plenty of signs of it in even the tiny glimpses we got. Pushing such a potentially huge, seamless open world with all the typical potential variety would explain the relatively minor graphical leap yet still showcase the Switch 2's huge leap in power.
I doubt Mario Kart will ever go open-world. It just doesn't make much sense for a funracer.
I'll kill for some kind of "history" mode, I don't even need it to be that deep. Give me the "Diddy Kong racing" experience but modernized.
I too think with what is shown (the impressive drawing distance, the long straight roads, some kind of new type item...) that we might get something there...
I would personally love to see this I think a Forza Horizon style open world driving through the Mushroom Kingdom doing missions like deliver mushrooms to some hungry Toads within a set time limit without using them to boost, or some other goofy madness would be very cool. However, I can’t see it happening so I’m just gonna shut this hope down now so I don’t get disappointed
I think this would signal a serious lack of confidence in moving forward to new hardware, which would not be a great look. The original switch will of course still be kept around a bit, but they still need to be willing to market switch 2 as the definitive step forward. Having a title as major as a new mario kart, which was specifically revealed alongside new hardware, plopped onto old hardware as a safety net of sorts, would signal the switch 2 as more of a sidegrade that they aren't willing to commit to. Things like Metroid Prime 4 being potential fully cross gen titles with native switch 2 versions makes more sense because that game for example had already been promised for switch 1. (Sorry if this is basically all said in the video, I just saw the title of the video and wanted to comment despite not having the time to sit and watch right now lol)
This is just copium for people who can't buy the Switch 2
(coping opium)
if it wasn’t for the fact that it clearly has 24 racers, i think the entire internet would be thinking it’s a cross gen game. that’s the only think making people go “this can’t run on switch one” when it very well still could.
says a lot about how little of a graphical leap this is, considering we know the specs of the console and it’s a GIANT leap.
I actually think there's a lot more of an improvement to visuals than you might thing but the improved visuals are a bit more subtle in that there seems to be a higher polygon count and there's more detail in general. I think what might be throwing people off is the fact this game is going for more of a cartoony art style, which is something that we're used to seeing on Switch 1 so it might not seem super impressive visually at a glance!
@ there’s better animations, but luigi’s mansion 3 and wonder already did that to a greater extent on switch 1. there’s higher poly models, and that’s about it from a legitimate tech leap.
the texture quality seems reduced to non existent (especially on karts in comparison) so that’s not really a leap. the lighting clearly is not a noticeable leap, in fact i’d say mk8 has prettier lighting effects. and the draw distance is identical.
it’s just more cartoony, which is fine, but nothing about it reads “next gen” and worth an 11 year gap between releases. the mk team hasn’t worked on a game in 8 years (since arms) so it’s hard to see what they spent the 8 years doing, at least visually.
MK8 dx has perfected the art style of Mario kart. They cannot improve more
@@friendlyotaku9525 it's honestly a little confusing to me why Nintendo chose to make such a cartoony and simple art style for this game when they could be doing a lot more to show off the console's new hardware power. I can tell by looking at the ground that textures are much crisper and higher resolution, but then the characters and Karts look super smooth and simplified. I'll give it some time, but right now MK8 looks prettier.
It's Mario Kart, a very cartoony and stylized game. Expecting it to use 100% of a system's graphical capabilities is a little silly. Mario Kart doesn't need hyper-realistic worlds, the amount of realism in Mario Kart 8 is about as far as it should ever go. It looks like this new one isn't aiming for fancier graphics, but just more stylized and expressive ones. While the extra power of the system is being tapped into more for the 24 racers.
I know it’s *slightly* off topic, but I do believe that Pokémon Legends Z-A will be a cross-gen launch title. There were trademarks filed for 2 new Mega Evolution-themed sets for the TCG, likely meaning that the upcoming set after Journey Together (March release btw) is probably coming in June/July. We all know that TPC loves timing all of their releases together, so Z-A will probably launch around the same time. I personally see the Switch 2 coming either in late May or in June, and if both Mario Kart and Pokémon are launch games, that would be really, really crazy. I believe Z-A will be a cross-gen title, I think that’s a safe bet. But if both big launch games are cross-gen, that could really hurt the initial sales of the console. The Switch 2 versions would obviously run better, but I’m not sure that the average consumer cares about that as long as they can play it. I think it would be smarter if Nintendo keeps the new Mario Kart a Switch 2 exclusive.
I think theres a very low chance MK will be crossplatform if it is a launch game.
Before watching the video I was like “no no no that doesn’t make any sense”
But after watching it I thought “mmm that sounds reasonable” xD kudos to you for the great content! Love this channel
This is an interesting thought experiment, but still highly unlikely. The previous cross-gen titles of Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild had a lesser risk since the GameCube and Wii U did not do very well commercially. That's not the case with the Switch's massive install base.
It should not be a cross gen title. It would defeat the whole purpose of having a Nintendo Switch 2. Software is what sells hardware after all. This is one of the reasons why Xbox is failing, they put too much flexibility to a fault in accessing their IPs in various platforms. Why bother even having an Xbox?
Maybe we are looking at a Gran Turismo 7 situation. Mario Kart 9 may be initially planned as a Switch 2 exclusive, but if the system don't sell as expected, they are ready to release it on Switch 1 if it's needed. I don't think it will release on Switch 1 if pre-orders of Switch 2 start strong, but if it doesn't meet Nintendo's sales expectations, we may see the game showing up on Switch 1.
Put Mario Kart X on one common cartridge and run the high res version on the Switch 2 and the low res on Switch 1. When people are ready to upgrade their console, they get to transfer the save games and profile to the Switch 2. Its crazy, but it might work.
I think one of the big reasons why they may not do this is because of how compromised the OG switch is. Do they really want to deal with the piracy and early leaks of the last console with their new releases. I don’t think so. There are still games I would expect to come like Pokemon, but as far as major 1st party releases from Nintendo studios proper I think that is over
Only Crossgen games I can remember from Nintendo are Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, which were first announced for the Last-gen console instead of the new gen, which isn't the case with the new Mario Kart which has been announced at the same time as the new generation
I think an exclusive Mario Kart is just as important as the number 2 for making it clear this is a new system. I also don't think you could sell people on buying another Mario Kart for their current Switch the same way you can sell them another Mario Kart for a new Switch.
If it’s not cross gen Nintendo is leaving a lot of money on the table. They would sell conservatively 20 mil on Switch alone. Possibly 50. That means on the low end they would pocket 1 Billion. I think Cross gen is likely… there will be plenty of cross gen first few years for this reason.
Even though I think the Switch 2 will sell very well, Nintendo need to have a very strong line up of games, to keep fans interested and persuade people on the fence.
Gosh I hope not. The Switch 1 is a walking corpse.
This is never happening
This new Mario Kart will probably have a track maker which is why the layout is so wide and huge. And it’s a good way to utilize the Switch2’s mouse functionality.
Yeah, I don't see it coming.
Releasing MK9 will help with sales of that game, BUT it will hurt Switch 2 sales in the long run. S2 will sell out in the launch year, but what's after that? People might think "MK9 came out on Switch, which means we'll get probably more crosss gen games".
And if there is one thing Switch proofed, seperating sales on two system aint good for sales. I think Switch will get some Nintendo games, but not MK9 & not longer that mid or end of 2025.
The only cross gen big titles i see are metroid and pokemon za, bc both were announced for the switch first, but it they likely make sure they look so mucb better on switch 2 to the point you wanna get them on it instead
Cross Gen Mario Kart 9 sounds like a really bad idea for Switch 2. Sure it’ll sell more copies on paper but then people would have no reason to buy a Switch 2. The console will become a flop with no exclusives, it needs them to be worth buying and Mario Kart is a big one
24 racers at the same time (especially online)is too graphically demanding on the switch 1 CPU
Doesn't seem to be a problem for other games that have 24 or more independently moving high-poly count objects. Say, the Xenoblade games as examples.
They need a system seller and Mario Kart is it, it might damage console sales of the Switch 2 if cross-gen. As for the graphics being too similar to MK8? This can be explained in a three possible ways. First Nintendo may want performance for 24 player races. Second we only got a very small glimpse a game on a screen within a screen. Third: They are holding out on graphics performance and specs until April. The whole purpose was to show yes, the Switch 2 is official and it will play games.
If the new MK is cross-gen, then it needs to be one single cartridge and digital release which showcases how a game still works on the original Switch but is enhanced on Switch 2!
But I suspect they would want a system-seller level game like Mario Kart to actually sell the new system exclusively.
No lol, literally 0 chance.
It looks like a switch 1 game. If this is their switch 2 showpiece titles then idk if it’s gonna convince casuals that a switch 2 was a necessary upgrade. I think it’s gross gen, the switch never got its own Mario Kart, 8 was a Wii U game and 8 Deluxe was a nice upgrade from it but fundamentally no graphical changes beyond resolution and fixing the 59fps bug that the Wii U version had.
Launching a Mario Kart cross gen makes too much sense imo, especially if it’s more online focused with its 24 player gameplay that everyone’s speculating about. They may have other system seller games at or near launch but the fact that it looks like a switch game is I think indicative of it being a cross gen game, if it’s an exclusive for Switch 2 then that’s a bad sign for the switch 2’s graphical capability.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqssYou're overestimating the casual audience's sensitivity to graphics, like a lot. The fact of the matter is that visual leaps are no longer as severe as they were between MKW and MK8. This new game technically "looks better" than the last one, but 7 to 11 times more powerful now means so much less than 7 to 11 times more powerful then. Without the change in artstyle and character design from 8, most frankly wouldn't be able to tell even with RTX and DLSS that it's definitively a new game without a side-by-side comparison because 8 is already a great enough-looking game. As is always the case with Nintendo, it will be the still-unknown new mechanics and "ways to play" of this entry that draws in buyers.
Launching crossgen just because it's not graphically top notch makes _no_ sense in the long run. It would tap into the massive player base of the OG Switch, but all that does is fracture audiences and cement the Switch 2 as something not worth buying in the first place. This is even worse if it's the supposed big launch title. Why risk the success of a whole console because of a factor most Nintendo consumers aren't very concerned about?
Could be a good way to keep Switch owners engaged and give Switch 2 buyers something to use it with, but there needs to be more games at launch and Nintendo exclusives announced to entice people to buy the console.
Mario Kart 9 will not be cross gen for a few reasons:
-Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is already on the Switch 1 and now has 96 courses after a bunch of dlc updates.
-Only one mainline Mario Kart title has ever released on a single console (Live doesn't count. That's an RC Kart that needs software to function. You're stretching there)
-Putting your best selling Switch 2 game on the old Switch 1 is a good way to cripple Switch 2 sales for no reason
-It's the only game that was shown off in a Switch 2 reveal that wasn't even focused on games to get ppl hyped to play it on the new system
-Nintendo wants ppl to move away from the Switch 1 system. That's why the Switch 2 trailer mentions it's backwards compatible with Switch 1 games
-Nintendo has special events planned in certain locations to test the Switch 2 early, and seeing as MK9 is the only game announced, it makes sense it would be the playable exclusive
One example that is brought up is that cross gen games have happened before, which is true. Zelda BOTW being the big example. The difference however is that BOTW was originally meant to be a Wii U exclusive and was known about before the Switch 1 was even known to the public. It makes sense that was released to both consoles as it was promised to be on the Wii U. I think the same thing will apply to Prime 4. Again, a game that was meant to be a Switch 1 exclusive LONG before Switch 2's existence. I believe that will be one of the last big Switch games that'll be cross gen.
Mario Kart 9 will be Switch 2 exclusive, and I believe Nintendo did the Switch 2 reveal early to get ppl prepared for the switch (no pun intended) to the new console.
I absolutely 100℅ believe on the hunch that MK9 will be a cross-gen title. It'd be extremely stupid of Nintendo to just immediately abandon the 140+ million install base in favor of their brand new (yet unproven) system.
Sony did a lot of this, and it seems to have not worked out all that well for them.
I can see this happening, because if this new title was cross gen, then they'd be able to sell it to more people.
And we know for a fact they prioritize software sales over hardware sales, why? Well answer me this: Why would Nintendo make a hybrid console? They wouldn't be able to sell you two consoles anymore!
The answer is the fact that they value their games being available to as many people as possible over the possibility of selling hardware units.
For once I really disagree with the video
Nintendo thinks long term and Mario Kart is the definition of long term, they will prioritize this to some short term gain.
They also don't need the extra immediate cash as they are the richest company in Japan.
If it really was cross-gen, they wouldn't have wanted this title to be the switch 2 showcase title either
There are big differences with let's say a BotW which while it was indeed the switch showcase title and cross gen, it was made for Wii U first and foremost but the short lifespan of the Wii U and its small install based participated in that decision. It's also a very different thought process, BotW stepped up to become something more, while revealing a new Mario kart so late and with the new console only for it to be cross gen would feel like the title taking a step down to get at the og's switch level.
Also, you have to consider that Mario Kart 8 still sales like crazy on switch 1 and its DLC is quite recent so Switch 1 users have a lot of new content to enjoy and it's still bringing massive cash amounts to Nintendo.
The graphical argument is easy to ignore when it's probably an early look, too short of a trailer and it also wasn't direct footage.
Uhm that track goes out to the three mushroom mesas and possibly beyond, that wavy highway looks like the start of a 200cc+ speed zone, im not sure the Switch 1 could have 24 online racers racing that length with wonder seed mechanics shifting the terrain all at once
i would hope not purely based on the implications for the performance in online multiplayer. we know switch is a problem when it comes to this. hopefully switch 2 improves on this.
It could run on the Switch with lower graphics, but not even that much lower.
I really hope Nintendo pulls a PS4 and still continue releasing some their new games on Switch
I think the biggest consideration in Nintendo's mind, and why I think it's nigh improbable that they would make MK9 a cross-gen title: Momentum.
Through the directly contrastable launches of the Wii U and Switch 1 back to back, they've empirically seen that first impressions and sales momentum is crucial to a system's long term success. Lack of exciting, exclusive "killer app" games in the Wii U's launch window drastically hampered people's excitement and desire for the console in the short term, which kicked off a feedback loop where 3rd parties (and to an extent Nintendo themselves) seemed to have less and less faith in the system, which lead to less people wanting to get invested, which lead to even less faith from devs and so on. They managed to perk things up a bit later on by 2014 with Smash and MK8, but unlike the 3ds (a portable, far cheaper option with a broader game library), they just weren't able to overcome that slow start and make the Wii U truly appealing in consumers eyes, especially with a lot of even the stand out Wii U games having similar versions on 3ds already too. (MK7, Smash, 3D Land, NSMB, etc.)
In comparison, the Switch's phenomenal, breakneck launch year schedule made it a must have by that holiday season alone, which they were able to build and build on to literally the best selling Nintendo console of all time. There can certainly be arguments for Nintendo taking a more drawn out, half-step transition between 1 and 2, but it'll tank their long term prospects if they don't give the switch 2 a running start, and cannibalizing the long term prospects for the system in pursuit of potentially higher sales in the short term on the gargantuan existing (yet perhaps less active) install base of 1 seems especially short sighted and hasty, especially for post Wii U, Furukawa era Nintendo.
Great point.
Spawn Wave released a video today comparing the Switch and Wii U day one games. Wii U had a MUCH better list. But we all know how that worked out.
So I genuinely think they could get away with cross-gen MK9. Knowing how popular and mainstream it is, they could reward the massive install base who continue to play MK8. But with other franchises that sell under 10 million units, those should stay exclusive to new hardware and release sooner than later. I think niche audiences will pay more for a next entry in their favourite series. Having _some_ but a limited number of cross-gen games is also a good way to keep up with demand. As they release new 3D Mario, Splatoon, and Zelda games, which should be staggered, they will continue to hit sales targets for hardware.
I do indeed want some games on Switch 1 before upgrading to Switch 2.
Most of which are ports and maybe 2 or 3 new games.
Knowing Nintendo it will be Switch 2 exclusive but they could do a watered down version.
I seriously hope we get a Nintendoland predecessor & Pilot wings, Punch out & a new Excite bike.
They need to go heavy on their IP’s this time around. They played the system (Switch 2) safe now they gotta go all out on the games.
I think Nintendo will still make Switch games, and some games will definitely be cross-gen, I do not expect Mario Kart to be one of those games, gamers that only have a Switch already have a Mario Kart game, and Switch 2 needs big exclusives near launch. Breath of thr Wild worked as a cross-gen game because within a rounding error 0 people were still using their Wii U
I don't see this happening for a couple of reasons. Doubling the amount of players will make running the game on Switch 1 very difficult and we haven't seen direct footage of the game yet to assess the graphics. Nintendo is also planning to ship 20 million Switch 2's so Mario Kart 9 as a launch title could easily reach 10 million units on Switch 2 alone
I think it's unlikely. Mario Kart has never been bigger, and Nintendo would really want a popular launch title for Switch 2. The "NSO demo for Switch 1" seems like the thing Nintendo is most likely to do, since the full experience would still be exclusive to the new console.
Its a longterm mistake, the main reason why casuals wanna upgrade is to play new games, no new games no upgrade. Also if they wanna do longterm dlc for this game it would be weird to potentially give switch 1 game dlc 5 years from now.
I think the lack of huge visual upgrades between Mario Kart 8 & 9 is that even Nintendo is starting to hit the point of diminishing returns in graphical fidelity.
A lot of first party games from Microsoft and Sony dont look that much better than their prequels on their older consoles shot for shot but the newer games will have bigger worlds, higher traveral speeds and generally a bigger scope. Track textures look more detailed and the characters are definitely higher poly but its not gonna matter much when you zip through tracks at high speeds and especially not when viewed in a zoomed out and skewed yt video.
Cross gen mario kart would be a really bad move. Cross gen Twilight Princess & WindWaker could be a thing.
Nintendo isn’t likely to go the cross-gen route with its games, as it would just cause confusion in the market, particularly with parents. I think Metroid Prime 4 may be the only title to get a true cross-gen release.
There may be some cross gen titles between Switch 1 and Switch 2, but Mario Kart won’t be one of them. Software sells hardware, and if Nintendo is telling the consumer that they can play a new game like Mario Kart 9 on either system, they’re sending the message to the consumer that they don’t need the new Switch 2. Nintendo’s focus is to sell the new hardware, because they know the original Switch will sell itself because it’s already established, has a positive reputation, a plethora of games with many more on the way, as well as word of mouth. It’s always trickier and more difficult to try to move your current install base onto a new system/console. Consumers aren’t just looking for the same but better graphics and performance . They’re looking for new experiences, and Nintendo is the best at giving consumers something they didn’t even know they wanted.
Yeah, I really don't want to be negative, but the reveal of this footage significantly lowered my expectations when it comes to next-gen Nintendo visuals. The new system is (according to rumors) 9-14 times more powerful than the Switch. It (supposedly) not using rtx or even dlss is baffling. This is not the jump I was expecting. Look at the improvements between MK Wii and 8 - day and night difference. And that took only 6 years, not 11+. It has to be cross gen. But if that is the case, why not show something more impressive, like a new 3D Mario instead? Again, I hope the April presentation will change how I feel, but as of now - it's not looking great. Awsome video, like always
Keep in mind this is a game still in development so it's not finished yet but increased power does not just go into visuals, it also goes into features and one of the most notable features of this game is the fact that 24 players can race at a time, this is something the current Switch would not be able to do. And while it's not as easy to see there is clearly a higher polygon count and more detail in general.
You saw 10 seconds of footage. Relax lol
@friendlyotaku9525 I agree, that gives me some hope. They still have time, and I have almost no doubt that gameplay will be amazing. And I am sure showing only 5 seconds of constantly moving, low quality footage didn't do the game justice. But the fact that plenty of people confused the game with MK8 is not a good first sign in my opinion.
we have so little footage currently, so i wouldn’t write this game off in terms of visuals just yet
what i’m most excited for is improved performance, especially for switch 1 games like zelda
@gotz1516 mario odyssey looked the same graphically in the switch 1 trailer to when it released
Yeah, no buddy, no one would buy the switch 2 without new games being locked there, like 150 million people own a switch, you might aswell cancel the console on launch day with this idea. BOTW and TP only got that treatment bc they had been in development for the whole console life time, meant for that console, they wouldn't do it for Mario Kart. I could see something like Pokemon getting that, as the thing seems to be intended for the switch and could just move over, but not the title that is the sequel to the 60 million sales copies game that may aswell be THE console seller for this new switch. They would do 1 or 2 of these, no more.
If there is a cross gen game my bet is Metroid Prime 4. The franchise could use the spotlight of not having many other high qualityt games on launch while ensuring it's not a flop on a 150 million instal base.
@aritzmartinez7892 yeah I agree, going back on the BOTW and TP point, I wouldnt be surprised if this game had been in development since early on honestly
The fact this discussion is even taking place is proof the reveal failed to show why the Switch 2 is a needed upgrade to the casual viewer. It came off looking like nothing more than a bigger Switch, territory the OLED model had already explored. Nintendo needed to show a game, or several, that were more clearly above and beyond the capabilities of Switch 1.
No.
Games are motivation for consumers to own consoles, why would anyone, besides a hardcore Nintendo fan like many of us, invest in Switch 2 if the new Mario Kart was tailored to also work for Switch 1.
It's happening for sure, MK9 crossgen
Would Switch 1 be able to support 24 players? That seems a little crazy to me.
It cannot even run Fall Guys at a stable 30 FPS.
There are games supporting 99 concurrent players already. So yes to 24 players proving input.
There are games that show more than 24 independently moving 3D enemies on screen. So yes to having 24 carts at same time.
Would it be a perfect 1080p, 60fps game? That's more debatable. But in technical terms its certainly possible Switch 1 could handle a 24 cart Mario kart game because we've seen the required elements already.
@@lilisaur those 99 games are usually very simple, I would imagine a Mario Kart with 24 players where everyone and their powerups need to be taken into account would be much more complex.
@@birdflox1337 Ok, then I'll use an even older example. F-Zero GX had 29 machines. And that game had a pretty high graphics level for GameCube hardware. I can't see how a game like Mario Kart, which likely doesn't push the graphics envelope very far, couldn't do 24 simultaneous racers, twenty-two years later.
I absolutly do not see that happening and I do not think MK9 would be able to run on Switch 1. 24 racers, more polycount in the models, the distance and openness at the end of the footage & the lighting in the new game looks different/more dynamic compared to MK8DX. I also just watched a video from the YT channel Sungrand Studios game dev who have worked with the Switch 1 about the MK9 footage. One thing about MK8DX and why it is able to look so good is that all the tracks use baked lighting as they are always static (sunset wilds doesn't change the time of day and people were upset about that and that's why others pointed this out and why I know about it)
I doubt this… because there's no precedent for it. Nintendo doesn't release two iterations of any mainline Mario Kart games on the same console; it's always been "one per console."
Yes, the Switch got a re-release of a Wii U game instead of its own entry made from the ground up. However, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe already fills the void of being the Switch's iteration of Mario Kart, at least that's the way Nintendo sees it.
Nintendo is well aware that exclusives sell hardware, and they'd be profoundly stupid to ruin that exclusivity by giving Switch 1 owners a redundant entry of Mario Kart when they already have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (which is still selling MILLIONS a year).
why would anyone buy the switch 2 then?
Animal Crossing, a new Mario, other launch titles. The Switch never had its own Mario Kart, 8 was a Wii U game, this looks like a switch game graphically, it would be pretty underwhelming if this was their big switch 2 exclusive when it honestly looks worse than 8 deluxe in some ways.
Exactly. I'm not buying a switch 2 if it's cross-gen tbh
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss To be fair, for the great majority of people, Mario Kart DX might as well has been switches own Mario Kart. Mario kart 8DX has sold over 4 times more than the WiiU console itself. Most people had never played that game before.
This is their best selling game. They will be hampering switch 2's early sales like crazy if this was cross gen.
It's probably a bit early to judge the game for non direct from hardware UA-cam compressed few seconds video of a (most likely) unfinished build.
Also, even if it looked exactly like MK8DX, I doubt the switch can handle that game with double the racers (thus double the shenanigans) on screen.
@excadrillo99 I think that's jumping the gun a bit, considering all we have is a few seconds of indirect footage of a game still probably a half-year off
@@grillm4ster If it's cross gen than I can probably emulate it just as well as on a switch 2 so I don't really have an incentive beyond racing online, which I could do on my original switch
My take is that Nintendo is going to bring Cross-Gen titles during (at least) the first two years of Switch 2. With a forecast of 20 millions units produced/sold the first year (Bloomberg) and probably around the same number the second, there is not way Nintendo can sit on the + 146 millions of Switch sold. I don't Think everybody who wants a Switch 2 will bé able to get one during the launch window. If the want to sell millions of software, a cross-gen strategy is mandatory, until there are enough Switch 2 units available on the market.
They will also most likely launch Switch 2 exclusives games to push people to migrate from Switch to Switch 2 and third parties studios will probably do the same.
If Nintendo makes games cross-gen, then tons of people are going to stick with their old systems. Just give Switch 2 a decent price, and develop games around it.
50-50 odds seems awfully high. Surely Z-A will be a last-gen game (like USUM and B2W2 were), but Mario Kart...?
If they want Switch 1 owners to have a software "bridge" to Sw2, they can do that just as well with upgrade showcases for existing Sw1 games. The idea of a Sw1 game with Sw2 DLC is intriguing, but I would expect them to do that for TOTK, not the new Kart. I think they'll use Kart to sell the Sw2, not just to sell Kart.
Should have been clearer in the video; I agree on 50% for a full cross-gen title is high but the wording includes any kind of playable option on Switch by March 2026. If they do a one-track, single-player limited demo experience for Switch 1 Expansion Pak subscribers that would count.
I really enjoy your speculation but I think MK9/10 is going to be Switch 2 only, because some of the features in the game can only run on the new system. Can you imagine working on this game for 8 years only to have it run on last gen's console? :/
Players need to see something that is so great they want to pay $500 for it, and it looks like Mario Kart + Forza is it.