Nintendo Switch planning record year with ‘series of marquee game’ say analysts

Not only is Nintendo planning to release the Switch Pro this year but analysts believe they have several major new games due this year.

Apart from Animal Crossing: New Horizons (which was itself delayed from the previous year) it’s debatable whether Nintendo released any major new games last year, just smaller budget first and third party titles.

Like many Japanese companies, Nintendo’s way of working has been severely affected by the pandemic and they have very little scheduled at all at the moment, but apparently 2021 won’t be a repeat of last year.

In fact, Nintendo, which is usually a very conservative company when it comes to financial predictions, is expecting to do even better than its previous financial year – and more than current investor projections, which had predicted a decline in sales.

The unexpected increase is believed to be in part because a more powerful version of the current console – what fans refer to as the Switch Pro – is believed to be entering production soon, even though Nintendo has denied any plans for it.

According to a new Bloomberg report, ‘a series of marquee game releases is expected to drive software sales next fiscal year’ with revenues of $250 million rather than the $205 million predicted by analysts.

The information comes, not from random leakers on social media, but Nintendo suppliers and partners who have apparently already been briefed on the company’s plans.

‘Nintendo will need to start the next fiscal year without Animal Crossing and the pandemic, but that will be offset by a much stronger blockbuster software line-up and new hardware,’ states analyst Serkan Toto.

Nintendo’s financial year runs from April 1 to March 2022, so whatever they’re planning hasn’t even started yet, although it should still be emphasised that Nintendo hasn’t announced any of this.

They have no major games with a confirmed release date at the moment (this month’s Monster Hunter Rise is by Capcom), with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl vaguely scheduled for this Christmas and Splatoon 3 and Pokémon Legends: Arceus for some time next year.

They also have the previously announced Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and Zelda: Breath Of The Wild sequel but there’s never been any hint of when they’ll be released.

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