It's important to note that Nintendo recommends wired connection for every online service/game they have. Smash, Splatoon as well as other NSO apps had it when it comes to online play, doesn't really means anything specific.
I got in the US beta. If you want any intel/video, I'll be happy to share. The main point I would emphasize here is, this is a 2 week window for the beta. If it were a multiplayer game, they would want smaller windows, as in a few hours blocks on weekends, to get everyone playing at the same time . With the limited player base, and the broad time line to play, this is highly likely to be a streaming platform. If Nintendo is doing a game streaming service, and wants to know how well their service works in Tennessee as opposed to Tokyo, they need people in Tennessee playing on the Tennessee infrastructure. It doesn't matter when they play, they just need them on there to try it.
@@birdflox1337 The streaming for the entire Kingdom Hearts series on Switch is ~70 MB. There's no conceivable streaming option that requires a big download.
Happy to say I got in. Weird how this sort of thing works where I'm thrilled I won but I have no idea what I won and there's a decent chance whatever it is might be something I don't actually want.
If you have the resources, I would recommend recording your experience with the playtest and uploading it for others to see. It might get you some decent views since people will be looking for footage once it begins
@@EMLtheViewer I have no intention of ever being a TH-camr but plenty of very large TH-camrs ARE in this, most notably Nathaniel Bandy. There's gonna be no shortage of footage. Anyway, Nintendo fully knows this is going to be everywhere. The playtest goes live Oct 23rd and I expect Nintendo to announce what this is on October 21st or 22nd so that everyone's first sight of what this is is controlled.
Was signed in and took less than ten seconds to hit submit. Can’t believe 10,000 people were faster! I’d bet many many thousands hit submit in that same second
My "too good to be true" prediction would be a sort of virtual Nintendo entertainment hub: an app somewhat like the old WiiU hub with 3D visuals, but containing things like art, OSTs and new original movies/animated series from the Nintendo Pictures studio.
Believe it or not, Nintendo has patented a concept on playing as your Mii and meeting other player's miis by chating with them. This playtest might be a social interaction app of some sort
@@Megalixir64 patents usually only become public once they're pretty old. I believe I've seen the images you're talking about, with Mii characters coming together and being able to choose what phrases you want to say, but I'm pretty sure those are just old parents from when Mario Kart 8 was being developed. It looks just like that game's online mode start screen.
I got in. It is really interesting what it could be. Streaming? I dont think they only would test cloud based Streaming only with 10.000 People. A better way to play certain cloud Games would be cool. If you ever Played Resident Evil Cloud version or even Kingdom Hearts Cloud Version , you know what I mean! Gamecube? Honestly it makes sense if you need an Online PLUS Expansion Pack it hints that it will be a new higher Tier or s new feature for that Tier, BUT we know that Emulating Gamecube games works fine there is no need to test it that way ( except for Building Hype) A Nintendo Switch 2 thing that Works on the Switch 1 to include Switch 1 Owners in a new Feature? That would be a Nintendo thing to do. A new Miiverse? I hope we get the possibility to messsge "friends" to ask them for a round of Mario Kart for the Switch 2 so I wouldn't mind a very late update for switch 1 aswell. Metroid 4 or a not anounced new IP playtesting? Would make sense
Oh my god, I didn’t even consider that it could be playtesting for a multiplayer mode for Beyond. Like a successor to the Echoes multiplayer and Hunters.
7:37 not sure if you heard about this, but nintendo recently did a community-driven global reward for a splatoon event. players had to earn a certain amount of “golden eggs” (essentially points in the salmon run mode) globally to get a unique reward. (japan hard carried and we all benefited, thank you japan). based on this, it seems nintendo is not averse to using community-driven events. however, with the splatoon salmon run example, the reward was a form of in-game currency (golden scales, which can buy exclusive gear). i think it would be out of left field for nintendo to hide a reveal behind community-driven work, since they’ve already set a precedent for what they want the rewards of community-driven events to be; namely, in-game in-universe goods. not saying that they wouldn’t do a reveal in this way, i just find it unlikely considering their track record.
If it’s GC, likely a playtest for online multiplayer. Just to note that the GameCube was the first console Nintendo experimented and allowed for multiplayer over networks. One example is Mario kart double dash which could have up to 16 players at once which is something definitely needed to be tested similarly pointed out as smash 64. One or two GC games would also fit the file size (coincidentally two of the 3 games Nintendo gave lan functionality add up to 2.2GB)
I suspect DS might be a possibility on the same lines (the large file size includes the actual app and the emulator, after all). Eight player Mario Kart DS would also be a stretch vs anything they're currently doing.
Apparently firmware 19 added some elements that seem to indicate that there may be a shared OS between Switch and its successor. With that in mind; I wonder if the playtest could be related to a new OS that would be shared with Switch 2 - potentially adding voice chat, improved shop, game streaming etc. The 2.2GB download would be for a 'walled garden' version of the Switch 20 firmware and associated software - maybe a tweaked version of a game to enable voice chat, changes to friend lists etc. Regardless, I think we'll find out what it is officially before it goes live. If it's anything really exciting, Nintendo will want to be the ones to break the news and not have to worry about 10,000 potential leakers (and if it's not really exciting, then why the secrecy?)
Rollback/Rewind for N64 games is my guess. - Brings it in line with other NSO apps - Is tied to Expansion Pack - Improves online multiplayer for N64 games
A solid theory- but I’m not sure if they’d want as substantive of a playtest for that as that, and even if they did need a large playtest, I’m sure that they’d realize that something that small would disappoint a lot of players given the way that they’ve set this up. If they did need to test it, they’d roll it out in a different way that wouldn’t get people as excited. I really do love the rollback/rewind feature though, so I’d be happy if they brought it to the N64 catalogue.
@@pattersong6637 Why? If they just patched it, it might make the multiplayer even worse (look at DB FighterZ and how the rollback switch went, even after beta tests).
@@KBroly Because it's already a feature on every NSO app but N64 and they can playtest it internally to be ready if/whenever they push it out to the public. I'll give you that I do think that part of the reason Smash 64 isn't on NSO is that they're worried their N64 online just isn't up to snuff to make it feel good to play, but that's the sort of thing they could test and push out internally.
i feel like no matter how big or little, itll still be something related to the switch 2, entirely on the basis of how close it is (being announced sometime before the end of march 2025) at the very least, im sure itll be something we'll be using often on switch 2 that just happens to be introduced on the switch 1
My guess is it’s a modified Splatoon demo to test dedicated servers. The Splatoon 3 demo was the exact same 2.2GB and since that’s rounded to a decimal, it could still have slight changes and not drastically change the file size. They already use dedicated servers for the matchmaking itself before passing off to P2P for the actual gameplay so it wouldn’t be too in-feasible to basically swap out the URL of the matchmaking server to point to a beta testing one that keeps the game on the same server without drastically changing the file size. This would also perfectly fit the concept of a playtest, you want to make sure online works and can handle a lot of players at the same time. This could essentially be a way to test how online will work for Switch 2 by tacking on a prototype to an existing game (so they don’t have to reveal a new game early) and possibly also a test for how they could update existing titles to also take advantage of the new servers despite not being built for it originally.
Just joined the patreon, have been subscribed a few months now but really loving the sheer volume of content as well as your analysis. Keep it up and looking forward to more!
RE: Nintendo coming up with new IPs, I think it would be pretty cool and smart if they pulled a Wario/Yoshi/(Reverse)DonkeyKong again where a side-character in an existing series spins off into a new, main series and thus a new IP. I’m sure Splatoon has some unique side-characters, as does Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and obviously the great well the aforementioned Mario series still has a bunch of its own. Peach and Zelda just got their own games. Do they count? EDIT: Captain Toad. Tingle’s Rose Colored Rupeeland. The entirety of Mario Kart and Smash Bros. Not exactly the same, but very similar cases.
I know this will read like hopium-fueled wishcasting but I wonder if there's also a secondary motive to start stress-testing their servers in a part to improve the over all quality of their online servers in preparation for the next system and the largely online games that will be launched on it at varying points (e.g. Mario Kart, Splatoon, Smash etc.) or other online features they're planning. Nintendo are stubborn but do learn lessons and online has been considered a bit of a weakness of the Switch generation and maybe they don't want that negative reputation to follow over to the next console.
In a year we’ll be saying “no one knew that Alarmo was the stealth launch of their new console but here we are”. I’m guessing they will have more smart devices and hardware that ties into Switch 2
I think they will likely test something to do with network technology and use a game for it. They need to find out if their idea works with a larger player base
3:04 you mention karaoke (though you also mention that almost certainly won't happen) just to make you aware for the future wii karaoke u was ported to switch as karaoke joysound for nintendo switch but only in japan
I’m curious if this may be some kind of interactive reveal of sorts, like you mentioned. A few thousand people are in a game environment and they have work together to chip away at a structure or search for objects or some other kind of collaborative effort to reveal… the Switch successor! Once the players reach the goal, the console is officially announced on socials, and there may even be a reward for the players who made the biggest contributions.
Whats interesting is that Mario Kart Tour servers will be offline on Sunday/Monday morning for maintenance. Probably doesn't mean anything and is just a coincidence it happens on the same day.
I've always seen the prospect of achievements or trophies on Nintendo platforms as quite strange. It feels like they turn games into a series of arbitary checklists rather than an immersive experience. Imagine how many people would get burnt out of Breath of the Wild because they tried to get the trophy for collecting all the Korok seeds. The games that would actually benefit from it are better off integrating it into the game like the Challenge Mode in New Super Mario Bros. U.
I want to see them just for multiplatform games. A lot of them don't integrate the achievements into the games proper in lieu of a systemwide feature, and sometimes achievements are tied to fun secrets and interactions you wouldn't otherwise really know about.
As of right now when we don’t know what this is, all that I can comment on is the marketing strategy. We all know that Nintendo likes to be very cost conscious, and this very much goes for marketing. Both this announcement and the emio teaser tapped into the speculation market- they know that they have a LOT of people who talk about their every move and like to theorize about it. With as little of an announcement as a mysterious tweet, they’re able to get people to do the marketing for them through word of mouth. They can get away with this because they are a company that people are really passionate about who’s been shown to consistently create high quality products- we can trust that their hype will have substance. It really is such a brilliant leveraging of their relationship with so many fans. Something like this will have to be done carefully, overdo it and people lose interest, but as of right now I think it’s one of the smartest video game marketing strategies that I’ve seen.
It’s definitely a new feature game related of course but it’s different from a new switch 2 game maybe they will use that though to show off this new online feature
I think an interesting idea is that maybe it could be a new shop app? Something tells me that if it is related to Switch 2 though, then that would basically confirm that the Switch is not actually going to be left to die when the successor shows up. They might try to keep it afloat for longer as a cheaper option for indie developers. And I'm sure people would appreciate having a new shop, but I'm not sure why they would need a playtest like this. Is there really anything that this makes sense for?
Idk if anyone else saw this but earlier today I saw a patent Nintendo filed that kinda mirrored the Miiverse plaza on Wii U. I’m not up to date on my Nintendo patents so has anyone else saw that? Either way if they did that for the test it’d be really cool
I think I saw what you're talking about, that looked like it was almost identical to the Mario Kart 8 multiplayer start screen. I don't think it's related to whatever this is.
interesting thoughts, i was thinking that it could possibly be practice for crossplay between their new console and switch. Being a music streaming service though, would be so genuinely cool considering how much music they have made amd have rights too!
My best guess it's a social game or service that requieres a ton of people. Imagine Everybody 1 2 Switchs Multiplayer, but on a larger scale. Basically Something you simply cannot test with a normal number of play testers. Streaming, no matter if it's GCN, Wii Games, or new games, it's allways the same. It makes lil sense to me to test a feature that is being used in many games on Switch anyway.
Out of all of these I really think the original Super Smash Bros has the best chance of being right. Everything seems to line up too well with what we know about the playtest. It's a game that would necessitate an online playtest considering how important it is to have solid online connections in fighting games, and I bet Sakurai himself suggested the idea for there to be one considering he knows the community well. Plus since it's an N64 game it would make sense for only Expansion Pack members to have access to it since thats the only tier that would have access to it at all.
There were a bunch of new spirits in January 2024, around the time Sakurai confirmed he was starting work on his next project (and Namco opened 2 new Nintendo-centric studios). A few days ago a Smash update dropped, the first one in almost 3 years (not counting the one that enabled the Sora amiibo), which was a minor fix to the GSP (the game's "leaderboard" of sorts). I could imagine a bite-sized Smash Bros. game as a service, with the original 8 and restricted to online matches, with more fighters available down the line. But why on the Switch? when we already have Ultimate. I can imagine this kind of feature for the Switch 2, having it as a game-as-a-service and bulding it up as time goes on, only for the "Final Version" of the game featuring all of the extra bells and whistles for $70. It would be an interesting way to monetize a new Smash game. Still, even if this is Smash-related or not, there's a good chance work on a new Smash is already on its way, and if they began early this year, we could see news of it in 2026. Well into the Switch 2's second year, just like Ultimate within Switch's second year.
I feel like the stickers aren't that big a feature. Especially not a Expansion Pass perk, as the NSO perks include purchasing item elements to feature as your avatar.
It's kinda funny, I have seen no content creator who got in. Meanwhile 3/8 people in my family subscription got in. I'm just happy my gf & myself got in, & I hope we'll have a good time with it.
I didn’t get a chance to be in playtest program I know it’s really suck for me but I highly hope this new feature will be announced after the playtest program was over on november
Honestly, I could see it just being Gamecube seeing as just how poor the N64 launch was, it'd be odd for Nintendo but not as odd as them launching another emulator in a blatantly poor state.
Haven't played it or looked much into it. Didn't enjoy Crafted World much so Goodfeel aren't an automatic purchase for me but now you've made me search it up, it does look good. As for a video - maybe. I'll have to think on that one.
does anyone know what bitrate switch even outputs using bluetooth? because I feel like its not even 256kbps. i am not interested in any music played through a switch lol
I honestly hope this is a playtest for dedicated online servers for NSO, we are in 2024 and having an online service that still uses Peer to peer is frankly absurd, the online infrastructure is one of the biggest flaws of the Switch and it would be about time they’d address that since we are near the launch of their new console.
The problem with Switch’s online capabilities is that it has a shitty wifi chip and doesn’t come with an Ethernet connection stock. You have to buy an adapter. So most people online are playing on wifi via the crappy WiFi chip. Servers won’t help a fighting game like Smash Bros, which sorely needs rollback netcode
I'd be surprised if it were just for a game, why make such a big deal testing a single game or GameCube service out? So I've noticed you didn't even consider an upgrade to their online infrastructure, to improve the online experience, do you not think that's possible? Nintendo isn't exactly known for the best online experience, and a small sample size play test feels like it is a natural step in the process for developing that; get feed back from a limited number of people, review the data, see what needs to be addressed. The best part about that is that there's a handful of games that could be used to test this out, and with more games you collect more data across all of those different games to see if any are problematic with this. Those are my thoughts at least, it fits and has the potential to be big, especially if they want their next system to offer the best experience
@@nintendoforecast Nintendo, especially this gen, has been cagey about a lot of things, I think they like to have their ducks in a row before they make an announcement, they’re lining up the ducks. If it ends up it needs more work than they initially thought then having to announce “We realized during the play test that we’re further off than we believed” is a lot more negative than I think they’d want out there
@@reeseseater12 Nintendo wouldn't need to announce anything from what their conclusion is though. They've never done something like this before, being this secretive is only making people's expectations rise, if they simply said "we're testing out some new internet infrastructure" I doubt we'd even be talking about this right now. I also don't see how a 2.2GB download would be necessary to play pre-existing online games on different internet.
@@birdflox1337 I think that exact argument would be even better against the idea of another game or adding GameCube games to the expansion pass. They’ve never really done anything for online servers themselves, I think they use other ones. Also, like I said, it’s easier to test it and avoid bad press if things don’t go as planned. Nintendo is secretive about pretty much everything nowadays though. It can’t just be for a game or an additional app
@@reeseseater12 I don't think it's a GameCube addition either, I have no idea what this is leading up to. This still doesn't seem like it would fit an online infrastructure test to me, with a file size as big as the Splatoon 3 testfire and total secrecy over a pretty standard procedure.
Your captions don't match up entirely with your voiceover, and it's kind of distracting. Particularly when there are whole sentences missing from the captions.
Can we eliminate music being an option for the reveal, its just ridiculous like why would they even do that? "I don't wanna play any games but I wanna listen to the music from the games instead" ridiculous. Its not music. Its not "voice chat" either because the switch has no microphones and when signing up to the play test it said use a TV not Bluetooth headphones so we can eliminate that too. Its clearly Gamecube. Has to be. And they are doing it through streaming them to your switch unlike the other NSO emulators. I actually got selected too, so ill let you all know how great starfox adventures is!!
It's pretty common for people to want to listen to game soundtracks without actually playing the game. That's why every Splatoon game has its full OST sold on several CDs. I'm still not sure it's going to have anything to do with the Gamecube, 2.2GB is extremely big for a streaming platform and it wouldn't make sense for Nintendo to be so secretive while allowing 10K people to playtest this new feature. If half of those people aren't actually interested in playing Gamecube games, that playtest suddenly becomes a lot less effective.
@@birdflox1337 you make great points, but in terms of music nintendo knows we already have access to subsidiary platforms that have this feature one of those platforms is youtube itself so I couldn't see them recreating or emulating a service that provides this when its already done, we do know that the new NSO feature is not for DS or 3ds due to the current dimensions of the screen on the switch but we do know they want us to test it using a wired Internet connection in docked mode on a TV this strongly suggest its game-based and stream-based and with it being part of the expansion pack the only candidate thats viable is the Gamecube, do you see where I'm coming from?
@@DownLookDont I don't think a playtest would ever be exclusively for music, I can see music being one aspect of the experience though. Nintendo is infamous for constantly taking down youtube uploads of their music, this could be their way of taking the business into their own hands. As for the "wired internet connection in docked mode" thing, I believe that's sort of been their standard advice for these sort of playtests, regardless of the content. I think my previous points as to why this wouldn't be Gamecube related still stand.
It won't change a thing for some people. CRAP IS CRAP you cant change that. This online change has DISAPPOINTMENT written all over it. And NO I am not a seer I simply know by Nintendo's past. They NEVER learn from their mistakes.
@@jaredorozco3188 sad cuz they're goin to loose the plus sales on november, black friday, hollidays etc.. right now it's the best time! Sony and Microsoft they're having a weak sales momment...
You made a great call about October 25th, and these exclusive events do seem like a genius strategy.
It's important to note that Nintendo recommends wired connection for every online service/game they have. Smash, Splatoon as well as other NSO apps had it when it comes to online play, doesn't really means anything specific.
Out of every TH-camr I know that makes analysis and impressions, it's your opinion I look forward to the most.
This gonna be good.
I got in the US beta. If you want any intel/video, I'll be happy to share.
The main point I would emphasize here is, this is a 2 week window for the beta. If it were a multiplayer game, they would want smaller windows, as in a few hours blocks on weekends, to get everyone playing at the same time . With the limited player base, and the broad time line to play, this is highly likely to be a streaming platform.
If Nintendo is doing a game streaming service, and wants to know how well their service works in Tennessee as opposed to Tokyo, they need people in Tennessee playing on the Tennessee infrastructure. It doesn't matter when they play, they just need them on there to try it.
the 2.2GB download however would be pretty strange for a streaming platform
@@birdflox1337 The streaming for the entire Kingdom Hearts series on Switch is ~70 MB. There's no conceivable streaming option that requires a big download.
Happy to say I got in. Weird how this sort of thing works where I'm thrilled I won but I have no idea what I won and there's a decent chance whatever it is might be something I don't actually want.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE KEEP PEOPLE UPDATED AS TO WHAT IT IS WHEN YOU FIND OUT
If you have the resources, I would recommend recording your experience with the playtest and uploading it for others to see. It might get you some decent views since people will be looking for footage once it begins
@@EMLtheViewer I have no intention of ever being a TH-camr but plenty of very large TH-camrs ARE in this, most notably Nathaniel Bandy. There's gonna be no shortage of footage.
Anyway, Nintendo fully knows this is going to be everywhere. The playtest goes live Oct 23rd and I expect Nintendo to announce what this is on October 21st or 22nd so that everyone's first sight of what this is is controlled.
@@pattersong6637 Good points. I wasn’t aware of any big names who had gotten access.
Was signed in and took less than ten seconds to hit submit. Can’t believe 10,000 people were faster! I’d bet many many thousands hit submit in that same second
My "too good to be true" prediction would be a sort of virtual Nintendo entertainment hub: an app somewhat like the old WiiU hub with 3D visuals, but containing things like art, OSTs and new original movies/animated series from the Nintendo Pictures studio.
YES PLEASE
Like a multiplayer plaza where you can move around and meet other players and experience media together?
@@EMLtheViewer you probably could make it so you can experience it with friends, yes
Believe it or not, Nintendo has patented a concept on playing as your Mii and meeting other player's miis by chating with them. This playtest might be a social interaction app of some sort
@@Megalixir64 patents usually only become public once they're pretty old. I believe I've seen the images you're talking about, with Mii characters coming together and being able to choose what phrases you want to say, but I'm pretty sure those are just old parents from when Mario Kart 8 was being developed. It looks just like that game's online mode start screen.
I got in.
It is really interesting what it could be.
Streaming? I dont think they only would test cloud based Streaming only with 10.000 People. A better way to play certain cloud Games would be cool. If you ever Played Resident Evil Cloud version or even Kingdom Hearts Cloud Version , you know what I mean!
Gamecube? Honestly it makes sense if you need an Online PLUS Expansion Pack it hints that it will be a new higher Tier or s new feature for that Tier, BUT we know that Emulating Gamecube games works fine there is no need to test it that way ( except for Building Hype)
A Nintendo Switch 2 thing that Works on the Switch 1 to include Switch 1 Owners in a new Feature? That would be a Nintendo thing to do.
A new Miiverse? I hope we get the possibility to messsge "friends" to ask them for a round of Mario Kart for the Switch 2 so I wouldn't mind a very late update for switch 1 aswell.
Metroid 4 or a not anounced new IP playtesting? Would make sense
Oh my god, I didn’t even consider that it could be playtesting for a multiplayer mode for Beyond. Like a successor to the Echoes multiplayer and Hunters.
@@EMLtheViewer To be honest my Guess is Metroid 4, they want that we leak it and build Hype für a Cross Gen Release. But I could be wrong tho
@@Predicting-Nintendoummmmm no?
Metroid 4 came out 22 years ago my friend and Metroid 5 3 years ago
@@theakiwar9118 In that Context everyone knows I meant Prime 4. I don't know what you gain trying to be a Smartie , but good for you :)
7:37 not sure if you heard about this, but nintendo recently did a community-driven global reward for a splatoon event. players had to earn a certain amount of “golden eggs” (essentially points in the salmon run mode) globally to get a unique reward. (japan hard carried and we all benefited, thank you japan). based on this, it seems nintendo is not averse to using community-driven events. however, with the splatoon salmon run example, the reward was a form of in-game currency (golden scales, which can buy exclusive gear). i think it would be out of left field for nintendo to hide a reveal behind community-driven work, since they’ve already set a precedent for what they want the rewards of community-driven events to be; namely, in-game in-universe goods. not saying that they wouldn’t do a reveal in this way, i just find it unlikely considering their track record.
Yeah, it seems a long shot but very interesting precedent.
Well, Nintendo _are_ the Kings of Left Field.
That recent bumping the OS to a new major version number can’t possibly be just coincidental…
I think it's some sort of matchmaking with strangers update for the NSO library. So that you can play with strangers instead of only friends.
I agree with this
But why would it have its own separate app that takes over 2 GB?
If it’s GC, likely a playtest for online multiplayer. Just to note that the GameCube was the first console Nintendo experimented and allowed for multiplayer over networks. One example is Mario kart double dash which could have up to 16 players at once which is something definitely needed to be tested similarly pointed out as smash 64. One or two GC games would also fit the file size (coincidentally two of the 3 games Nintendo gave lan functionality add up to 2.2GB)
I suspect DS might be a possibility on the same lines (the large file size includes the actual app and the emulator, after all). Eight player Mario Kart DS would also be a stretch vs anything they're currently doing.
Smash 99 with retro graphics on NSO.
It would rule if a bunch of current fighters had demakes to Smash 64 style models. Think about Bayonetta.
Apparently firmware 19 added some elements that seem to indicate that there may be a shared OS between Switch and its successor.
With that in mind; I wonder if the playtest could be related to a new OS that would be shared with Switch 2 - potentially adding voice chat, improved shop, game streaming etc. The 2.2GB download would be for a 'walled garden' version of the Switch 20 firmware and associated software - maybe a tweaked version of a game to enable voice chat, changes to friend lists etc.
Regardless, I think we'll find out what it is officially before it goes live. If it's anything really exciting, Nintendo will want to be the ones to break the news and not have to worry about 10,000 potential leakers (and if it's not really exciting, then why the secrecy?)
Rollback/Rewind for N64 games is my guess.
- Brings it in line with other NSO apps
- Is tied to Expansion Pack
- Improves online multiplayer for N64 games
There is no reason they'd have a test for that.
A solid theory- but I’m not sure if they’d want as substantive of a playtest for that as that, and even if they did need a large playtest, I’m sure that they’d realize that something that small would disappoint a lot of players given the way that they’ve set this up. If they did need to test it, they’d roll it out in a different way that wouldn’t get people as excited. I really do love the rollback/rewind feature though, so I’d be happy if they brought it to the N64 catalogue.
@@pattersong6637 Why? If they just patched it, it might make the multiplayer even worse (look at DB FighterZ and how the rollback switch went, even after beta tests).
@@KBroly Because it's already a feature on every NSO app but N64 and they can playtest it internally to be ready if/whenever they push it out to the public. I'll give you that I do think that part of the reason Smash 64 isn't on NSO is that they're worried their N64 online just isn't up to snuff to make it feel good to play, but that's the sort of thing they could test and push out internally.
i feel like no matter how big or little, itll still be something related to the switch 2, entirely on the basis of how close it is (being announced sometime before the end of march 2025)
at the very least, im sure itll be something we'll be using often on switch 2 that just happens to be introduced on the switch 1
My guess is it’s a modified Splatoon demo to test dedicated servers. The Splatoon 3 demo was the exact same 2.2GB and since that’s rounded to a decimal, it could still have slight changes and not drastically change the file size.
They already use dedicated servers for the matchmaking itself before passing off to P2P for the actual gameplay so it wouldn’t be too in-feasible to basically swap out the URL of the matchmaking server to point to a beta testing one that keeps the game on the same server without drastically changing the file size.
This would also perfectly fit the concept of a playtest, you want to make sure online works and can handle a lot of players at the same time. This could essentially be a way to test how online will work for Switch 2 by tacking on a prototype to an existing game (so they don’t have to reveal a new game early) and possibly also a test for how they could update existing titles to also take advantage of the new servers despite not being built for it originally.
Well well well Nintendo Forecast is right again. This is why this channel needs to grow! The people need to know!!
They're testing the new Call of Duty
Just joined the patreon, have been subscribed a few months now but really loving the sheer volume of content as well as your analysis. Keep it up and looking forward to more!
Also, I got into the playtest and would be happy to help provide info about it as it happens (depending on the strictness of their rules on secrecy 😂)
Thank you so much!
RE: Nintendo coming up with new IPs, I think it would be pretty cool and smart if they pulled a Wario/Yoshi/(Reverse)DonkeyKong again where a side-character in an existing series spins off into a new, main series and thus a new IP. I’m sure Splatoon has some unique side-characters, as does Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and obviously the great well the aforementioned Mario series still has a bunch of its own. Peach and Zelda just got their own games. Do they count?
EDIT: Captain Toad. Tingle’s Rose Colored Rupeeland. The entirety of Mario Kart and Smash Bros. Not exactly the same, but very similar cases.
I want to see an entirely new Diddy King Racing. Massively expand the open hub world with online multiplayer.
I know this will read like hopium-fueled wishcasting but I wonder if there's also a secondary motive to start stress-testing their servers in a part to improve the over all quality of their online servers in preparation for the next system and the largely online games that will be launched on it at varying points (e.g. Mario Kart, Splatoon, Smash etc.) or other online features they're planning. Nintendo are stubborn but do learn lessons and online has been considered a bit of a weakness of the Switch generation and maybe they don't want that negative reputation to follow over to the next console.
In a year we’ll be saying “no one knew that Alarmo was the stealth launch of their new console but here we are”. I’m guessing they will have more smart devices and hardware that ties into Switch 2
Ugh I would hate if they reward people who bought that junk with something of actual value
*Internet
- They will showcase the future of Nintendo
*Nintendo on that day
- Here is Nintendogs 99 ☺️🐶
....Go oooon.
I actually got in :3
Same. 🎉
I think they will likely test something to do with network technology and use a game for it. They need to find out if their idea works with a larger player base
I got in and ordered a capture card right after (been wanting one anyway), so whatever it is, I'll record at least some of it.
3:04 you mention karaoke (though you also mention that almost certainly won't happen)
just to make you aware for the future wii karaoke u was ported to switch as karaoke joysound for nintendo switch but only in japan
I’m curious if this may be some kind of interactive reveal of sorts, like you mentioned. A few thousand people are in a game environment and they have work together to chip away at a structure or search for objects or some other kind of collaborative effort to reveal… the Switch successor! Once the players reach the goal, the console is officially announced on socials, and there may even be a reward for the players who made the biggest contributions.
Whats interesting is that Mario Kart Tour servers will be offline on Sunday/Monday morning for maintenance. Probably doesn't mean anything and is just a coincidence it happens on the same day.
Intriguing link.
I've always seen the prospect of achievements or trophies on Nintendo platforms as quite strange. It feels like they turn games into a series of arbitary checklists rather than an immersive experience. Imagine how many people would get burnt out of Breath of the Wild because they tried to get the trophy for collecting all the Korok seeds. The games that would actually benefit from it are better off integrating it into the game like the Challenge Mode in New Super Mario Bros. U.
I want to see them just for multiplatform games. A lot of them don't integrate the achievements into the games proper in lieu of a systemwide feature, and sometimes achievements are tied to fun secrets and interactions you wouldn't otherwise really know about.
Just a fantasy but it would be cool if there was like some sort of random global matchmaking for multiplayer games on nso
I’m looking forward to the future of , Plaquemine games and Hal I heard they’re making new types of games
You know…I actually love the idea of a “Nintendo Spotify” on my Switch playing in the background!
I think lots of things point to this
ultimate already has a similar feature which makes me
skeptical that this is it
As of right now when we don’t know what this is, all that I can comment on is the marketing strategy. We all know that Nintendo likes to be very cost conscious, and this very much goes for marketing. Both this announcement and the emio teaser tapped into the speculation market- they know that they have a LOT of people who talk about their every move and like to theorize about it. With as little of an announcement as a mysterious tweet, they’re able to get people to do the marketing for them through word of mouth. They can get away with this because they are a company that people are really passionate about who’s been shown to consistently create high quality products- we can trust that their hype will have substance. It really is such a brilliant leveraging of their relationship with so many fans. Something like this will have to be done carefully, overdo it and people lose interest, but as of right now I think it’s one of the smartest video game marketing strategies that I’ve seen.
It’s definitely a new feature game related of course but it’s different from a new switch 2 game maybe they will use that though to show off this new online feature
you were right. does your uncle work at nintendo?
@@joogled1839 nah I just know Nintendo and how they do stuff
I think an interesting idea is that maybe it could be a new shop app? Something tells me that if it is related to Switch 2 though, then that would basically confirm that the Switch is not actually going to be left to die when the successor shows up. They might try to keep it afloat for longer as a cheaper option for indie developers. And I'm sure people would appreciate having a new shop, but I'm not sure why they would need a playtest like this. Is there really anything that this makes sense for?
Idk if anyone else saw this but earlier today I saw a patent Nintendo filed that kinda mirrored the Miiverse plaza on Wii U. I’m not up to date on my Nintendo patents so has anyone else saw that? Either way if they did that for the test it’d be really cool
NO WAY THE MIIVERSE THEORY IS REAL?????
We may be so back
I think I saw what you're talking about, that looked like it was almost identical to the Mario Kart 8 multiplayer start screen. I don't think it's related to whatever this is.
I would love a music service right now. If there was an app or something...it would be amazing.
I wonder if it could be something like the Satellaview games? A synchronised, narrated experience? Probably not 😂
interesting thoughts, i was thinking that it could possibly be practice for crossplay between their new console and switch.
Being a music streaming service though, would be so genuinely cool considering how much music they have made amd have rights too!
My best guess it's a social game or service that requieres a ton of people. Imagine Everybody 1 2 Switchs Multiplayer, but on a larger scale. Basically Something you simply cannot test with a normal number of play testers.
Streaming, no matter if it's GCN, Wii Games, or new games, it's allways the same. It makes lil sense to me to test a feature that is being used in many games on Switch anyway.
Out of all of these I really think the original Super Smash Bros has the best chance of being right. Everything seems to line up too well with what we know about the playtest. It's a game that would necessitate an online playtest considering how important it is to have solid online connections in fighting games, and I bet Sakurai himself suggested the idea for there to be one considering he knows the community well. Plus since it's an N64 game it would make sense for only Expansion Pack members to have access to it since thats the only tier that would have access to it at all.
Smash bros is possible especially with sakurai finished with his TH-cam project
Haha, no. That would leak INSTANTLY.
There were a bunch of new spirits in January 2024, around the time Sakurai confirmed he was starting work on his next project (and Namco opened 2 new Nintendo-centric studios). A few days ago a Smash update dropped, the first one in almost 3 years (not counting the one that enabled the Sora amiibo), which was a minor fix to the GSP (the game's "leaderboard" of sorts).
I could imagine a bite-sized Smash Bros. game as a service, with the original 8 and restricted to online matches, with more fighters available down the line. But why on the Switch? when we already have Ultimate. I can imagine this kind of feature for the Switch 2, having it as a game-as-a-service and bulding it up as time goes on, only for the "Final Version" of the game featuring all of the extra bells and whistles for $70. It would be an interesting way to monetize a new Smash game.
Still, even if this is Smash-related or not, there's a good chance work on a new Smash is already on its way, and if they began early this year, we could see news of it in 2026. Well into the Switch 2's second year, just like Ultimate within Switch's second year.
6:00
BRAWL ON SWITCH WOULD BE EVERYTHING TO ME PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
I feel like the stickers aren't that big a feature. Especially not a Expansion Pass perk, as the NSO perks include purchasing item elements to feature as your avatar.
It's kinda funny, I have seen no content creator who got in.
Meanwhile 3/8 people in my family subscription got in. I'm just happy my gf & myself got in, & I hope we'll have a good time with it.
I didn’t get a chance to be in playtest program
I know it’s really suck for me but I highly hope this new feature will be announced after the playtest program was over on november
You were right! It was a new ip
I'm still mad I wasn't able to get in....
Damn you school wifi.
Honestly, I could see it just being Gamecube seeing as just how poor the N64 launch was, it'd be odd for Nintendo but not as odd as them launching another emulator in a blatantly poor state.
Nintendo prefers remastering GameCube games so it's unlikely.
Can you make a video? About. Backeru it’s one of the most underrated switches games of the year
Haven't played it or looked much into it. Didn't enjoy Crafted World much so Goodfeel aren't an automatic purchase for me but now you've made me search it up, it does look good. As for a video - maybe. I'll have to think on that one.
This was a Japanese game. It translate in. It’s a 3-D brother.
Yeah, I'm aware of it in general (I mentioned it in a previous video) just not as a game to pick up. I'll try the demo.
@@nintendoforecast sorry I recently watched like three of your videos
A wild guess is rom hacks made by Nintendo
does anyone know what bitrate switch even outputs using bluetooth? because I feel like its not even 256kbps. i am not interested in any music played through a switch lol
either its the switch that limits the output or its the audio files in the videogames themselves that are heavily compressed. not sure which.
Maybe a metaverse/miiverse
I honestly hope this is a playtest for dedicated online servers for NSO, we are in 2024 and having an online service that still uses Peer to peer is frankly absurd, the online infrastructure is one of the biggest flaws of the Switch and it would be about time they’d address that since we are near the launch of their new console.
The problem with Switch’s online capabilities is that it has a shitty wifi chip and doesn’t come with an Ethernet connection stock. You have to buy an adapter. So most people online are playing on wifi via the crappy WiFi chip. Servers won’t help a fighting game like Smash Bros, which sorely needs rollback netcode
CONGRATULATIONS: YOU WIN.
the playtest is for exactly that, testing a game with communication to a dedicated server!
ur the goat
I'd be surprised if it were just for a game, why make such a big deal testing a single game or GameCube service out? So I've noticed you didn't even consider an upgrade to their online infrastructure, to improve the online experience, do you not think that's possible? Nintendo isn't exactly known for the best online experience, and a small sample size play test feels like it is a natural step in the process for developing that; get feed back from a limited number of people, review the data, see what needs to be addressed. The best part about that is that there's a handful of games that could be used to test this out, and with more games you collect more data across all of those different games to see if any are problematic with this. Those are my thoughts at least, it fits and has the potential to be big, especially if they want their next system to offer the best experience
It's possible but why be so cagey about it?
@@nintendoforecast Nintendo, especially this gen, has been cagey about a lot of things, I think they like to have their ducks in a row before they make an announcement, they’re lining up the ducks. If it ends up it needs more work than they initially thought then having to announce “We realized during the play test that we’re further off than we believed” is a lot more negative than I think they’d want out there
@@reeseseater12 Nintendo wouldn't need to announce anything from what their conclusion is though. They've never done something like this before, being this secretive is only making people's expectations rise, if they simply said "we're testing out some new internet infrastructure" I doubt we'd even be talking about this right now. I also don't see how a 2.2GB download would be necessary to play pre-existing online games on different internet.
@@birdflox1337 I think that exact argument would be even better against the idea of another game or adding GameCube games to the expansion pass. They’ve never really done anything for online servers themselves, I think they use other ones. Also, like I said, it’s easier to test it and avoid bad press if things don’t go as planned. Nintendo is secretive about pretty much everything nowadays though. It can’t just be for a game or an additional app
@@reeseseater12 I don't think it's a GameCube addition either, I have no idea what this is leading up to. This still doesn't seem like it would fit an online infrastructure test to me, with a file size as big as the Splatoon 3 testfire and total secrecy over a pretty standard procedure.
It’s gonna be something underwhelming, I can feel it in my bones
Your captions don't match up entirely with your voiceover, and it's kind of distracting. Particularly when there are whole sentences missing from the captions.
Can we eliminate music being an option for the reveal, its just ridiculous like why would they even do that? "I don't wanna play any games but I wanna listen to the music from the games instead" ridiculous.
Its not music.
Its not "voice chat" either because the switch has no microphones and when signing up to the play test it said use a TV not Bluetooth headphones so we can eliminate that too. Its clearly Gamecube. Has to be.
And they are doing it through streaming them to your switch unlike the other NSO emulators.
I actually got selected too, so ill let you all know how great starfox adventures is!!
It's pretty common for people to want to listen to game soundtracks without actually playing the game. That's why every Splatoon game has its full OST sold on several CDs. I'm still not sure it's going to have anything to do with the Gamecube, 2.2GB is extremely big for a streaming platform and it wouldn't make sense for Nintendo to be so secretive while allowing 10K people to playtest this new feature. If half of those people aren't actually interested in playing Gamecube games, that playtest suddenly becomes a lot less effective.
@@birdflox1337 you make great points, but in terms of music nintendo knows we already have access to subsidiary platforms that have this feature one of those platforms is youtube itself so I couldn't see them recreating or emulating a service that provides this when its already done, we do know that the new NSO feature is not for DS or 3ds due to the current dimensions of the screen on the switch but we do know they want us to test it using a wired Internet connection in docked mode on a TV this strongly suggest its game-based and stream-based and with it being part of the expansion pack the only candidate thats viable is the Gamecube, do you see where I'm coming from?
@@DownLookDont I don't think a playtest would ever be exclusively for music, I can see music being one aspect of the experience though. Nintendo is infamous for constantly taking down youtube uploads of their music, this could be their way of taking the business into their own hands. As for the "wired internet connection in docked mode" thing, I believe that's sort of been their standard advice for these sort of playtests, regardless of the content. I think my previous points as to why this wouldn't be Gamecube related still stand.
@@birdflox1337 I promise I'll let you know as soon as I recieve the download code, its gotta be gamecube. Still I respect your opinions
@@DownLookDont it's not gamecube. lol. i love the optimism though.
Call of Duty beta test
(Pack as in Expansion Pack is misspelled as “pak” on subtitles.)
I know why your here
smash bros 64 with rollback
It won't change a thing for some people. CRAP IS CRAP you cant change that. This online change has DISAPPOINTMENT written all over it. And NO I am not a seer I simply know by Nintendo's past. They NEVER learn from their mistakes.
it's not the "switch 2" man, Nintendo are losing the timming
I think they're gonna announce it next January honestly.
@@jaredorozco3188 sad cuz they're goin to loose the plus sales on november, black friday, hollidays etc.. right now it's the best time! Sony and Microsoft they're having a weak sales momment...
1:06 Who’s that pretty woman on the right side of the screen?
From the NST website.