Nintendo switch and pokemon

[Fairy Type Arceus]

So it turns out the next handheld and home console is one in the same, sowe can assume generation 8 will release on this console by 2020. What do you think a generation 8 game on the switch might look like?

The switch is said to not be backwards compatible so no 3ds games can be in it or Wii u, how will we transfer our pokemon? My only idea is to have the same Nintendo action your switch that you do on the 3ds and have it share the pokebank with the 3ds if thats possible

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

Yeah, gen 8 would be on the Nintendo Switch in my opinion. Gen 7 is on the same handheld console as gen 6 so I doubt gen 8 would be the same.

Look at that. Two Arceus have made the first two posts.

 

[DasManiac]

The next game will definitely be on the Switch. The Switch will completely cannibalize 3DS sales so Game Freak will have no reason to keep the series on the 3DS. They'll remaster Sun/Moon for the system so that the games can be compatible with one another.

 

[Soki]

The Switch will completely cannibalize 3DS sales

I dunno man, the 3DS is cheap and small, while the Switch will probably be 250-500 bucks. And the handheld part is as big as a tablet and looks pretty heavy, not like something you can hold in your hands for long. And the battery life is probably going to be terrible.

And there's still the fact that Black/White 2 were released on the DS 1,5 years after the 3DS was released. Most people just don't switch to new consoles very fast. I know there's a lot of people who only got a New 3DS very recently even, most of them are not going to spend money on a new (probably) expensive console that fast again.

It could be that gen 8 will be on the Switch, but I think it'll be at least two years before that happens. If the next games are going to be on the Switch though, I have no doubt they will also be on the 3DS. But I very doubt the next games will be on the Switch at all.

 

[Galactic_V]

I'd hope for Switch not to be Region locked. The main things that main annoys me about Nintendo is this trend of making Region locked consoles...
Anyway I really loved this one, very innovative and creative. Expecting the new Pokemon core games to come on it instead of a new DS, as per say.

 

[ocelotlrama jaguar]

@AnimeAddictedNihon

I agree about the region-locking, but I am not getting my hopes up that they'll stop anytime soon. They practically invented region-locking and they started with handhelds just recently. =/

On topic, I am not too sure about the core games. Would be cool to see a core game played on a TV screen. However, I REALLY want a new Stadium game! Been dying for a new Stadium game since Pokemon Battle Revolution. Hoping this is the console where we'll see something come to fruition.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

The next game will definitely be on the Switch.

That is not confirmed. Gen 5 went on the DS system which had gen 4 games already. All of gen 7 can easily be on the 3DS and it makes sense that they are all together.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Agreed with @Merida. The next game will probably be on 3DS and then the game after that will be 8th gen which will debut on the Switch. Game Freak has a history of being relatively slow to adopt new hardware, with the series transitioning to new hardware 1 or 2 years after its release and games appearing on last gen hardware in the meantime. I mean, look at what's happened with past handhelds:

GBA: Launched in 2001, RS was the first main series game in 2002/2003. Crystal released on the GBC in the West in 2001.
DS: Launched in 2004, DP was the first main series game in 2006/2007. Emerald released on the GBA in 2004/2005.
3DS: Launched in 2011, XY was the first main series game in 2013. BW released in the West in 2011 and BW2 released in all regions in 2012.

It's safe to say that next year's game will be on 3DS. I imagine 8th gen will debut on the Switch in 2018, maybe 2019 if they have trouble adapting to the new console (which would make a lot of sense because it'd be their first time developing on console).

I do think the Switch would be a very exciting time for the series, as it'd be the first time we'd see a main series game release on console and I can just see the potential that the device could bring to the series with all of the new styles of multiplayer it could bring. What would be interesting to take advantage of this is if maybe they could introduce more co-op elements and allow you to explore the region with friends, that would really take the series to the next level and bring the series an unprecedented level of interaction. I'm not sure if they can make it work, because there's definitely some issues to address (such as leveling and the lack of a touch screen while playing on TV which creates an asymmetry in the gameplay), but if they can, I can totally see Game Freak doing that. That kind of gameplay style definitely fits their MO and it fits what the Switch seems to be trying to accomplish which is to leverage the hybrid environment to create new ways to play with others.

 

[Arcalargo]

All of this depends on the Switch being the new handheld from Nintendo. I'm not convinced that it is. I think that this is a home console with some mobility, rather than a hybrid handheld/home console. Time will tell, but I just don't see this being the next handheld.

I would still love to see a new stadium on the Switch though.

 

[indigohex]

I just watched Good Game, and at the start they spoke about the Switch. I think one of the presenters mentioned that in portable mode, the Switch will be 1.5 hours. But back on the subject, I think the eighth generation will be on the Switch, but it will be sad that it is unlikely that the Switch will be compatible with the 3DS. Just remember that this happened before with the Ruby/Sapphire controversy in which you couldn't trade Pokemon from Gold/Silver/Crystal, which I think was the reason why the games weren't initially popular (note that I skipped Generation III). But if you can't play 3DS games on the Switch, then surely there will be a remastered version of Generation V by the time the Switch comes out (or perhaps Generation IV).

 

[Mitchman]

I think in some way, if everything goes the way Nintendo wants, gen 7 will relaunch next year on the Switch. The only reason so far late gens in the hardware cycle were acceptable for Nintendo is mostly because of backwards capability. People need to remember this is uncharted territory, and with Pokemon being THE flagship handheld franchise, they need that hard sell for people to see the Switch for the portable console it really is, and Pokemon not even having a remote presence on it, even through BC for what its worth, will hurt them more then conceived. I think somewhere in late 2017 , Pokemon Radiant Sun/Pokemon Full Moon for Nintendo Switch will release, and the games on the 3DS will recieve full free updates for whatever new might come. Then from 2017-2019 Gen 7 will continue, while Gamefreak builds a proper Switch generation from the get go. It also needs to be said that by then if successful they might have already released their first hardware iteration, which also might be with newer hardware, so Gamefreak is going to need adjust accordingly even with those type of factors, so extending Gen 7 with a relaunch is likely the best option they have.

 

[Gligarman]

This is the first console that's designed to replace both home and handhelds. There's no way Nintendo and Game Freak aren't going to jump on the chance to make Gen 8 on the Switch. Personally, I can't wait! They'll have next to no limitations now.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Honestly, I kind of hope that the Switch isn't the successor for the 3DS. They have already mentioned that the Switch won't be compatible with both Wii U and 3DS games, which would be a big issue for 3DS fans in general, as well as for Pokemon fans. Transferring Pokemon wouldn't be possible with that in mind, or at least it sounds like that right now. Plus, losing the duel touch screen would be a big loss since Game Freak has relied on that since the fourth generation. The more I think about it, the more the Switch comes off as a console system with mobility options rather than just a console and handheld hybrid per say if that makes any sense. I'm also not sure if Game Freak could go from handheld systems to working on a console main series game for Pokemon.

The Switch does look cool and that mobility might make it more plausible for me to get a Nintendo console for the first time in ages, but I think that they'll still have a regular handheld system as the 3DS successor somewhere down the road. Their handheld systems have been selling quite well for awhile, so I don't know if they'd be willing to lose that, even if it were to help the sales of their console system. The 3DS is still getting new games well into next spring too, so I think that they'd want to give it support for awhile longer.

If the Switch is the successor to both the Wii U and the 3DS though, then I don't think we'll have to worry about new main series games on that system for awhile. I fully expect that the seventh generation will stay on the 3DS. They were able to keep the fifth generation on the DS and that was after the 3DS had already been out for a little while. I clearly remember people being shocked/annoyed that B/W were for the DS instead of 3DS. While getting a main series Pokemon game on the Switch would certainly help boost sales, I don't think that they'd do that given how they've handled other generations being put on new systems. They normally wait a couple of years or so before putting a new Pokemon game on a new system. We often get spin-off titles first, but that's about it. If we do get a main series game on the Switch, then it probably won't be for another couple of years until after the seventh generation wraps up, but I still hope that we'll get a regular handheld system instead of just the Switch for both systems.

 

[Almonds]

I am going to be very upset if they don't do anything about the region-lock. The region-lock was a huge disappointment; I can't play games that aren't localized. I can't even play them by buying NA or Japanese ones. And if I get a foreign handheld just to play more games, I wouldn't be able to attend distribution events even if they're hosted where I live. Years of wistfully watching let's plays on youtube because there are so many good games that didn't get localized... *sigh* What's the point of trying to raise local sales if there aren't any games to sell in the first place? And seeing how Switch lets people take games outside it obviously would want players to interact with one another - all the more better if this works internationally.

 

[Bolt Strike]

I think in some way, if everything goes the way Nintendo wants, gen 7 will relaunch next year on the Switch. The only reason so far late gens in the hardware cycle were acceptable for Nintendo is mostly because of backwards capability. People need to remember this is uncharted territory, and with Pokemon being THE flagship handheld franchise, they need that hard sell for people to see the Switch for the portable console it really is, and Pokemon not even having a remote presence on it, even through BC for what its worth, will hurt them more then conceived. I think somewhere in late 2017 , Pokemon Radiant Sun/Pokemon Full Moon for Nintendo Switch will release, and the games on the 3DS will recieve full free updates for whatever new might come. Then from 2017-2019 Gen 7 will continue, while Gamefreak builds a proper Switch generation from the get go. It also needs to be said that by then if successful they might have already released their first hardware iteration, which also might be with newer hardware, so Gamefreak is going to need adjust accordingly even with those type of factors, so extending Gen 7 with a relaunch is likely the best option they have.

The problem with this approach is that it would split up the userbase, you'd have people playing 7th gen on 3DS and people playing 7th gen on Switch, and it'd be difficult if not impossible for the two groups to play each other. And since Pokemon is a very communication focused game, this would be a major issue for the series that would significantly affect people's enjoyment of the game. More than likely, they're sticking it out with 7th gen on the 3DS for at least another year.

This is the other reason why I wasn't happy with us moving onto 7th gen this soon instead of doing Z/XY2. Releasing 7th gen in 2016 when the next gen hardware is releasing in 2017 is kind of soft confirmation that the first game on the Switch will be a few years in yet again.

Honestly, I kind of hope that the Switch isn't the successor for the 3DS. They have already mentioned that the Switch won't be compatible with both Wii U and 3DS games, which would be a big issue for 3DS fans in general, as well as for Pokemon fans. Transferring Pokemon wouldn't be possible with that in mind, or at least it sounds like that right now. Plus, losing the duel touch screen would be a big loss since Game Freak has relied on that since the fourth generation. The more I think about it, the more the Switch comes off as a console system with mobility options rather than just a console and handheld hybrid per say if that makes any sense. I'm also not sure if Game Freak could go from handheld systems to working on a console main series game for Pokemon.

The Switch does look cool and that mobility might make it more plausible for me to get a Nintendo console for the first time in ages, but I think that they'll still have a regular handheld system as the 3DS successor somewhere down the road. Their handheld systems have been selling quite well for awhile, so I don't know if they'd be willing to lose that, even if it were to help the sales of their console system. The 3DS is still getting new games well into next spring too, so I think that they'd want to give it support for awhile longer.

If the Switch is the successor to both the Wii U and the 3DS though, then I don't think we'll have to worry about new main series games on that system for awhile. I fully expect that the seventh generation will stay on the 3DS. They were able to keep the fifth generation on the DS and that was after the 3DS had already been out for a little while. I clearly remember people being shocked/annoyed that B/W were for the DS instead of 3DS. While getting a main series Pokemon game on the Switch would certainly help boost sales, I don't think that they'd do that given how they've handled other generations being put on new systems. They normally wait a couple of years or so before putting a new Pokemon game on a new system. We often get spin-off titles first, but that's about it. If we do get a main series game on the Switch, then it probably won't be for another couple of years until after the seventh generation wraps up, but I still hope that we'll get a regular handheld system instead of just the Switch for both systems.

Supporting both wouldn't really make a lot of business sense for Nintendo. For one, it naturally cannibalizes the 3DS' appeal. It's a 5 year old handheld, it's naturally less interesting than a shiny new device that can do handheld games like the 3DS AND play games on your TV like a home console. There's no way consumers and developers would remain interested in both enough for both to be financially successful, the 3DS being older hardware with less functionality won't remain appealing as the Switch takes off. Second, Nintendo's been having problems getting enough content out for their consoles recently (Wii U has especially had problems) and they've been in the process of merging their home and handheld development teams in the hopes of optimizing their output. Having a console that has what the 3DS and Wii U got combined would be very exciting and should help give their consoles enough killer apps to sell well. Keeping the 3DS while developing games for the Switch would defeat that purpose and perpetuate the lineup issues.

It's a virtual guarantee that this is all you get out of Nintendo this gen. It's sad that they couldn't have retained more of the 3DS' functionality, I'm not happy about that either, but having a 5 year old handheld stick around alongside next gen hardware defies common sense and I'm surprised people keep thinking this.

 

[Silktree]

Hidden Mew was arguing that there should be a proper handheld system to replace the 3DS. She wasn't saying that the latter should be supported forever.

Regardless, with Level-5 and Capcom planning to release 3DS games in 2017, I don't see what the big deal is about Game Freak doing the same. They are not Nintendo and are not in any rush to move onto a new system, since the install base takes time to grow.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Supporting both wouldn't really make a lot of business sense for Nintendo. For one, it naturally cannibalizes the 3DS' appeal. It's a 5 year old handheld, it's naturally less interesting than a shiny new device that can do handheld games like the 3DS AND play games on your TV like a home console. There's no way consumers and developers would remain interested in both enough for both to be financially successful, the 3DS being older hardware with less functionality won't remain appealing as the Switch takes off. Second, Nintendo's been having problems getting enough content out for their consoles recently (Wii U has especially had problems) and they've been in the process of merging their home and handheld development teams in the hopes of optimizing their output. Having a console that has what the 3DS and Wii U got combined would be very exciting and should help give their consoles enough killer apps to sell well. Keeping the 3DS while developing games for the Switch would defeat that purpose and perpetuate the lineup issues.

It's a virtual guarantee that this is all you get out of Nintendo this gen. It's sad that they couldn't have retained more of the 3DS' functionality, I'm not happy about that either, but having a 5 year old handheld stick around alongside next gen hardware defies common sense and I'm surprised people keep thinking this.

I don't think I was clear enough here. I'm not expecting them to support the 3DS for that long. I didn't say anything like having the 3DS alongside the Switch for a long period of time. I'm well aware that it's an aging system and that the Switch being brand new and shiny would make it harder for the 3DS to stand out after awhile. I'm just saying that I hope it keeps getting support for awhile longer. Not the entire console generation mind you, but more like another couple of years. I do expect that to happen since I'm pretty sure that the seventh generation will stay on the 3DS and will probably last at least three years if the last two generations are any indication. Plus, they are still putting out new games on the 3DS well into next year, so the idea that they'll support the system for another couple of years doesn't sound like a stretch to me.

I do hope that they'll have a different system as the successor to the 3DS instead of the Switch. As cool as the system looks, I'm not sure if it would be quite as handy to carry around, even with the trailer emphasizing its mobility, compared to a system like a DS or 3DS, and I am worried how it could work for games like Pokemon. People like the idea of console main series game, but I don't know how well that would actually work when the franchise has always been for handheld systems and losing the duel screen system would be a big issue after the last few generations have relied on that. Perhaps I'm just being too optimistic there and at least part of it is due to how I'm more of a handheld player than into console systems, but from what I've read about the Switch, it does sound more like its own console system rather than a successor to the Wii U or the console/handheld hybrid system per say. All I can just is just hope for the best regardless of whether or not the Switch does take over their handheld systems as well.

 

[Tuoko]

I'm not too worried about the lack of dual screens considering Pokemon has been on one screen before, but I am interested as to how (3)DS-exclusive franchises will work on the Switch, such as Yokai Watch.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it said that a cheaper, portable-only version of the Nintendo Switch could happen later on down the line if needed? I remember someone on here mentioning it.

As for Pokemon's future game on the Switch, I can see it being released in late 2018, it would be similar to how long past Gens released late, anyway. Spin-offs from Pokemon will probably happen starting in 2017.

 

[RileyXY1]

If you're worried that Gen 7 would be an extremely short gen and they will get Gen 8 on the Switch in the next year, you don't need to worry. They won't rush Gen 8 to get onto the Switch. GF is not the company to rush onto a new system. I guarantee that there would be another 3DS installment for Gen 7, whether it be Gen 4 remakes/Kanto sequels/Alola sequels/something else.

 

[Keshav]

The Battle system should be improved on the Switch. The current battle system is just too basic. It's a turn based system from the 90s. It's probably because of the hardware limitations that they couldn't make a battle system with more mobility just like the anime.
But when Switch comes out, the case will be a bit different. They can then give us realtime battles and maybe wild pokemon just moving around instead of hiding in grass. I think the Switch will be an opportunity for them to improve it. I just get totally amazed by the battles in the anime and would love to do battles like that myself. One more reason could be that GF has always been working with that turn based battle system and maybe they do not have the right developers for a game made for a console because they never needed them since they were making games for handhelds. But Switch is a lot more different.
What do you guys think about it?