Laura Dale Talks About Want She Knows About The Nintendo Switch Event

Reliable video game journalist Laura Dale recently participated in an Ask Me Anything on the Nintendo Switch SubReddit. Naturally people were intrigued about whether she had heard anything regarding the upcoming Nintendo Switch reveal event on January 12th. Here’s what she has learned from her trust worthy sources:

• There are definitely surprises left for the Jan 12th event. There’s a lot of third party stuff not touched on, some hardware details, UI system level info and other info not yet spoiled.
• There’s a pretty beefy presentation planned and, like some of Nintendo’s better directs, it’s going to be very info heavy.
• Yep, stuff you’re not expecting. At least one unexpected new IP.
• [Concerning Zelda] I really hope it’s launch, and the marketing seems to regularly suggest it’ll be launch, but I’m still hearing it’s going to miss launch. If I were just making educated guesses on public info I’d have said launch, but I keep on hearing it’ll miss launch. As a Zelda fan I am as disappointed by that as anyone.
• [Concerning battery power and processing power] I initially heard 3 hours max battery, no clue if that’s full clock or “portable” clock speed. I’ve heard longer estimates since which would lead me to suspect 3 hours is if you play a game fully clocked but not connected to power, which is doable at the very least with dev kits.
• I suspect we will see similar levels of graphical sacrifices as going from ultra to high to medium on PC. A little less of everything, but the same core experience.
• I have heard about two third party exclusives, Rabbids RPG being one. I suspect 3 at least but that’s no guarantee they are good exclusives :P
• Initial VC library is 100% going to disappoint folk in terms of raw volume of titles.
• [Concerning Wii U ports] Everything I have heard is enhanced ports, to varying degrees. Mario Kart seems extensive. Smash seems minimal. Varying levels of addition.
• [Concerning BGE2] I have heard a CGI teaser for BGE2 is in the works, less than a minute long (double sourced). No word if it’ll be ready for Jan. I suspect not Jan event but equally I don’t know when else a 1 min teaser being worked on now would be for. Can’t place any other events they would be prepping it for.
• RE: Mother 3, I’ve heard that rumor just like Emily. It seems to be a project that continuously comes to me from reputable sources with a strong track record, but never materializes. I am genuinely fascinated by why I keep hearing it but it never happens. It’s the eternal phantom rumour.
• [Concerning Monolith Soft’s new project]I have heard it’s something new, it’s not the Xenoblade X Switch port, and it’s in the same vain as Xenoblade and X in terms of combat style.
• Don’t expect anything from Platinum in January.