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Fanbyte Report: 1-2 Switch sequel's poor internal reception has its release in limbo [UPDATE: it's real and is releasing 2023/06/30!!!]

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www.fanbyte.com

The Wild Story Behind Nintendo's Unannounced 1-2 Switch Sequel

There's a sequel in the works to the Nintendo Switch launch game, but it has been testing so badly that Nintendo is unsure what to do with it.
www.fanbyte.com www.fanbyte.com

Accounts differ on exactly when the sequel to 1-2 Switch started development. The title, which sources say settled on Everybody’s 1-2 Switch at one point, went through a few variations as the developers struggled with a core question: how exactly do you make a sequel to 1-2 Switch? The obvious answer was simply to add more minigames, as other iterative party titles had done, but they also wanted to release a title that didn’t render the first game moot and stop it from selling.
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The inspiration instead came from Jackbox Games, developers of the Jackbox Party Pack series. Games like You Don’t Know Jack, Fibbage, Quiplash, and the like are popular at parties, inspiring the Everybody’s 1-2 Switch team to establish a game show-like theme with a host and more participants. As opposed to the original game’s setup of having two users with a joycon each going up against each other, Everybody’s 1-2 Switch had many more players at once. With the use of smartphones, the game could have lobbies as big as 100 players — thus, the name Everybody’s 1-2 Switch.
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It tested horribly.

When playtesting groups received the game, the feedback to the development team was brutal. The target audiences Nintendo was hoping to hit — families with children — found the games boring; many didn’t even want to play through entire rounds. In the Bingo example, one player would use the joycon to mime digging out a number before reading it off the TV screen — a process that playtesters reported as tedious.
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It is important to note that this is not uncommon for a game: some projects just test badly and get quietly shelved or reworked. It happens far more often than people know and, under normal circumstances, this is likely what would have happened and no one would have been the wiser. But no one expected Everybody’s 1-2 Switch to test quite as badly as it did. Different trusted employees within Nintendo were raising alarms that the game released as-is would damage the company’s reputation as a great software developer.
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A sequel to 1-2 Switch could still be a good idea and could sell decently, but I really think it would have worked better as a traditional sequel for a more budget price instead of whatever weird stuff they seem to be doing here. If this game is as bad as this report makes it seems it might just be better to let it stay unreleased.
 
The 100 player lobbies sound cool and should be incorporated into other minigame collection titles (Mario Party, Clubhouse Games, etc).

That's probably the only interesting thing going for Everybody's 1-2 Switch.
 
Pretty interesting. I'm a bit shocked that Nintendo couldn't crank out a decent Jackbox clone with a more traditional feel. They could've just started by adapting classic exciting party games. Like Spoons and Bank and Slapjack. I guess those are all card games... Johann Sebastian Joust...?

I know that Nintendo wants to appeal to all ages, but Bingo is exclusively for hundred-year-olds and Musical Chairs is exclusively for five-year-olds.

I enjoy nearly all Nintendo games (including Wii Music!), but 1-2 Switch was pretty disappointing, too. Some of the games were fun, but many were flimsy. I don't mind if this gets shelved or reworked. Put out Zangeki No Reginleiv in its place!

I am going to need Horse in the next Smash, though.
 
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I totally understand Nintendo wanting to release a new entry given how much the original had sold (and I suspect ROI was pretty high even). However, I feel the family local multiplayer audience is definitely covered on Switch with Mario Party, Switch Sports and Clubhouse Games plus many other games which can be enjoyed by the same demographics (e.g., Mario Kart).

To succeed at this point of the lifecycle, a family game must offer something really new and unique (similarly to how RingFit offered something different with respect to WiiFit selling to a similar audience).
 
There is no need for a 1-2 Switch sequel. The original sold mostly thanks to it being one of the only titles available at launch. Plus, they just released Switch sports. whatever audience 1-2 has it's already been covered by Switch Sports.
And there also Mario kart 8DX, two mario Parties and others.
Honestly if it releases now it probably won't even do well and that's excluding whatever the reviews will be
 
Interesting considering Switch Sports(another family party game ) got a very mediocre metacritic score. That was suppose to be the title everybody wanted, not a 1-2 Switch sequel. If they do release it, I expect bad critical review scores, but it may actually sell well.

When it comes to the Party Game genre I don’t really listen to reviews, especially for Nintendo. They’re the kings of that genre, and the games are usually very high quality and polished.

Switch Sports is doing very well on the charts, and will most likely clear 10M before this financial year is over. All that tells me is wom ( word of mouth) and sales are a more informative gauge of quality than critical impressions.

This 1-2 Switch sequel should be fine (sales wise ) if they decide to release it.
 
epicene101 said:
Interesting considering Switch Sports(another family party game ) got a very mediocre metacritic score. That was suppose to be the title everybody wanted, not a 1-2 Switch sequel. If they do release it, I expect bad critical review scores, but it may actually sell well.

When it comes to the Party Game genre I don’t really listen to reviews, especially for Nintendo. They’re the kings of that genre, and the games are usually very high quality and polished.

Switch Sports is doing very well on the charts, and will most likely clear 10M before this financial year is over. All that tells me is wom ( word of mouth) and sales are a more informative gauge of quality than critical impressions.

This 1-2 Switch sequel should be fine (sales wise ) if they decide to release it.
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I feel like Switch Sports also steals all the thunder from a 1-2 Switch sequel. This game needed to come out in like 2020 where it probably would have done well with everyone in lock down looking for more things to do with family.
 
BassForever said:
I feel like Switch Sports also steals all the thunder from a 1-2 Switch sequel. This game needed to come out in like 2020 where it probably would have done well with everyone in lock down looking for more things to do with family.
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They need to give it space if it does release.
 
epicene101 said:
Interesting considering Switch Sports(another family party game ) got a very mediocre metacritic score. That was suppose to be the title everybody wanted, not a 1-2 Switch sequel. If they do release it, I expect bad critical review scores, but it may actually sell well.

When it comes to the Party Game genre I don’t really listen to reviews, especially for Nintendo. They’re the kings of that genre, and the games are usually very high quality and polished.

Switch Sports is doing very well on the charts, and will most likely clear 10M before this financial year is over. All that tells me is wom ( word of mouth) and sales are a more informative gauge of quality than critical impressions.

This 1-2 Switch sequel should be fine (sales wise ) if they decide to release it.
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Based on this article, it sounds like Everybody's 1-2 Switch is a great deal worse than Switch Sports.

Switch Sports also has the benefit of being the sequel to Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, which are two of the best-selling games of all time. 1-2 Switch has no such legacy.
 
awng782 said:
Based on this article, it sounds like Everybody's 1-2 Switch is a great deal worse than Switch Sports.

Switch Sports also has the benefit of being the sequel to Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, which are two of the best-selling games of all time. 1-2 Switch has no such legacy.
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Switch Sports also has the benefit of actually being a good game even if the the quantity of content can be underwhelming compared to Resorts. The game has good WoM outside of core gaming circles and it will keep selling for years just because is a good casual/party game to have for families and also to just have fun online
 
Honestly just giving it away to expansion owners (or just online owners) would be best. Maybe the large amount of owners can help it go more viral
 
awng782 said:
Based on this article, it sounds like Everybody's 1-2 Switch is a great deal worse than Switch Sports.

Switch Sports also has the benefit of being the sequel to Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, which are two of the best-selling games of all time. 1-2 Switch has no such legacy.
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I can believe it. I was just saying how the gap between what the critical impressions were vs wom/sales of Switch Sports right now, isn’t going unnoticed.

If I didn’t trust Nintendo quality and their ability to update their games for years for free, that score would of harmed it for me. Let’s be honest, that’s a very mediocre score for a game that (currently) has great positive wom. Some major critics are out of touch with a large percentage of Nintendo’s wider audience, considering the sales and fondness of their games.

I’m of the belief that Ring Fit Adventure ( although it got a good score) should of scored right up there with Animal Crossing NH. Content wasn’t lacking.

That’s why even though the sequel to 1-2 Switch seems to be heading for a bad critical score, it’s sales might not suffer the same fate, if they can convince their wider audience of its fun factor. If they can’t, then it will probably turn into another Labo, which was creative, but not simple enough to attract a large pickup and play audience.
 
epicene101 said:
I can believe it. I was just saying how the gap between what the critical impressions were vs wom/sales of Switch Sports right now, isn’t going unnoticed.

If I didn’t trust Nintendo quality and their ability to update their games for years for free, that score would of harmed it for me. Let’s be honest, that’s a very mediocre score for a game that (currently) has great positive wom. Some major critics are out of touch with a large percentage of Nintendo’s wider audience, considering the sales and fondness of their games.

I’m of the belief that Ring Fit Adventure ( although it got a good score) should of scored right up there with Animal Crossing NH. Content wasn’t lacking.

That’s why even though the sequel to 1-2 Switch seems to be heading for a bad critical score, it’s sales might not suffer the same fate, if they can convince their wider audience of its fun factor. If they can’t, then it will probably turn into another Labo, which was creative, but not simple enough to attract a large pickup and play audience.
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The difference would be stuff like labo and Switch sports playtesting well while the horse game isn't. Nintendo most likely tests against a very wide demo and this just isn't hitting like the other games have. Those could weather "alright" reviews, but this game won't be able to (even if it somehow got alright reviews)
 
epicene101 said:
I can believe it. I was just saying how the gap between what the critical impressions were vs wom/sales of Switch Sports right now, isn’t going unnoticed.

If I didn’t trust Nintendo quality and their ability to update their games for years for free, that score would of harmed it for me. Let’s be honest, that’s a very mediocre score for a game that (currently) has great positive wom. Some major critics are out of touch with a large percentage of Nintendo’s wider audience, considering the sales and fondness of their games.

I’m of the belief that Ring Fit Adventure ( although it got a good score) should of scored right up there with Animal Crossing NH. Content wasn’t lacking.

That’s why even though the sequel to 1-2 Switch seems to be heading for a bad critical score, it’s sales might not suffer the same fate, if they can convince their wider audience of its fun factor. If they can’t, then it will probably turn into another Labo, which was creative, but not simple enough to attract a large pickup and play audience.
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The difference is that Everybody's 1-2 Switch is apparently playtesting poorly with it's intended audience (families and kids) while Switch Sports, Ring Fit, and even Labo (probably) weren't.

Nintendo's recent sports titles are fundamentally solid games that are mainly criticized for lacking content at launch, while Everybody's 1-2 Switch is apparently just flat-out bad.
 
awng782 said:
The difference is that Everybody's 1-2 Switch is apparently playtesting poorly with it's intended audience (families and kids) while Switch Sports, Ring Fit, and even Labo (probably) weren't.
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I get the sense that Labo playtested very well with families. Nintendo had pretty high hopes for it. I'd guess the main reason it didn't take off is the environment in which these playtests occur establish the optimal parameters for use of the product. That is, people don't have to be convinced to purchase this weird cardboard thing; they don't need to find the time and space required to put these things together; and they don't have to figure out where to store them either. In real world situations, Labo was, I think, too cumbersome and complicated to become a hit. Honestly I think Nintendo should have tried to push them into educational settings moreso than family settings. It could have been very successful by getting schools on board.
 
ILikeFeet said:
The difference would be stuff like labo and Switch sports playtesting well while the horse game isn't. Nintendo most likely tests against a very wide demo and this just isn't hitting like the other games have. Those could weather "alright" reviews, but this game won't be able to (even if it somehow got alright reviews)
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awng782 said:
The difference is that Everybody's 1-2 Switch is apparently playtesting poorly with it's intended audience (families and kids) while Switch Sports, Ring Fit, and even Labo (probably) weren't.

Nintendo's recent sports titles are fundamentally solid games that are mainly criticized for lacking content at launch, while Everybody's 1-2 Switch is apparently just flat-out bad.
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One bad (according to critics) game ruining Nintendo’s reputation as a publisher, but all the other major failures they’ve had over the years couldn’t..idk.

1-2 Switch has been hated ( 58 Meta) ever since it released the 1st time and still went on to sell over 3M copies. If Labo tested well, It definitely didn’t do much sales wise despite the biggish hype it had. It sold less than 1-2 Switch if I’m not mistaken lol.

Not saying there’s no truth to this, but I just don’t see Nintendo not knowing this game was bad to begin with if the reactions from the inside was that grim.

I would love to see the wom for this sequel (if it ever releases lol) because I just don’t trust critics and “insiders” when it comes to bad to mediocre scores for games developed by EPD. I’ve learned that “lack of content at launch” doesn’t affect me or the vast majority of Nintendo’s wider audience.
 
Look, I don't want to cast doubt on insiders or anything, but we have as much actual evidence for this game existing as Star Fox GP...
It's interesting to consider that a game made it so far along in development before they figured out it sucks, but why would we hear about THIS game and not the likely dozen other games that Nintendo surely leaves cancelled or unreleased?
 
Aren’t Labo, 1 2 Switch, and this game all during the same dev group? Seems like they don’t produce the best quality games or most appealing. These recent games from them seem to focus too much on gimmicks over fun and being easy to understand.

Maybe they need a new lead or producers?
 
mariodk18 said:
Aren’t Labo, 1 2 Switch, and this game all during the same dev group? Seems like they don’t produce the best quality games or most appealing. These recent games from them seem to focus too much on gimmicks over fun and being easy to understand.

Maybe they need a new lead or producers?
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EPD4 is also responsible for Ring Fit Adventure, Switch Sports and Game Builder Garage, so I would refrain from making such statements in regards to quality or appeal of their games.

They are Nintendo's most innovative dev group in terms of hardware integration in their games, this experimental approach is almost inherently hit and miss.
 
This sounds like bunk. Nintendo don't do focus testing with the general public; or anyone outside of Mario Club/high level NOA Treehouse staff. Where is this info coming from?

We never get focus testing leaks about Nintendo games, and I doubt that this would just so happen to be the first one. This isn't how Nintendo operates, they don't engage in this kind of focus testing.
 
sfortunato said:
I totally understand Nintendo wanting to release a new entry given how much the original had sold (and I suspect ROI was pretty high even). However, I feel the family local multiplayer audience is definitely covered on Switch with Mario Party, Switch Sports and Clubhouse Games plus many other games which can be enjoyed by the same demographics (e.g., Mario Kart).

To succeed at this point of the lifecycle, a family game must offer something really new and unique (similarly to how RingFit offered something different with respect to WiiFit selling to a similar audience).
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Plus Warioware at 50 dollars and Brain vs Brain at 30. Just tons of self competition. Plus just missing what made Jackbox so easy to pick up and play (everyone has a smart phone).
 
DCSales said:
This sounds like bunk. Nintendo don't do focus testing with the general public; or anyone outside of Mario Club/high level NOA Treehouse staff. Where is this info coming from?

We never get focus testing leaks about Nintendo games, and I doubt that this would just so happen to be the first one. This isn't how Nintendo operates, they don't engage in this kind of focus testing.
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Absolutely no chance in hell a multi-billion dollar corporation selling tens of billions of dollars worth of product doesn't do some kind of focus testing with the general public.
 
DCSales said:
This sounds like bunk. Nintendo don't do focus testing with the general public; or anyone outside of Mario Club/high level NOA Treehouse staff. Where is this info coming from?

We never get focus testing leaks about Nintendo games, and I doubt that this would just so happen to be the first one. This isn't how Nintendo operates, they don't engage in this kind of focus testing.
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On the testing: They do. I remember Nintendo going to Kyoto junior schools for Wii Music and Nintendo Labo, at the very least.


That said I think you're right. Since when are we believing "reports" from any Nintendo first-party game developed in Japan?
I mean outside that weird cult-following of Emily Rodgers many people seems to be fond of.
 
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I'm still trying to figure out the appeal of the original 1-2 Switch. This article implies the sequel would have been terrible even compared to the original game. Ouch. I guess this would have been the Nintendo equivalent of a Balan Wonderworld. They did the smart thing by canceling the game. S-E should have canceled Balan Wonderworld, too.
 
The_Liquid_Laser said:
I'm still trying to figure out the appeal of the original 1-2 Switch. This article implies the sequel would have been terrible even compared to the original game. Ouch. I guess this would have been the Nintendo equivalent of a Balan Wonderworld. They did the smart thing by canceling the game. S-E should have canceled Balan Wonderworld, too.
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I think, at the very least, they have the nucleus of a product which could be appealing in E12S. In my opinion the best way to release this product would be as the new Tetris 99. There seem to be people at Nintendo who are determined to sell this thing for $60 and that is probably a non-starter at this point. They should simplify the content; cut it down to the parts which test well (or maybe the least poorly), iterate, and release it as a free download for NSO subscribers. They might not be able to get a good ROI after the game has been in development hell, but they should constantly be looking for new ways to get people on board with NSO, and a family oriented party title is something which would be novel in the free-with-NSO product selection.
 
DCSales said:
This sounds like bunk. Nintendo don't do focus testing with the general public; or anyone outside of Mario Club/high level NOA Treehouse staff. Where is this info coming from?
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Here's an interview regarding the development (including focus testing ) for Labo.

www.nintendo.com.au

Nintendo Labo developer interview – Part 1: The Concept

Nintendo of Europe Editor: I’m sitting down today for a chat with the developers behind Nintendo Labo: Mr Kawamoto, Nintendo Switch Director / Nintendo Labo Pr...
www.nintendo.com.au www.nintendo.com.au
 
First off. Nintendo absolutely do product testing with general public. It's not just limited to Mario Club/NOA Product Testing staffs. But included random people on the road as well. (iirc Splatoon was playtested this way during early development before the final world and character design was set)

Second, I would like to pay attention to the recent Ask the Developers interview of Switch Sports. As they talks at lengh about the game's development. (I highly recommend reading this in full btw!) Here's one quote from Yoshikazu Yamashita, the game's director:

We started off with Wii Sports but got so caught up in making it look new, the swinging motion controls became a secondary consideration, and other aspects of the game, like the game’s atmosphere, became a higher priority for us to put our efforts into. But we were working so hard at the time that we didn't really question it. We were very conscious of creating something new no matter what... However, it didn't go well in the end. We had lost our way and were on the verge of losing the charm of Wii Sports. And by the time we acknowledged we'd pursued the wrong direction, years had already passed.
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This, among other things, pretty much implies that Switch Sports was in development limbo for years. Before it were given a soft reboot to eventually became the final game.

Now it's very much normal for Nintendo (or any video game developers really) to made several game ideas and prototypes that never went far into production. So don't be surprised if we never see this supposed sequel of 1-2-Switch come to fruition. I wonder how much of the info got mixed up with Switch Sports though. Considering as I said earlier, it also went into limbo for years.
 
bad results from the testing of this game is the reason why they are cancelling their non-E3 Digital Event, I assume.



:p
 
Honestly, i never believed in a 1-2 Sequel. Made no sense to me. I’m Just wondering, wasn’t the title ready to launch some time ago? At least according to leaks
 
I think they should of done a Wiifit game on switch with the
balance board with the same character from Ringfit instead.
 
Valerio said:
Honestly, i never believed in a 1-2 Sequel. Made no sense to me. I’m Just wondering, wasn’t the title ready to launch some time ago? At least according to leaks
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If they were already reserving cases, that means they expected this game to come out soon if not already. Basically, the article is saying that the late focus testing made executives reconsider plans and put the release on hold.
 
Astrogamer said:
If they were already reserving cases, that means they expected this game to come out soon if not already. Basically, the article is saying that the late focus testing made executives reconsider plans and put the release on hold.
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So Zippo’s leak was inaccurate
 
Just dropped in its launch month on Twitter to zero fanfare. Seems about right.
 
We don't even know what it plays like lol.

I enjoyed 12 switch and contributed to it's sales, guess I am partially responsible for this sequel 😂
 
Undead Warrior said:
Look, I don't want to cast doubt on insiders or anything, but we have as much actual evidence for this game existing as Star Fox GP...
It's interesting to consider that a game made it so far along in development before they figured out it sucks, but why would we hear about THIS game and not the likely dozen other games that Nintendo surely leaves cancelled or unreleased?
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Fuck me I guess! Excited to vicariously experience this game through less fortunate people.
 
Nintendo is gunning for that number 1 best reviewed game twice in a row baby.
 
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