Currently in development

[Spirit]

I've noticed a trend recently, particularly from Nintendo, of revealing a game and saying said game is 'currently in development'.

They did it with Metroid Prime 4, they did it with Breath of the Wild 2, they did it with Platinum and Bayonetta 3 and they've most recently done it with Bandai Namco and New Pokemon Snap.

Do you like that they do this?

Does it feel as if they're announcing games far too soon?

Or does it feel relieving in a way not to be bound to a date that will most likely change anyway?

 

[GoronGainz]

It's nice to know what they're working on as oppose to just dropping a game out of nowhere (Origami king...)

I've always been of the mindset that I'd rather them take as much time as needed to finish a good game than rush to complete a bad game.

Not having dates on reveal trailers doesn't bother me. As long as the game is good when eventually released I consider it worth the wait.

 

[twilitfalchion]

For big titles like BotW 2 and Metroid Prime 4, I think it's generally a good thing to let fans know that they are working on them, even years ahead of release. The announcement for Prime 4 in particular (as well as Samus Returns) really let the Metroid fanbase know that Nintendo still cares about the series after the dumpster fire that Other M was.

But in some cases, it isn't the best idea. Luigi's Mansion met its estimated release of fall 2019, but Animal Crossing had to be delayed to spring 2020. While I'm glad the game was delayed to undoubtedly make it better, it still didn't soften the slight disappointment of a delay. Or Pikmin 4, which was mentioned by Miyamoto to be near completion a few years back, but is nowhere to be seen. That was a major flub on his part, especially if it might have been scrapped in development.

For me personally, it could go both ways. I'm not a terribly patient person, so knowing way ahead of release that a game is in development isn't ideal, but I can see the benefits of Nintendo doing it for some games.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I'm fine with them announcing that a game is being developed, and I prefer it that way rather than giving a release date that will likely be pushed up multiple times in the future. I've always felt like Nintendo is terrible with giving accurate release windows, so this way of advertisement suits them better.

 

[Ten Thousand Needles]

If there's nothing to show then don't announce anything. At least with BotW 2 there's a trailer, but they announced MP4 way too early. The reveal will be much more exciting if it's more than just a title card.

 

[the8thark]

Investors want to know this mostly. They need to know there's a good pipeline of games on the way. Big gaps of nothing are not good as they need to know the company has constant sources of revenue.