Nintendo reportedly sitting on 1-2-Switch sequel after it "tested horribly"
Inspired by Jackbox Party series.
Nintendo is reportedly figuring out what to do with a completed sequel to party game 1-2-Switch that has "tested horribly" among its target audience.
According to Fanbyte writer Imran Khan, citing multiple sources familiar with the game's development, Nintendo made the decision to begin work on a 1-2-Switch sequel - reportedly known as Everybody's 1-2-Switch - after the the original shifted a respectable 3.45m copies.
After several iterations, Nintendo is said to have settled on an idea inspired by the Jackbox Party Pack series for its 1-2-Switch sequel, where multiple players (up to 100 in some cases) could use their smartphones to compete in game-show-like mini-game challenges hosted by a man in a rubber horse mask. Reportedly, this somewhat radical shift in focus for the series was to ensure a too-similar sequel didn't eat into the original mini-game compilation's ongoing sales.
Unfortunately for Nintendo, it's claimed Everybody's 1-2-Switch simply didn't resonate with its target audience — namely, families with children — and "tested horribly". Play testers are said to have found its mini-games, which included musical chairs and a twist on bingo that required 'digging' out numbers using Joy-Cons, "boring" and "tedious".
The response was reportedly so bad, some employees within Nintendo began suggesting the game could damage the company's reputation for quality software if released. But despite those reservations, executives are reportedly refusing to be swayed on the idea of launching it as anything other than a full-price game (some employees have suggested releasing it as part of Switch Online's premium subscription), believing that - like its predecessor, which was also met with a poor critical reception - it will still sell well regardless of complaints.
Khan says his sources were unclear what the future might hold for Everybody's 1-2-Switch; while it's possible Nintendo may simply decide to cut its losses and abandon the project, sources say this is unlikely, and that Nintendo will "try to get the game out there one way or another."