It’s pretty safe to say that the world is in a crappy place as of late. There are troubles anywhere you can throw a dart on a map, and things are seemingly going to get worse before they get better. Still, there are always hobbies and interests to fall back on, and Circana games analyst Mat Piscatella believes that is one of the key factors behind the tremendous anticipation of the Switch 2. People simply want to be happy for one thing in their lives.
In an interview with GamesRadar+, Piscatella discussed how intense the anticipation for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been despite how lackluster the console’s launch lineup is. While he noted that several people are diehard Nintendo fans and will want the device just because, there has also been the eight-year wait between the first Switch and its followup that has driven customer demand up. That long wait, coupled with an uptick in people looking to seek fun and distraction, is likely what will propel the Switch 2 launch despite the shortcomings of its launch software.
“I think the thing with this is that you have such an enthusiastic, dedicated audience that I don’t think the launch lineup matters at all,” Piscatella told GamesRadar+. “What matters, I think, is the lineup as it looks six months in, when you have to start really trying to go after the more mass market or console enthusiast buyer, not just the Nintendo dedicated fan, because that person is going to buy this thing no matter what.”
He continues by noting how the state of the world seems particularly dire right now, so people have been looking to different means of entertainment as escapism. Video games have always been one of the purest forms of that, and naturally, the Switch 2 launch is being bolstered by everything else going on. If tomorrow seems like it might not exist, why not get a Switch 2 to forget your troubles?
“It’s been a long time, and people are looking for things to kind of get their mind off of what’s going on elsewhere,” Piscatella said. “You can even see it online, just the desire people have to have something to be excited about. I don’t know, maybe it’s just my own perspective, but I just see this palpable desperation, in a sense, of wanting to find something to bring joy.”
Whether or not Piscatella is correct, I completely understand where he’s coming from. I’ve been critical of Nintendo’s increased pricing structure for the Switch 2 era, but some people look to video games as a distraction. I know that I have other hobbies I invest in simply because I may never have another chance to actually engage with a hobby in the future.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
