Nintendo's Switch 2 Reveal Delights Shareholders, Angers Kamiya

Nintendo's Switch 2 Reveal: A Stock Surge and a Director's Ire

The unveiling of Nintendo's Switch 2 has sent ripples through the gaming world, boosting the company's stock while provoking a fiery response from a prominent game director. Let's delve into the financial impact and the fallout from the leaks.

A Happy Investor Base

According to a January 16, 2025, VGC interview with Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games (a Japanese market-focused game industry consultancy), Nintendo's share price experienced a notable increase following the Switch 2 announcement. While 2024 saw an average share price around $13 USD, gradually climbing with the circulating leaks, the announcement pushed it to a peak of $15.77 USD – the highest point of the year. Toto attributes this surge to investor relief, fearing a repeat of the Wii U's underperformance. The Switch 2's iterative design, reminiscent of an iPhone upgrade, appears to have assuaged these concerns. While the design and name may not please all fans, its clear identity as Nintendo's new console is a significant improvement over the Wii U's ambiguous branding. Toto acknowledges, however, that the pre-announcement leaks significantly dampened the surprise element of the official reveal.

The April 2nd Nintendo Direct promises further details on specifications, launch titles, and pricing.

Kamiya's Condemnation of Leaks

Hideki Kamiya, renowned director of titles like Resident Evil, Okami, and Bayonetta, unleashed a torrent of criticism on social media towards those responsible for the Switch 2 leaks. His Twitter (X) post expressed his frustration, wishing a particularly unpleasant fate upon the leakers, highlighting the contrast with the successful surprise reveal of Okami at The Game Awards. He believes the leaks serve only the leakers' self-gratification, undermining potential benefits Nintendo could have reaped from a more controlled reveal. He places responsibility squarely on those who possessed the information and chose to disseminate it.

Former Nintendo of America employees, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, corroborated Kamiya's sentiment in a pre-announcement YouTube video, confirming Nintendo's extreme displeasure with the leaks.

The negative impact of leaks on the gaming industry is undeniable, spoiling surprises and potentially creating unrealistic expectations. Nintendo has yet to quantify the damage caused by the Switch 2 leaks to its marketing and sales projections.

The Enigmatic "C" Button

One point of contention among those privy to the leaks is the mysterious "C" button on the right Joy-Con. Two main theories circulate: a communication-focused function (codenamed "Campus," enabling voice chat, screen sharing, etc. for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers) and mouse-like control functionality, potentially transforming the Joy-Con into a mouse for enhanced gaming in titles like first-person shooters. The latter theory gains some credence from the way the Joy-Cons are depicted in promotional material. However, definitive answers remain elusive until the April 2nd Direct.

The wait for official confirmation continues, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the April 2nd Nintendo Direct for comprehensive details on the Switch 2.