
-
Indian army says new exchange of gunfire with Pakistan
-
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre takes own life in Australia: family
-
Hundreds of buildings damaged, dozens injured in 6.3 Ecuador quake
-
India and Pakistan's Kashmir fallout hits economy too
-
Francis's funeral to be grand farewell to 'pope of the poor'
-
Pogacar faces defiant Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege
-
Chelsea eye great escape against Barcelona in Women's Champions League
-
Iran, US to hold new round of high-level nuclear talks
-
'Energy and effort' pay off for Reds as Blues' woes continue
-
Albatross and closing birdie lift China's Liu to LPGA Chevron lead
-
On the horizon? Wave of momentum for high seas treaty
-
Developing countries should fast-track US trade deals: World Bank president
-
Grizzlies' Morant 'doubtful' for must-win game 4 v Thunder
-
Trump in Rome for pope funeral in first foreign trip of new term
-
Trump says Russia-Ukraine deal 'very close' after new Kremlin talks
-
US rookies lead PGA pairs event with McIlroy and Lowry in hunt
-
Trump tariff promises get a reality check
-
Warriors coach Kerr 'relatively optimistic' injured Butler will play game 3
-
Postecoglou hopes 'Stonecutter's Credo' can inspire Spurs
-
PSG lose unbeaten Ligue 1 record ahead of Arsenal showdown
-
Venezuela accuses El Salvador president of 'human trafficking'
-
Own goal takes Sundowns to African final against Pyramids
-
Scores of buildings damaged, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
US stocks extend rally as market eyes busy calendar next week
-
Pope's death triggers surge of disinformation he fought against
-
Rovanpera takes control of Rally Islas Canarias
-
Zelensky insists Crimea is Ukrainian as US envoy meets Putin
-
Patel and Mendis help Sunrisers beat Kings in Dhoni's 400th T20
-
Copa del Rey ref statements 'unacceptable': Real Madrid after boycotting final build-up
-
Insurance CEO's accused killer pleads not guilty to federal murder charges
-
FBI arrests Wisconsin judge for shielding undocumented migrant
-
Brazil ex-president Collor de Mello jailed for corruption
-
Zelensky insists Crimea 'belongs' to Ukraine as US envoy meets Putin
-
Real Madrid boycott Copa del Rey build-up over referee complaints
-
Trinidad and Tobago votes for parliament, PM, with opposition in lead
-
IMF chief hails 'constructive' Spring Meetings held under tariff uncertainty
-
Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US
-
Dozens of buildings destroyed, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
Young Barca must 'enjoy' Real Madrid Copa final fight: Flick
-
Pakistan and India border closure separates families
-
Brazil's Bolsonaro 'stable' after post-surgery setback
-
Catholics in secular Cuba hail Francis as 'bridge'
-
US envoy Witkoff, Putin discuss 'possibility' of direct Russia-Ukraine talks
-
Community seeks answers after French school knife killing
-
German prosecutors seek jail terms in VW 'dieselgate' trial
-
Sabalenka makes winning start at Madrid Open
-
EU, US should de-escalate and negotiate trade deal: IMF Europe director
-
Russia accuses Ukraine of killing general in car bombing
-
Emery wants FA Cup glory and Champions League berth for Villa
-
Buildings destroyed, one injured in Ecuador quake

Nintendo shares tumble as Switch 2 teaser disappoints
Nintendo shares tumbled as much as seven percent on Friday after the Japanese games giant failed to impress with a teaser video of its hotly awaited Switch 2 console.
The brief clip released Thursday showed a gadget that is bigger but broadly similar in appearance to the original hybrid Switch, which can be handheld or connected to a television.
Nintendo gave no technical specifications such as screen resolution or processing power for the sleek-looking machine, which will be on sale -- for an undisclosed price -- at some point in 2025.
This kept gamers and analysts guessing until a live-streamed presentation on April 2 and subsequent real-world "experience" events in the following days in major cities worldwide.
The stakes are high for the eagerly awaited announcement, with gaming websites in recent weeks reporting on "industry whispers" and glimpses of purported prototypes.
The first Switch has sold more than 146 million units since its launch in 2017, making it the world's third-bestselling console after Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's DS.
Krysta Yang of the Kit & Krysta Podcast said in a YouTube reaction video that the flood of unofficial previews and rumours may have spoiled the surprise.
"I guess because of all the information that was already out there, maybe people were just like, 'this is what I expected'," she said.
"I'm sure there's going to be more details that are fun and exciting, hopefully, and more games obviously, that we'll see in the coming months."
Nintendo's share price had also risen strongly in recent months, gaining more than 12 percent in the last half-year.
- Investor concerns -
The Switch 2's screen is larger, as are the overhauled detachable "Joy-Con" controllers that snap on -- possibly with magnets -- rather than sliding into position as before.
Eagle-eyed gaming websites noted what they said appeared to mouse-like functionality for the Joy-Con, a mysterious extra button and a new USB-C port.
Key will be the games, and Nintendo's two-minute trailer also showed off a new version of the long-running Mario Kart series both on the new console's built-in screen and on a TV.
The previous instalment of the game, "Mario Kart 8", has sold more than 64 million copies.
The company said the new machine "plays Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games, as well as both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games" -- which would fulfil a November promise on backwards compatibility.
But it added that "certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2", promising further details to come.
Bloomberg Intelligence technology analyst Nathan Naidu said while the new Mario Kart game was a "bright spot", investors could be concerned about the release timeline.
"As Switch 2's release will be at least three months behind its predecessor, it might fail to top the 15 million units the Switch achieved in its first full year," he said.
With sales of the original Switch falling, Nintendo had promised to unveil the new console by the end of March.
- No pressure -
Serkan Toto from Tokyo firm Kantan Games said that making the Switch 2 "just a bigger and better version of the original console... might be all that Nintendo needs".
"There was really no pressure from gamers for Nintendo to reinvent the wheel," Toto told AFP.
"Gamers are surely not blown away by the reveal like they were when the original Switch was shown for the first time, but I think year-one demand at least will be very high."
The Kyoto-based company has been diversifying into theme parks and funding films based on its characters such as the huge 2023 live-action hit "The Super Mario Bros. Movie".
"However, Nintendo still generates approximately 91 percent of its revenue from its Nintendo Switch business, which shows the importance of the Switch 2," said Darang Candra, an analyst with games market research firm Niko Partners.
In afternoon trade, Nintendo shares were down 4.84 percent, having pared its earlier steep losses.
B.Finley--AMWN