Fans around world queue up in long lines for highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 launch
A customer receives the new Nintendo Switch 2 video game console at a Target store on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
By AYAKA McGILL
Throngs of gamers stood in long lines outside of stores hours before they opened Thursday from Tokyo to New York City in hopes of snaring a long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 video game console.
Enthusiasts have been clamoring for an upgrade to Nintendo's eight-year-old predecessor for years. Nintendo, which is counting on the Switch 2 to boost sagging sales, has added new social features meant to lure players into online gaming.
The much anticipated Switch 2, being released around the world Thursday, is an upgrade to its eight-year-old predecessor with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. Nintendo is counting on the Switch 2 to boost sagging sales.
In the U.S., a chaotic pre-order process in April left some fans frustrated after the consoles quickly sold out. People lined up early Thursday at stores in hopes of buying one.
'I'm just rolling the dice here,' said Edgar Huo, who was in a line of about 25 outside of a Target in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. Many of those waiting for the store to open had ordered online, but a few like Huo hoped for a chance at purchasing any extra inventory the store had.
In Japan, the new consoles were sold through a competitive lottery system that Nintendo said got about 2.2 million applications.
Outside the official draw, some retailers offered their own lotteries to pre-order the devices.
Koji Takahashi was among those who missed out on the official draw but he was selected in the second round of a lottery held by a major electronics retailer in Japan.
He was first in line waiting outside the store, arriving four hours ahead of its opening. He hoped to secure a limited supply of Nintendo accessories to buy along with his pre-ordered Switch 2.
'I feel very sorry for those who weren't successful in the lottery. But I also had tough time getting this far, so I hope they forgive me!' Takahashi said.
Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser told CBS Morning Plus today that the company is aware of the demand for its newest system and is working to get units into the hands of customers.
'We have a steady supply of manufacturing that will be coming in, and we believe we'll be able to meet that demand all the way through the summer, through Father's Day and then on into the holiday period also,' Bowser said.
The new console comes with a larger and higher resolution screen than its predecessor, with improved processing power, offering smoother and more vivid graphics. Central to its updated system is a new 'C' button on its controller, which will launch a 'GameChat' feature that requires a subscription to Nintendo's Switch online service. It allows players to 'communicate with friends and family while playing a game,' and lets them share their game screen with others. A built-in microphone will also allow chatting with other gamers.
Nintendo has said it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year through March 2026.
The company also rolled out new Switch 2 editions for two of its popular 'Legend of Zelda' games. A Pokemon title and a Kirby game are also coming, as well as offerings from outside video game publishers.
The Switch 2's rollout arrives at an uncertain time for much of the gaming industry due to new tariffs implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump.
In the U.S., the Switch 2's baseline launch price is $449.99 — significantly higher than the original Switch's $299 price tag.
U.S. preorders for the Switch 2 were delayed for several weeks so the company could assess the potential impact of tariffs.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
14 hours ago
- Japan Today
Musk could lose billions of dollars depending on how spat with Trump unfolds
FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, claps as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk prepares to depart after a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show on Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) By BERNARD CONDON The world's richest man could lose billions in his fight with world's most powerful politician. The feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump could mean Tesla's plans for self-driving cars hit a roadblock, SpaceX flies fewer missions for NASA, Starlink gets fewer overseas satellite contracts and the social media platform X loses advertisers. Maybe, that is. It all depends on Trump's appetite for revenge and how the dispute unfolds. Joked Telemetry Insight auto analyst Sam Abuelsamid, 'Since Trump has no history of retaliating against perceived adversaries, he'll probably just let this pass.' Turning serious, he sees trouble ahead for Musk. 'For someone that rants so much about government pork, all of Elon's businesses are extremely dependent on government largesse, which makes him vulnerable.' Trump and the federal government also stand to lose from a long-running dispute, but not as much as Musk. The dispute comes just a week before a planned test of Tesla's driverless taxis in Austin, Texas, a major event for the company because sales of its EVs are lagging in many markets, and Musk needs a win. Trump can mess things up for Tesla by encouraging federal safety regulators to step in at any sign of trouble for the robotaxis. Even before the war of words broke out on Thursday, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration requested data on how Musk's driverless, autonomous taxis will perform in low-visibility conditions. That request follows an investigation last year into 2.4 million Teslas equipped with full self-driving software after several accidents, including one that killed a pedestrian. A spokesman for NHTSA said the probe was ongoing and that the agency "will take any necessary actions to protect road safety.' The Department of Justice has also probed the safety of Tesla cars, but the status of that investigation is unclear. The DOJ did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The promise of a self-driving future led by Tesla inspired shareholders to boost the stock by 50% in the weeks after Musk confirmed the Austin rollout. But on Thursday, the stock plunged more than 14% amid the Trump-Musk standoff. On Friday, it recovered a bit, bouncing back nearly 4%. 'Tesla's recent rise was almost entirely driven by robotaxi enthusiasm," said Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein. 'Elon's feud with Trump could be a negative.' One often-overlooked but important part of Tesla's business that could take a hit is its sales of carbon credits. As Musk and Trump were slugging it out Thursday, Republican senators inserted new language into Trump's budget bill that would eliminate fines for gas-powered cars that fall short of fuel economy standards. Tesla has a thriving side business selling 'regulatory credits' to other automakers to make up for their shortfalls. Musk has downplayed the importance of the credits business, but the changes would hurt Tesla as it reels from boycotts of its cars tied to Musk's time working for Trump. Credit sales jumped by a third to $595 million in the first three months of the year even as total revenue slumped. Musk's foray into right-wing politics cost Tesla sales among the environmentally minded consumers who embraced electric cars and led to boycotts of Tesla showrooms. If Musk has indeed ended his close association with Trump, those buyers could come back, but that's far from certain. Meanwhile, one analyst speculated earlier this year that Trump voters in so-called red counties could buy Teslas 'in a meaningful way.' But he's now less hopeful. 'There are more questions than answers following Thursday developments,' TD Cowen's Itay Michaeli wrote in his latest report, 'and it's still too early to determine any lasting impacts.' Michaeli's stock target for Tesla earlier this year was $388. He has since lowered it to $330. Tesla was trading Friday at $300. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Trump said Thursday that he could cut government contracts to Musk's rocket company, SpaceX, a massive threat to a company that has received billions of federal dollars. The privately held company that is reportedly worth $350 billion provides launches, sends astronauts into space for NASA and has a contract to send a team from the space agency to the moon next year. But if Musk has a lot to lose, so does the U.S. SpaceX is the only U.S. company capable of transporting crews to and from the space station, using its four-person Dragon capsules. The other alternative is politically dicey: depending wholly on Russia's Soyuz capsules. Musk knew all this when he shot back at Trump that SpaceX would begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft. But it is unclear how serious his threat was. Several hours later — in a reply to another X user — he said he wouldn't do it. A subsidiary of SpaceX, the satellite internet company Starlink, appears to also have benefited from Musk's once-close relationship with the president. Musk announced that Saudi Arabia had approved Starlink for some services during a trip with Trump in the Middle East last month. The company has also won a string of other recent deals in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and elsewhere as Trump has threatened tariffs. It's not clear how much politics played a role, and how much is pure business. On Friday, The Associated Press confirmed that India had approved a key license to Starlink. At least 40% of India's more than 1.4 billion people have no access to the internet. Big advertisers that fled X after Musk welcomed all manner of conspiracy theories to the social media platform have started to trickle back in recent months, possibly out of fear of a conservative backlash. Musk has called their decision to leave an 'illegal boycott' and sued them, and the Trump administration recently weighed in with a Federal Trade Commission probe into possible coordination among them. Now advertisers may have to worry about a different danger. If Trump sours on X, "there's a risk that it could again become politically radioactive for major brands,' said Sarah Kreps, a political scientist at Cornell University. She added, though, that an 'exodus isn't obvious, and it would depend heavily on how the conflict escalates, how long it lasts and how it ends.' Associated Press Writer Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
18 hours ago
- Japan Today
Film Festival showcases what artificial intelligence can do on the big screen
Runway's third-annual AI Film Festival kicks off with a screening at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in New York on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Wyatte Grantham-Philips) By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Artificial intelligence 's use in movie making is exploding. And a young film festival, now in its junior year, is showcasing what this technology can do on screen today. The annual AI Film Festival organized by Runway, a company that specializes in AI-generated video, kicked off in New York Thursday night with ten short films from around the world making their debut on the big screen. 'Three years ago, this was such a crazy idea,' Runway CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela told the crowd. 'Today, millions of people are making billions of videos using tools we only dreamed of.' The film festival itself has grown significantly since its 2023 debut. About 300 people submitted films when it first began, Valenzuela said, compared to about 6,000 submissions received this year. The one and half-hour lineup stretched across a range of creative styles and ambitious themes — with Jacob Alder's ' Total Pixel Space " taking home the festival's top prize. The 9-minute and 28-second film questions how many possible images — real or not — exist in the digital space, and uses math to calculate a colossal number. A stunning series of images, ranging from the familiar life moments to those that completely bend reality, gives viewers a glimpse of what's out there. Meanwhile, Andrew Salter's 'Jailbird," which snagged second place, chronicles a chicken's journey — from the bird's perspective — to a human prison in the United Kingdom to take part in a joint-rehabilitation program. And 'One,' a futuristic story by Ricardo Villavicencio and Edward Saatchi about interplanetary travel followed in third place. The 10 films shown were finalists selected from thousands submitted to Runway's AI Film Festival this year. The shorts will also be shown at screenings held in Los Angeles and Paris next week. How AI is used and executed is a factor judges evaluate when determining festival winners. But not every film entered was made entirely using AI. While submission criteria requires each movie include the use of AI-generated video, there's no set threshold, meaning some films can take a more 'mixed media' approach — such as combining live shots of actors or real-life images and sounds with AI-generated elements. 'We're trying to encourage people to explore and experiment with it,' Valenzuela said in an interview prior to Thursday's screening. Creating a coherent film using generative AI is no easy feat. It can take a long list of directions and numerous, detailed prompts to get even a short scene to make sense and look consistent. Still, the scope of what this kind of technology can do has grown significantly since Runway's first AI Film Festival in 2023 — and Valenzuela says that's reflected in today's submissions. While there are still limits, AI-generated video is becoming more and more life-like and realistic. Runway encourages the use of its own AI tools for films entered into its festival, but creators are also allowed to turn to other resources and tools as they put together the films — and across the industry, tools that use AI to create videos spanning from text, image and/or audio prompts have rapidly improved over recent years, while becoming increasingly available. 'The way (this technology) has lived within film and media culture, and pop culture, has really accelerated,' said Joshua Glick, an associate professor of film and electronic arts at Bard College. He adds that Runway's film fest, which is among a handful of showcases aimed at spotlighting AI's creative capabilities, arrives as companies in this space are searching for heightened 'legitimacy and recognition' for the tools they are creating — with aims to cement partnerships in Hollywood as a result. AI's presence in Hollywood is already far-reaching, and perhaps more expansive than many moviegoers realize. Beyond 'headline-grabbing' (and at times controversial) applications that big-budget films have done to 'de-age' actors or create eye-catching stunts, Glick notes, this technology is often incorporated in an array of post-production editing, digital touch-ups and additional behind-the-scenes work like sorting footage. Industry executives repeatedly point to how AI can improve efficiency in the movie making process — allowing creatives to perform a task that once took hours, for example, in a matter of minutes — and foster further innovation. Still, AI's rapid growth and adoption has also heightened anxieties around the burgeoning technology — notably its implications for workers. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — which represents behind-the-scenes entertainment workers in the U.S. and Canada — has 'long embraced new technologies that enhance storytelling,' Vanessa Holtgrewe, IATSE's international vice president, said in an emailed statement. 'But we've also been clear: AI must not be used to undermine workers' rights or livelihoods.' IATSE and other unions have continued to meet with major studios and establish provisions in efforts to provide guardrails around the use of AI. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has also been vocal about AI protections for its members, a key sticking point in recent labor actions. For Runway's AI Film Festival, Valenzuela hopes screening films that incorporate AI-generated video can showcase what's possible — and how he says this technology can help, not hurt, creatives in the work they do today. 'It's natural to fear change ... (But) it's important to understand what you can do with it," Valenzuela said. Even filmmaking, he adds, was born 'because of scientific breakthroughs that at the time were very uncomfortable for many people." © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Nikkei Asia
a day ago
- Nikkei Asia
Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: Nintendo's Switch 2 is out -- now the game is getting one
Hello from Tokyo. Nintendo released its new game console, the Nintendo Switch 2, on Thursday. However, due to supply constraints and a strict and complex lottery-based sales system, eager fans may have to wait quite a while before getting their hands on the device. Our news editor, who once covered Nintendo as a reporter, shared his disappointment after failing to win the lottery on Wednesday. The Switch 2 faces two major challenges. The first is whether Nintendo can ramp up supply in time for the holiday shopping season, amid global disruptions linked to Trump-era tariffs. The second, longer-term challenge is whether the company can break its cycle of hit-and-miss consoles following the massive success of the current Switch. Headquartered in Kyoto, Nintendo stands out among Japanese tech companies. It entered the game console market over 40 years ago, following the success of its portable Game & Watch device, which used display technology originally developed for calculators. Even as tech giants like Sony and Microsoft entered the gaming industry, Nintendo has managed to maintain its market share. In recent years, it has held its ground against the rise of smartphone and PC gaming. Nintendo has two key strengths. The first is its hardware development philosophy, known as "lateral thinking with withered technology." Just as it once adapted calculator-based tech for gaming, Nintendo has consistently introduced new forms of entertainment by creatively combining widely available, mature technologies. The second strength lies in its roster of game characters, developed over more than 40 years. With franchises like Mario and Zelda, it offers games beloved by players of all ages. Will the Switch 2 make it onto your gift list in time for the holiday season? Please stay tuned to Nikkei Asia for the latest updates. My suggested reads 1. The grocery retail market in the Philippines is being shaken up by the rapid expansion of two so-called hard discounters, Dali and O!Save. Characterized by limited selections of mostly own-brand products, a relentless focus on cost efficiency and noticeably lower prices than their competitors, they are carving out a significant niche. 2. In May, Nissan's new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, unveiled a drastic restructuring plan echoing the carmaker's cost-cutting strategy of 1999, which succeeded by slashing over 20,000 jobs and closing factories. But today, Nissan faces far tougher challenges, including the shift toward electric vehicles and growing competition from China. 3. In an exclusive interview, Bank of Thailand Gov. Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput warns that U.S. tariffs and the resulting influx of diverted goods into Southeast Asia's second-largest economy could hurt industries from tires to furniture, with the real impact likely to hit in the second half of the year. 4. South Korea's new president, Lee Jae-myung, faces urgent trade talks with the U.S. as the pause on President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs ends next month. With major implications for South Korea's economy, Lee must act quickly -- possibly using his shared outsider status with Trump to his advantage in negotiations. 5. Once a quiet colonial outpost, Malaysia's Penang Island has evolved into a multicultural hub where temples, street art and clan houses meet hip cafes and heritage hotels. Writer and local resident Marco Ferrarese shares how to enjoy the island's rich history, vibrant food scene and lush hill trails. Through the lens This week's top photo pick: South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung forms a heart shape with his arms as he greets supporters after his inauguration in Seoul on June 4. (Photo by Lee Jin-man/Pool/Reuters) Check out more of our photo coverage here Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
