Switch Discussion Thread

[Forlorn Drifter]

I'm a bit sour with Nintendo in general, as of current. I doubt the NX will be BC with the Wii, which makes me think I'll eventually be cashing out for a Wii U just to cover the handful of Nintendo games and Wii exclusives I'm looking for.

I do hope Nintendo does well, but my feeling is that Nintendo is going to pull something so out of left field, we won't expect it. I do believe the handheld/home system console idea is there, but I think there's more to that. With the way Nintendo has been going, I could foresee something with lots of downloadable titles (maybe more stuff on the VC? We can hope.) and a pull towards old Nintendo even more than before. I think their biggest advantages as of current are nostalgia and perceived kid friendliness (despite how poorly that is viewed by many), and I think that will be capitalized on.

Either that, or Nintendo is going to drop the most bomb-ass console ever known to man, leading to the next video game crash, because they'll just keep realeasing 720p Mario and Zelda games forevvvver.

[Xeogred]

I just hope they don't fuck it up.

If they were paying attention and learned anything in the last several years, they will not. And if they were not paying attention..... Well, I predict a lot of cringing and sobbing.

The painful thing to me is that I loved the U. I know I'm in the minority here, but I honestly felt like this was the best Nintendo experience I've had since the N64 or even SNES. I'm still a sucker for their big first party IP's and man they just knocked it out of the park. It's not like I need more third party support since I have a good PC and PS4 for all that, but it's just disheartening to see how much of a failure the U was for them and for them to completely abandon it and give up. There's a lot they could have done better though, utilized the Gamepad better, still work on their online stuff and shops, etc, but yeah... I guess at the least I'd be happy if the NX can play U games so they can keep that support going, but I have no idea.

The U was just a depressing experience in its final days.

Still a good chunk of games I want to get for it though so I'll still be busy with mine for awhile. I just hope the NX is a bit more energetic and awesome for them and everyone.

[Michi]

I agree, Xeogred. I adore the Wii U and I think there's a lot to love about the system. But sadly, it fell flat with a lot of people.

I think it's failure had less to do with the system, and was more due to a series of miscalculations. The first stumble was the name. Much as I hate to say it, it did confuse quite a few people. Then there was the Gamepad. I think they thought it would add a level of creativity (it did in some cases), but I'm assuming they were counting on courting the users of the phone/tablet market as well and that didn't pan out. After that things started to slowly go downhill. The whole thing was very sad to watch, because a lot of the games are not only top-notch, but also (I think) include some of the best installments in several franchises.

As far as the NX is concerned, I remain both optimistic and wary.

[ElkinFencer10]

The Wii U is, without a doubt, my favorite 8th gen console. I may have more PS4 games and spend more time playing my PS4, but that's because of the larger library, not because of a greater love for the console. The Wii U offers completely unique experience impossible to get anywhere else, and if developers had taken the time to learn how to use it properly, the gamepad would have been seen as a huge boon to the gaming experience like the two screens on the DS/3DS, not a useless gimmick. Just look at how fucking well it worked for multiplayer on Call of Duty and enhancing the experience with ZombiU.

Nintendo definitely dropped the ball straight into the fucking Mariana Trench, but the blame isn't all theirs; developers, through a mix of sloth and the same crippling risk-aversion that makes gaming in general so much less interesting than it was 20 years ago, contributed just as much to the Wii U's failure as Nintendo's own pig-headed shortsightedness.

[Sarge]

I'll go on record as having enjoyed the Wii U tremendously as well. It's a good system, with some absolutely spectacular first-party games. While I think it failed to capture some of the Wii's mindshare, we still got some good stuff out of it.

For the record, I actually think I like the Wii's output, at least as far as first-party goes, better than anything else since the SNES. I have to admit, though, that much like the N64 and GC, it's pretty much been Nintendo really pulling the weight. Yes, I know the N64 had more third-party devs, but I'll be honest, there are a lot of those games that just didn't appeal to me.

[PartridgeSenpai]

I agree, Xeogred. I adore the Wii U and I think there's a lot to love about the system. But sadly, it fell flat with a lot of people.

I think it's failure had less to do with the system, and was more due to a series of miscalculations. The first stumble was the name. Much as I hate to say it, it did confuse quite a few people. Then there was the Gamepad. I think they thought it would add a level of creativity (it did in some cases), but I'm assuming they were counting on courting the users of the phone/tablet market as well and that didn't pan out. After that things started to slowly go downhill. The whole thing was very sad to watch, because a lot of the games are not only top-notch, but also (I think) include some of the best installments in several franchises.

As far as the NX is concerned, I remain both optimistic and wary.

I love my Wii U as well! If new games (as they should be) weren't so expensive, I'd certainly own a good few more games for it (Toad Treasure Tracker, one day...), even though it's one of the newer consoles that I've most fervently bought new games for (I think I have like 13 now).

I am one to stipulate that the Wii U would've done at least 10% better if it just had a different fucking name that had nothing to do with "Wii." Especially after they should've learned with all of the consumer confusion coming from unclear hardware advances like the DSi and 3DS (and everything in between), the Wii U should've never even been considered to be named even remotely like the Wii. That is just by far one of the most blatantly stupid things they could've possibly done given the massive market share the Wii possessed was due entirely to how it appealed to those who weren't traditionally considered gamers. The NX could just keep being called the NX, it could be the NintendX, or it could be some unpronounceable combination of consonants, but it shouldn't be named anything remotely like the Wii.

After they sacked their entire marketing department after the launch of the Wii U I have weary hope, but after the dubious naming of the NEW 3DS (which never should've had that name outside of Japan), I still worry about them Xp

[Exhuminator]

The Wii's library does kick the crap out of the GameCube and N64's, no doubt in my book. And I'm just talking about first party stuff. Add in the third party games and it's no contest whatsoever.

[Sarge]

Treasure Tracker is an amazing game. I loved every bit of it. It's amazing how they took that one little bit of minigame from 3D World and crafted a whole game out of it, and it didn't get old. At least to me it didn't.

Yeah, the N64 saw some dark days, despite its success. It started the "Nintendo drought" we're all accustomed to by now.

[Jagosaurus]

So what are the odds they just call it NX? Run with the publicity they've already built. Stick with the codename.

Feel like it needs to be discussed as the WiiU naming was terrible as discussed. I think a 10% increase in sale with a different name is conservative. I'd go with more like 15%ish +. I had to explain the console to a 12 yr old & his mom at Wal Mart well after it came out. They obviously loved Nintendo from our talk, owned a wii, & though the U was an add on. Blew my mind to see that first hand.

[BogusMeatFactory]

So what are the odds they just call it NX? Run with the publicity they've already built. Stick with the codename.

Feel like it needs to be discussed as the WiiU naming was terrible as discussed. I think a 10% increase in sale with a different name is conservative. I'd go with more like 15%ish +. I had to explain the console to a 12 yr old & his mom at Wal Mart well after it came out. They obviously loved Nintendo from our talk, owned a wii, & though the U was an add on. Blew my mind to see that first hand.

Should have kept the Wii as the Revolution. Should call the NX justvthe plain old, "Nintendo."