Switch Discussion Thread

[Exhuminator]

I feel kinda weird reading this thread, because I'm just not excited at all about the Switch, but most everyone else seems to be. (I never got excited about the Wii U either.) Still, I hope everybody who's getting a Switch on launch has a whole lotta fun!

[TSTR]

Weird free association thought: I know some of y'all got some years on you. Anybody have experience as a kid with having to go pick a switch that you'd get your ass whooped with?

[RCBH928]

So what happens now to the Wii U? Wasn't there a rumor that Nintendo was abandoning it, but then a Nintendo representative denied it and they were still manufacturing it?

So I've been a huge defender of the price and that people comparing the price with the big bulky PS4/XB1, which are now over 3 years old and aren't the size of a small tablet like the Switch is, so here's a table on the topic:

$300 is a bargain for a new console, but maybe that is because I live in a place where new consoles were sold for $530(thats in 90s money) and were considered reasonably priced. Then again, maybe technology used to be expensive and its very cheap to build powerful hardware today.

I really hope that I will be proven wrong but I believe this is the end of Nintendo as a console manufacturer

The Wii was really the beginning of the end of Nintendo as a dedicated console manufacturer. .

Thank you. I had a thread started here about 8 years ago titled" Wii: A failure" which has seriously decreased my popularity in this forum. Nintendo is really playing the nostalgia game, even the Street Fighter(switch) trailer starts with "Remember that feelings?"

[MrPopo]

I'll approach this like I approached the Wii U. I'll purchase one long after it's released and grab the best-looking first party titles. Probably build a collection of 30 games or so, with luck. Looking forward to it, but not insanely stoked.

What if they announced Ys as a launch title?

[laurenhiya21]

Well yesterday I managed to pre-order a Switch and Zelda, so I'm looking forward to playing that at launch I don't like how I had to pre-order with Gamestop, but I'll live.

Also pre-ordered Puyo Puyo Tetris even though I have a Japanese PS4 copy. Since the Switch version will be a limited print run (for some reason), I know I would be kicking myself if I didn't get a copy.

[Reprise]

I've come to the conclusion that the success of this relies entirely on the narrative and marketing of the Switch. The fact it is a super powerful portable, the successor to the GameBoy and DS/3DS, should put it in a strong position, but the fact it is also marketed as a home console, whilst a stroke of genius in terms of its design, could create a confusing, convoluted messaging in their marketing. The main problems that lie ahead is this messaging, how the media portrays the system and the expensive accessories that go with it.

The accessories are expensive, because of the motion control technology involved and 'HD' rumble. This is not a simple reproduction of the motion control used by the Wiimotes, or even the PS4 DS4 controller's simple light tracking system. It's incredibly comprehensive, with the ability to detect shapes etc. From what I gather, the pro controller also supports the same motion control technology.

In terms of power, apparently it appears to be more powerful than the Wii U and more powerful than anything from that generation, but fails to match the PS4 and XB1. A lot of people say as a portable it is simply incredible, but as a home console, the games are obviously of the same generation as the Wii U, albeit prettier and slightly more powerful. This means it won't match the more intensive games of the PS4 or XB1. Whether this matters and whether the Switch will be another Wii U, depends entirely on what narrative is sold by Nintendo and retold through the media.

Nintendo have obviously decided that in terms of home console power, they have peaked with the Wii U and don't need to compete with the PS4 or XB1. Instead, they need to focus and improve their strengths which have been A - the portable console market, B - their software and C - innovative hardware. So what we have is a super impressive and super powerful portable console, that supports home console experiences. There is no longer a disparity between their portable experiences and home console experiences, we now have a perfect synergy where we can enjoy and experience titles like Pokemon on the go or on a home console experience and play proper 3D Zelda games on the go or at home. This is mighty impressive and Nintendo needs to make sure they market this correctly. It needs to be hit home that this is the successor to the 3DS and that no longer are their portables under powered and clunky. If they can get third parties involved in the same way as their previous portables, then they may be alright. The only problem I foresee, which I find interesting that I haven't read elsewhere, is that the Gameboys, DSs etc., all worked perfectly as something someone anyone could play. They were well made, solid devices that you didn't feel concerned about giving to a child, but also could be played by teens and adults. The Switch looks like an impressive piece of kit and will parents feel comfortable buying it for their kids or will they worry about them breaking it? For the first time, their portable looks like a serious piece of kit and not a toy for children. Considering Nintendo's success with younger gamers and their image as a 'family friendly' style of gaming, especially with their portable consoles, this could be a problem.

So in conclusion, it's all about narrative for me. Will gamers view this as a home console and ignore the portability of it, resulting in lots of people saying "why is FIFA on this so gimped and shitty?", "Why haven't they got GTA6?", "Why isn't this much more powerful than the Wii U and still lagging behind Sony and Microsoft?" etc.? This will result in the same situation the Wii U found itself in, with third parties putting out shit, expensive ports and then folding their arms, declaring "well, we tried and no one's buying our games. See you in 5 years, Nintendo lololololol". Alternatively, if gamers AND developers/publishers respond to it in the same way they did with the GameBoy, DS etc., then they could be alright.

[Xeogred]

So in conclusion, it's all about narrative for me. Will gamers view this as a home console and ignore the portability of it, resulting in lots of people saying "why is FIFA on this so gimped and shitty?", "Why haven't they got GTA6?", "Why isn't this much more powerful than the Wii U and still lagging behind Sony and Microsoft?" etc.? This will result in the same situation the Wii U found itself in, with third parties putting out shit, expensive ports and then folding their arms, declaring "well, we tried and no one's buying our games. See you in 5 years, Nintendo lololololol". Alternatively, if gamers AND developers/publishers respond to it in the same way they did with the GameBoy, DS etc., then they could be alright.

Do you think people in Japan care about that with FIFA? I'm guessing it wouldn't be a big deal to them. I just bring that up since I think FIFA is huge in Japan.

I wonder what the overall reception was of the Wii U over in Japan compared to the US? Better or worse over there? Considering I think the PS4 does better over here, I wouldn't be surprised if the U flopped harder in their home turf. The portability could be a winning element for the Switch and them though.

It looks like they're still going to support the 3DS but have more or less pulled out and are focusing entirely on the Switch and I hope that sticks. They need to continue to be all in on this.

I haven't seen the most positive impressions around some channels though and from folks that don't seem to be big on Nintendo. And that's probably the crowd they need to win over again. Maybe graphics aren't everything for younger people thesedays who favor mobile over consoles, but I have no idea. That will always be a sticking point for ignorant gamers. Art style and finished products that don't need 10GB day one patches... goes a lot further than games that look pretty. But unfortunately can't we already see the writing on the wall here? It's been a lame ass argument against Nintendo for the last decade basically so I don't know if it will really change.

I think they should go super hard on porting over a large majority of both the U and 3DS/DS libraries over, basically unifying the Switch as the ultimate current Nintendo console with the biggest library. But... might be wishful thinking.

[Sarge]

I saw this somewhere else, maybe here. In a lot of ways, it's a Super Vita. Outside of the Shield, I don't know that we've seen a handheld quite this powerful.

[Reprise]

Do you think people in Japan care about that with FIFA? I'm guessing it wouldn't be a big deal to them. I just bring that up since I think FIFA is huge in Japan.

Oh I have no idea. My perception comes from living in the UK. FIFA games are huge here and 'gimped' ports were a big problem for the Wii U here. A lot of people gave the console a lot of shit for its version of FIFA 13, which was essentially a re-skin of the Wii's FIFA 12. When there wasn't parity with the PS3 and 360 versions, people were pissed. The same happened for other multiplatform releases.

Edit: What I'm saying is, no one complained when different versions, or 'gimped' ports of games came out for the GameBoys/DS/3DS, because developers used the strengths of those portables and people expected different versions of games. With the Wii U, because it was a home console, people expected parity. So will people give the Switch a pass, because it's portable or will they give it shit?

[Xeogred]

Ah yeah that's a good point. Sadly... no slack for consoles. Now I'm totally a console dude myself, but I think the real irony is how the Sony/MS consoles themselves are pretty much dated the moment they launch with PC's offering far more powerful options. But nah man, only Nintendo get all the crap for it!

I saw this somewhere else, maybe here. In a lot of ways, it's a Super Vita. Outside of the Shield, I don't know that we've seen a handheld quite this powerful.

That comparison doesn't really boost any hopes...