Nintendo Switch News and Discussion Thread

[the8thark]

So the financial meeting happened today.

Not really much was said, but there some nice and one concering tidbit.

First off, is that Kimishima is waiting to see what price is acceptable to consumers for the Nintendo Switch, but they also won't sell it at a loss.

Second, is that Nintendo is only going to ship 2 million Nintendo Switches at its launch......
Man. Is that stupid. That is a lot less consoles than what the Wii U's launched at......
Holy ****. That is so stupid. Especially considering that the trailer for the Nintendo Switch has 18,000,000 views.... In North America alone(that isn't even counting reposts of the trailer from places like IGN and GameXplain). The demand of this thing is so high.

It's suffice to say, if Nintendo doesn't change their mind on this. Then if you want the Switch at launch, then you have better pre order this thing the minute it's available.

I wonder how many unique user views that video got. I would say a lot. Still views don't equal potential sales. They just equal interest in the product. Nintendo need to work out how much of that interest will turn into sales. Nintendo can't pull an Apple and just guess the numbers to release and hope they get it right or just absorb the cost of the mistake. Also shipping a few less and creating a little artificial hype is not a bad thing. Apple lowball their iPhone shipment numbers every year and it works out well for them. Nintendo need to not worry about the round 1 shipments. The round 2 shipments is what needs to be snappy and the right amount fo them based on the sales from the first shipment.

We don't know when the Switch will be sold so it could be a week till the end of that month. We just don't know.

Note well

Nintendo shipped 3 million WiiU at launch.
Nintendo expect to sell 2 million Switch at launch. This does not say how many Switch will be shipped at launch.
Note the difference. This does not say how many WiiU were sold at launch. We all know the WiiU didn't sell that many at launch. Did the WiiU sell 2 million at launch? I don't know. Maybe you will.

Also:

https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2016/161027_2e.pdf

Here is the Switch quote from the Quarterly Conference. The above link is the entire presentation translated to English.

We have received a fantastic response from all over the world to the Nintendo Switch reveal video presented above. We are not able to share each qualitative comment and response from consumers today. However, one example is the number of views we have received on our YouTube accounts. The total number of views just on our official YouTube Channels has already reached 23 million views worldwide and still growing. The reaction from our YouTube viewers has been overwhelmingly positive. We are very confident that a lot of consumers around the world have become interested in Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch Announcement Video Impact

On YouTube,

Views: More than 23 Million

Reactions Were More than 95% Positive Totals of YouTube Channels for all countries (as of October 26, 2016)

Nintendo SwitchTM Partners (Partial List)

Nintendo Switch is a home console-type video game system that can be played at home or on the go. You can take the system away from your TV and play anywhere, alone or with friends. We are bringing this unprecedented entertainment experience to fans across the world.

When mounted on the Nintendo Switch Dock, you can experience high-impact gameplay on the large screen. Just remove the Nintendo Switch system from the Nintendo Switch Dock to transfer the game from the TV to the system screen instantly, letting you experience home console-quality gaming while switching between the TV and any other location.

The two unique detachable Joy-Con controllers also allow you to switch between multiple play styles with a single Nintendo Switch system, whether at home or on the go, letting you enjoy the gameplay of a home video game system with the portable convenience of a handheld system.

As you can see, we have a fantastic range of partner companies interested in Nintendo Switch. These are only some of our partners, and we are looking forward to working with all of our partners to bring exciting experiences to this new platform.

We plan to launch Nintendo Switch worldwide in March 2017. We are planning to ship two million hardware units globally from launch in March 2017 through the end of that month.


Nintendo Switch March 2017 Launch

Planned Shipments of Two Million Hardware Units This Fiscal Year

We plan to announce the price, software lineup, specifications and other product details for Nintendo Switch at a special “Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017” planned for January 13, 2017 (JST). We will invite the media, analysts and distribution partners to this event, to be held at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan. The presentation event will also be streamed live worldwide over the Internet.

We do not plan to release any additional information about the product until that time.

We also plan to provide a “Nintendo Switch Hands-On Experience 2017” as early as January in Japan, the U.S. and Europe. In Japan, we will follow the presentation on January 13 with the hands-on experience for the general public at Tokyo Big Sight on January 14 and 15. Hands-on experiences will be offered for media and business partners in the U.S., Europe and Australia at around the same time. Our local subsidiaries will provide more details.​

So the hard details are coming January 13 2017. Europe, the US and Australia will have region specific information shared to them around this time as well.

More info about the event.
http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-switch-presentation-2017-coming-13th-january-2017

The event will be globally streamed and suffer server strain from millions streaming it. But I'm sure the video will be hosted somewhere for everyone to see too after the presentation.

 

[Din.Farore.Nayru]

"Speaking during the company’s latest earnings call, CEO Tatsumi Kimishima said Nintendo will continue to support and make games for the popular handheld. As reported by the Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki, he said Nintendo was confident consumers would understand the difference between the 3DS and the Switch, once the system is fully unveiled."

I find it interesting that Nintendo is careful to always refer to it as a 'home console' in press releases and tweets, and I'm interested to see what this means for the 3DS.

Eurogamer is also reporting today that the Switch includes a 6.2 inch, 720p multitouch screen - and that they intentionally left this out of the reveal video.

 

[the8thark]

"Speaking during the company’s latest earnings call, CEO Tatsumi Kimishima said Nintendo will continue to support and make games for the popular handheld. As reported by the Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki, he said Nintendo was confident consumers would understand the difference between the 3DS and the Switch, once the system is fully unveiled."

Nintendo also said they would keep supporting the Gameboy Advance when the Nintendo DS was released. We know how that turned out. Nintendo is just keeping their options open with the 3DS. If people want it still sure it'll stay. If not it'll die and the Switch will take over.

Eurogamer is also reporting today that the Switch includes a 6.2 inch, 720p multitouch screen - and that they intentionally left this out of the reveal video.

Add to that the report says it's a capacitive screen. Very important information. Capacitive is better but it does not allow easy stylus use like resistive does.

*******************

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ent-hints-of-bigger-hardware-plans-for-switch
Nintendo President Hints of Bigger Hardware Plans for Switch

Take lots of salt with anything bloomberg says. They often act as a paid mouthpiece.

 

[Aidans]

I can't wait to get this so I can play a HD zelda or mario on the bus each morning. I hope that there is not too much of a framerate dip with playing on the go and it has a good battery life

 

[DarkestLink]

Honestly, I thin Cracked is a joke but...they summed up all the issues I see with the Switch in this article:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/its-finally-obvious-nintendo-doesnE28099t-understand-humans/

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

I wanted to wait a few days to actually say anything about the thing, because at first I was extremely excited, then extremely disappointed once I thought about it, and now I'm in a good, balanced place.

First, two quick notes.

• First, I think it's extremely important to note that Nintendo had no kids in the ad. That's great. That's fantastic. Because news flash: despite the image that Nintendo wanted and that the general public wanted to put on Nintendo, most "kids" don't play Nintendo anymore. We all grew up. Kids play PS4 and XBO, because the Wii U is "for kids". The only people who can appreciate games like Yoshi's Wooly World and Captain Toad are people who don't care about the label anymore: adults. The people who Nintendo need are the core gamers, and that is exactly what Nintendo showed in their ad. I don't think it can be overstated enough.

• Second, Nintendo could not legally show footage of Bethesda's Skyrim without express permission from Bethesda. Bethesda gave Nintendo the permission to use that footage. Nintendo wouldn't have gotten permission from Bethesda to show a game that wasn't coming to the system. Whether confirmed or not, that game is coming to the Switch.

Finally, I think the whole thing is a terrible idea. Sorry, but most people aren't going to take the thing "on the go". I get that it's a home console that has the ability to be taken "on the go", but the bread and butter of the thing is going to be what's under the hood when I'm sitting at home on my couch in front of my 70" TV. The tiny little nub controllers that you can play with "on the go" in a moving car or in a dark, back alley while your friends play real basketball looks incredibly small and uncomfortable.

Look, most people play games at home. That's a fact. More people own Wii Us, XBOs, and PS4 than 3DS and N3DS. People game on their couches or on a computer chair. Yes, being able to take a thing on a plane would be really cool, but the very idea that some people on here have had that "I can't wait to take this on the bus!" Do you seriously think you're going to play Skyrim for 10-15 minutes? Skyrim isn't a game you pick up for 10 minutes and then quit. The Switch doesn't have a clam-shell that you can just close and slide in your back pocket and then open back up a few hours later.

The entire concept behind the thing is to play "real console games on the go" except no one is going to play full console games for short periods of time. That's not how full console games are developed. When you sit and play a full-fledged console game, you aren't getting on for 10-15 minutes at a time. Yes, some games are like that. You can play a few games of MK8 or a round or two of Smash while you wait for your wife or gf to get ready if you're going out. But even back in the day, one did not simply play 10 minutes of Super Metroid or Ocarina of Time. You sit down and commit to those games. You get a drink and some snacks, your game guide, and you're in it for the long haul. The very idea is counter-intuitive.

Additionally, we have an incredible list of unknowns that are definitely going to make or break the entire system.

(1) Battery life on the screen.

(2) Games. And don't tell me to look at the graphic of 3rd party support. For all we know Ubisoft is supporting the Switch with Just Dance and not Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs 5, etc.. A publisher's logo in a box is worth exactly what a publisher's logo in a box is worth: nothing.

(3) What's under the hood. Is the thing going to be obsolete as soon as it comes out because the PS4 Neo and Scorpio are going to be so much more powerful that developers have to port watered-down versions of their games to it? Don't tell me "they wouldn't do that because of the normal PS4 and XBO," because for all we know they'll also port watered-down versions for those. The Neo and Scorpio have the potential to blow everything sideways. It's the great unknown over which Nintendo has zero control.

(4) Marketing campaign. They really have to push this thing hard. It has to appeal to gamers, not moms. Not grandmas. Not little kids. Us. Gamers. The ones that are actually buying the thing. It does have the potential to replace the PS4 and XBO, but it is going to have to be marketed right. What is "right"? I don't know, to be honest. But I hope Nintendo does.


Over all, I'm more out than in. I don't care about taking my games on the go. I don't do that. I play my games in. I am not interested in, nor do I think it looks comfortable to, playing on those tiny little credit card sized controllers while I wait at the DMV. It isn't replacing tablets or smart phones, and it doesn't make sense to take games that require a committed game session to play for 15 minutes while you wait for the bus. It's absurd. Good luck, Nintendo. I am still awaiting good news, but right now I'm out.

 

[the8thark]

Kids play PS4 and XBO

Actually children play the 3DS and 2DS a lot. I see so many of them just casually whip out a 3DS or 2DS in public and just play it. You are correct about the Switch ad but for totally the wrong reasons. Nintendo want to keep the 3DS alive supposedly. To do that they need to make the Switch the adult console and the 3DS the child console. The Switch ad did that very well.

The only people who can appreciate games like Yoshi's Wooly World and Captain Toad are people who don't care about the label anymore: adults. The people who Nintendo need are the core gamers, and that is exactly what Nintendo showed in their ad. I don't think it can be overstated enough.

I thought Captain Toad was amazing. It's easily in my top 5 WiiU games list. Nintendo need the more serious type of games to broaden their audience. For people who only can afford one console, and don't already have a PS4, then the Switch with it's portability is a really good prospect. Having more serious games on it like Skyrim just sweetens the deal. Nintendo traditionally has not had too many of the more realistic looking games. Sure we had things in the past like Eternal Darkness and a few Batman and COD ports. But Nintendo now is finally realising that having at least semi modern realistic looking games on the Switch (First or 3rd party doesn't matter) is important. It's a large market that Nintendo has never tapped into. I personally think Nintendo should stick to the cutsey IPs it's great at and lat the 3rd parties port the realsitic looking games to the Switch.

• Second, Nintendo could not legally show footage of Bethesda's Skyrim without express permission from Bethesda. Bethesda gave Nintendo the permission to use that footage. Nintendo wouldn't have gotten permission from Bethesda to show a game that wasn't coming to the system. Whether confirmed or not, that game is coming to the Switch.

I believe this. Nintendo would have their ass sued into next week if they didn't have bethesda's permission for the use of that footage. The game has to be coming. Nintendo is just all mum about it till January 13 and the big info dump we'll get then.

Finally, I think the whole thing is a terrible idea. Sorry, but most people aren't going to take the thing "on the go". I get that it's a home console that has the ability to be taken "on the go", but the bread and butter of the thing is going to be what's under the hood when I'm sitting at home on my couch in front of my 70" TV. The tiny little nub controllers that you can play with "on the go" in a moving car or in a dark, back alley while your friends play real basketball looks incredibly small and uncomfortable.

The Switch will be taken on the go. And it'll do very well on the go. Just not in the way you are thinking. Don't think iPhone or 3DS portability. Do think iPad or notebook computer portability. The Switch will not be used in short bursts on the train like a 3DS. But at a mates place or in a hotel room for the night or . . . anyplace you can sit down and have a few hours of gaming, the Switch is perfect. Also not needing a television for the switch is great. For times where the television is being used by someone else or there just is no television where you are.

Look, most people play games at home.

In the USA maybe. But in Japan more people game on the go. That's why the 3DS is so popular there. Here in Australia I would say portable gaming is equally as popular as home gaming. Also think about the point above. The Switch is a different kind of portable. The reveal video didn't exactly show that all too well though.

The entire concept behind the thing is to play "real console games on the go" except no one is going to play full console games for short periods of time.

The reveal video really didn't show exactly the right type of portability that the Switch is. What you say is correct, but that's not at all what the Switch is designed for. The 3DS stille exists for that, that's if the customers still want to buy it. The Switch could totally canabalise the 3DS. Granted the 3DS is a totally different kind of portability, it still could happen.

Additionally, we have an incredible list of unknowns that are definitely going to make or break the entire system.

(1) Battery life on the screen.

(2) Games. And don't tell me to look at the graphic of 3rd party support. For all we know Ubisoft is supporting the Switch with Just Dance and not Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs 5, etc.. A publisher's logo in a box is worth exactly what a publisher's logo in a box is worth: nothing.

(3) What's under the hood. Is the thing going to be obsolete as soon as it comes out because the PS4 Neo and Scorpio are going to be so much more powerful that developers have to port watered-down versions of their games to it? Don't tell me "they wouldn't do that because of the normal PS4 and XBO," because for all we know they'll also port watered-down versions for those. The Neo and Scorpio have the potential to blow everything sideways. It's the great unknown over which Nintendo has zero control.

(4) Marketing campaign. They really have to push this thing hard. It has to appeal to gamers, not moms. Not grandmas. Not little kids. Us. Gamers. The ones that are actually buying the thing. It does have the potential to replace the PS4 and XBO, but it is going to have to be marketed right. What is "right"? I don't know, to be honest. But I hope Nintendo does.

1. That's something we don't know and knowing that's it's more like an iPad than a mobile phone, this needs like 5-6 hours minimum. Lets hope Nintendo has nailed this down.

2. Nintendo is not lying there. What we don't know is which develpers are developing for launch day and which are developing for launch window. Januarty 13 will answer all of your questions.

3. Watered down doesn't matter. The WiiU ports, many of them were watered down and that didn't harm the WiiU one little bit. Other mistakes by Nintendo harmed the WiiU. Only one developer cited too weak hardware as why they didn't want to make a WiiU port. The Project CARS developer.
Secondly optimisation. The Tegra chip and OS on the Switch will be highly optimised. Squeezing every little bit of power out of it. Sure the Switch games might not be technically as good as the PS4 Pro games. But they will still look amazing. The Wii was weak as all **** tech specs wise but Super Mario Galaxy still looked amazing. Quite a few of the WiiU games looked great too. I woild not be too worried about the specs of the custom Tegra chip. I'd be more worried with what everyone does with it. Apple has taught us, with weaker chips (ie iOS devices) and the right knowhow you can still make amazing looking apps and games. If Nintendo can do similar with the Tegra then it'll be great.

4. I actually agree here. The ultra casuals will flock to the 3DS until it dies. The Switch does need it's fair share of casual games though. But it also needs more intense games targeted at the more hardcore end of the market. Showing Skyrim, Mario and Splatoon on the Switch reveal was a very good thing. It shows Nintendo is looking to both ends of the market.

Over all, I'm more out than in. I don't care about taking my games on the go. I don't do that. I play my games in. I am not interested in, nor do I think it looks comfortable to, playing on those tiny little credit card sized controllers while I wait at the DMV. It isn't replacing tablets or smart phones, and it doesn't make sense to take games that require a committed game session to play for 15 minutes while you wait for the bus. It's absurd. Good luck, Nintendo. I am still awaiting good news, but right now I'm out.

You can buy a pro controller separately.
The Switch is not direct 3DS replacement in the way you keep repeating over and over. It's a different kind of portable. I do think based on what you've said here that the kind of portable that the Switch is, is not something that suits your needs. You have said this also here too. That's cool, the Switch does not cater to everyone.

The switch is not replacing tablets or smart phones you claim.

Portability wise, the Switch equals tablet PCs. The big difference is the Switch is pure gaming, whereas something like an iPad also has productivity apps on it. On that level it will not replace an iPad. But if you consider the gaming aspect only, then the Switch totally could replace a tablet. Cheap tablets people buy for gaming only are now RIP with the Stwitch now being a thing.

Smart phones are s totally different kind of portable and will not be replaced by the Switch.

******************

On a different note I'd like to know if the dock is the only way to power up the console or will there be a power cable also. I would take the console and a power cable to a mates place. But being forced to take the dock as well? That'd be a real drag.

 

[Viral Maze]

Can't wait to play future Nintendo titles on my PC and on my other home consoles in 10 years!

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

I thought Captain Toad was amazing. It's easily in my top 5 WiiU games list. Nintendo need the more serious type of games to broaden their audience. For people who only can afford one console, and don't already have a PS4, then the Switch with it's portability is a really good prospect.

The issue has always been and will continue to be that most people that wanted a PS4 already have one. I don't know the current numbers right now, but I'm assuming it's around 60 million units sold for the PS4. People who wanted one already have one. Maybe a few million are holding off to get a PS4 until the price drop, maybe a few hundred thousand were actually waiting to see what the NX was before making the leap, but when you're talking around 60 million, you have to think most people that wanted a PS4 already have one, and aren't going to get a new console.

Most people can't afford two consoles. Many do, and I'm sure there are quite a few that own all three (PS4, Wii U and XBO), but most don't.

Having more serious games on it like Skyrim just sweetens the deal. Nintendo traditionally has not had too many of the more realistic looking games. Sure we had things in the past like Eternal Darkness and a few Batman and COD ports. But Nintendo now is finally realising that having at least semi modern realistic looking games on the Switch (First or 3rd party doesn't matter) is important. It's a large market that Nintendo has never tapped into. I personally think Nintendo should stick to the cutsey IPs it's great at and lat the 3rd parties port the realsitic looking games to the Switch.

It has nothing to do with the realism of the graphics, but with the game itself. Like I said (and you admitted) adults will play games that are "cute" if they're good games, because they don't care about the image. I'll play whatever I want because I'm not at an age where my peers would make fun of me for playing Captain Toad or Wooly World, and even if they did, I wouldn't care, because I'm an adult and I do what I want.

But for kids, especially in this country, being accepted is a big deal, and if all your friends are playing COD you're supposed to want to be cool and play those games too. Kids don't play Captain Toad, and if they do, they don't talk about it for fear or being mocked.

But aside from that, it's important for Nintendo to have those types of games for the people who want to play them. I don't play COD, but it's a franchise that needs to be on Nintendo, because like it or not, it's an important franchise.

The Switch will be taken on the go. And it'll do very well on the go. Just not in the way you are thinking. Don't think iPhone or 3DS portability. Do think iPad or notebook computer portability. The Switch will not be used in short bursts on the train like a 3DS. But at a mates place or in a hotel room for the night or . . . anyplace you can sit down and have a few hours of gaming, the Switch is perfect. Also not needing a television for the switch is great. For times where the television is being used by someone else or there just is no television where you are.

It's not "my" idea of what taking the Switch on the go means, it's what Nintendo showed. I mean, if you're telling me Nintendo is wrong in their own ad, then fine. I'm not going to argue this point with you.

In the USA maybe. But in Japan more people game on the go. That's why the 3DS is so popular there. Here in Australia I would say portable gaming is equally as popular as home gaming. Also think about the point above. The Switch is a different kind of portable. The reveal video didn't exactly show that all too well though.

And because North America is Nintendo's #1 market, I'm going off of what North American gamers do. If you're thinking that Nintendo is making business decisions based on their smaller markets instead of their bigger ones, then, again, I'm not going to argue this point with you.

The reveal video really didn't show exactly the right type of portability that the Switch is. What you say is correct, but that's not at all what the Switch is designed for. The 3DS still exists for that, that's if the customers still want to buy it. The Switch could totally canabalise the 3DS. Granted the 3DS is a totally different kind of portability, it still could happen.

Well, I never said the Switch is replacing the 3DS. So I'm not sure what you're arguing here.

2. Nintendo is not lying there. What we don't know is which develpers are developing for launch day and which are developing for launch window. Januarty 13 will answer all of your questions.

Obviously they're not lying, for the same reasons that they weren't able to show Skyrim footage without permission. They wouldn't have put the logo of the company in that visual if they didn't have that company's support. But what they didn't show is what kind of support we're getting. Okay, so we're getting Skyrim and NBA2k-whatever. But what else? Seeing the logos is great, and I'm not being sarcastic, but until the games are announced, it means nothing. EA supported the Wii until the bitter end, but they supported the Wii with really crappy versions of FIFA, Madden and NCAA. But it was "support", so support means nothing if it isn't substantive.

I think we can all agree we don't want a repeat of that.

3. Watered down doesn't matter. The WiiU ports, many of them were watered down and that didn't harm the WiiU one little bit. Other mistakes by Nintendo harmed the WiiU. Only one developer cited too weak hardware as why they didn't want to make a WiiU port. The Project CARS developer.

Watered-down matters a lot, or have you forgotten the Wii? We got inferior versions of almost every multiplatform game. Yes, there were some pretty games on the Wii, and there are some absolutely gorgeous games on the Wii U, but I'm not talking visuals. I'm talking watered-down versions, not uglier versions. I'm talking less features, less maps, less game-modes.

Secondly optimisation. The Tegra chip and OS on the Switch will be highly optimised. Squeezing every little bit of power out of it. Sure the Switch games might not be technically as good as the PS4 Pro games. But they will still look amazing. The Wii was weak as all **** tech specs wise but Super Mario Galaxy still looked amazing. Quite a few of the WiiU games looked great too. I woild not be too worried about the specs of the custom Tegra chip. I'd be more worried with what everyone does with it. Apple has taught us, with weaker chips (ie iOS devices) and the right knowhow you can still make amazing looking apps and games. If Nintendo can do similar with the Tegra then it'll be great.

Again, it has more to do with features and ability of the machine that how games look. Personally, I couldn't care less if the games are ugly, as long as we get the full features of the game. Unfortunately, most people don't agree with me and do care about graphics.

I'm sure Nintendo will optimize, and I'm sure their games will look and play fantastic. It's not Nintendo I'm worried about.

You can buy a pro controller separately.

And on the go? Can I play the thing on the go with a Pro Controller?

The Switch is not direct 3DS replacement in the way you keep repeating over and over.

And I'll say again, I've never said that. I'm not saying it now, and I never said it once in my previous post. I used the word "3DS" once, and it had nothing to do with the Switch. So I'm still confused as to what you're arguing here, because we're not making the same arguments.

It's a different kind of portable. I do think based on what you've said here that the kind of portable that the Switch is, is not something that suits your needs. You have said this also here too. That's cool, the Switch does not cater to everyone.

It doesn't, and I'm willing to bet it will not cater to most people.

The switch is not replacing tablets or smart phones you claim.

Again, not saying this. Never did. In fact, I actually said "It isn't replacing tablets and smart phones."

Portability wise, the Switch equals tablet PCs. The big difference is the Switch is pure gaming, whereas something like an iPad also has productivity apps on it. On that level it will not replace an iPad. But if you consider the gaming aspect only, then the Switch totally could replace a tablet. Cheap tablets people buy for gaming only are now RIP with the Stwitch now being a thing.

Nope. Because a cheap $60 tablet is $60 and the Switch is going to be hundreds of dollars. Who is going to say "I was going to get a cheap tablet to play games, but instead I'll get a $300 machine," I wonder? I just don't see this.

 

[TPALBWSSWWALttPOoTMCMMST]

The Switch is going to be awesome! I just want to know how the eventual mario maker port is going to work without the dual screen functionality... Hopefully Nintendo can be successful with this console, they deserve it after the underappreciated Wii U (and hopefully they know to market and advertise it properly this time around!).

 

[Lozjam]

The issue has always been and will continue to be that most people that wanted a PS4 already have one. I don't know the current numbers right now, but I'm assuming it's around 60 million units sold for the PS4. People who wanted one already have one. Maybe a few million are holding off to get a PS4 until the price drop, maybe a few hundred thousand were actually waiting to see what the NX was before making the leap, but when you're talking around 60 million, you have to think most people that wanted a PS4 already have one, and aren't going to get a new console.

Most people can't afford two consoles. Many do, and I'm sure there are quite a few that own all three (PS4, Wii U and XBO), but most don't.




It has nothing to do with the realism of the graphics, but with the game itself. Like I said (and you admitted) adults will play games that are "cute" if they're good games, because they don't care about the image. I'll play whatever I want because I'm not at an age where my peers would make fun of me for playing Captain Toad or Wooly World, and even if they did, I wouldn't care, because I'm an adult and I do what I want.

But for kids, especially in this country, being accepted is a big deal, and if all your friends are playing COD you're supposed to want to be cool and play those games too. Kids don't play Captain Toad, and if they do, they don't talk about it for fear or being mocked.

But aside from that, it's important for Nintendo to have those types of games for the people who want to play them. I don't play COD, but it's a franchise that needs to be on Nintendo, because like it or not, it's an important franchise.



It's not "my" idea of what taking the Switch on the go means, it's what Nintendo showed. I mean, if you're telling me Nintendo is wrong in their own ad, then fine. I'm not going to argue this point with you.



And because North America is Nintendo's #1 market, I'm going off of what North American gamers do. If you're thinking that Nintendo is making business decisions based on their smaller markets instead of their bigger ones, then, again, I'm not going to argue this point with you.



Well, I never said the Switch is replacing the 3DS. So I'm not sure what you're arguing here.




Obviously they're not lying, for the same reasons that they weren't able to show Skyrim footage without permission. They wouldn't have put the logo of the company in that visual if they didn't have that company's support. But what they didn't show is what kind of support we're getting. Okay, so we're getting Skyrim and NBA2k-whatever. But what else? Seeing the logos is great, and I'm not being sarcastic, but until the games are announced, it means nothing. EA supported the Wii until the bitter end, but they supported the Wii with really crappy versions of FIFA, Madden and NCAA. But it was "support", so support means nothing if it isn't substantive.

I think we can all agree we don't want a repeat of that.



Watered-down matters a lot, or have you forgotten the Wii? We got inferior versions of almost every multiplatform game. Yes, there were some pretty games on the Wii, and there are some absolutely gorgeous games on the Wii U, but I'm not talking visuals. I'm talking watered-down versions, not uglier versions. I'm talking less features, less maps, less game-modes.



Again, it has more to do with features and ability of the machine that how games look. Personally, I couldn't care less if the games are ugly, as long as we get the full features of the game. Unfortunately, most people don't agree with me and do care about graphics.

I'm sure Nintendo will optimize, and I'm sure their games will look and play fantastic. It's not Nintendo I'm worried about.



And on the go? Can I play the thing on the go with a Pro Controller?



And I'll say again, I've never said that. I'm not saying it now, and I never said it once in my previous post. I used the word "3DS" once, and it had nothing to do with the Switch. So I'm still confused as to what you're arguing here, because we're not making the same arguments.



It doesn't, and I'm willing to bet it will not cater to most people.



Again, not saying this. Never did. In fact, I actually said "It isn't replacing tablets and smart phones."



Nope. Because a cheap $60 tablet is $60 and the Switch is going to be hundreds of dollars. Who is going to say "I was going to get a cheap tablet to play games, but instead I'll get a $300 machine," I wonder? I just don't see this.

With saying of how the system is going to do.

It's fine if you have an opinion on the Switch... But I think you should know.

Since the reveal, the Switch has been a huge success in the pre release market.

1. The Switch trailer now has far more views than any other Nintendo vide, including the reveal, within a single day of airing. And, the level of interest is seeming great. The video has a high like to dislike ratio than the PS4 reveal.
2. The Switch will be able to handle third party games with not much "watered down". We know this because of Unreal Engine 4's and Unity's support.
3. This is a console aimed for college kids. Like me. At my university, people are very excited about the NX, and many for good reason. They cannot wait to play Mariokart whenever they want. They cannot wait to play Skyrim whenever they want. This is very much catered to my age group. Definitely, and it has definitely caught it's attention.

It's fine if you don't have the greatest opinion of the Switch so far. But the market is very intrigued by this. Media is positive, third parties seem almost elated to be making games for the Switch, the Switch has gotten far more attention than the Wii U, and it's reveal has been overwhelmingly positive. Unless Nintendo royally ****s up with something, like making the Switch $500, the Nintendo Switch will at the very least be a moderate success.

As a Nintendo fan though, I suppose you are here for the games as well. It will not be too long until we see this in action, in January, they are busting the roof with information.

The reason that Third parties aren't saying what they are putting on the switch as well, is because they are going to be announced in January as well.

Oh yeah, and you can use the Pro Controller on the go if you want to.

 

[Mmeal23]

And on the go? Can I play the thing on the go with a Pro Controller?

Yes if you look at the end when they're playing splatoon you can see them playing with the pro control on the switch tablet screen before they go into the main stadium

 

[the8thark]

The issue has always been and will continue to be that most people that wanted a PS4 already have one.

That's why most people I know are not gwetting a PS4Pro or a PS4Slim. But considering they bought their oroginal PS4 so long ago, the Switch will not feel like a multiple console, but a totally new console. I totally agree with you that people can't afford multiple consoles. All I am saying is the gap between PS4 original launch and the Switch Launch might be enough time for people to save up.

Like I said (and you admitted) adults will play games that are "cute" if they're good games

I didn't admit this. I said it outright just like you did. I'm guilty of this. I actually play more "cute" games than I do realistic ones. Well "cute" and fantasy. Games with no solid base in anything resembling some form of current or future reality.

But for kids, especially in this country, being accepted is a big deal, and if all your friends are playing COD you're supposed to want to be cool and play those games too. Kids don't play Captain Toad, and if they do, they don't talk about it for fear or being mocked.

I agree with you. I realise this is more of a US issue then ti is around the rest of the world. Despite this I think it's an issue (I agree with you) but I also think it's not that big of an issue. Sure you won't want to be seen playing a very cutsey game as a kid be you a boy ro a girl. But moat of Ninrendo's main IPs don't fall into that. Nintendo have gone out there to make playing Mario games (using him as one example) to be acceptable by everyone. I've even seen a US TV dancing reality TV show dance to the Super Mario 1 music. Weirdest thing I've seen. But it's a thing. As much as this is an issue, I don't see it being a huge issue apart from a number of isolated cases.

But aside from that, it's important for Nintendo to have those types of games for the people who want to play them. I don't play COD, but it's a franchise that needs to be on Nintendo, because like it or not, it's an important franchise.

I actually totally agree with you on this point. Nintendo is so not the traditional platform for things like COD. But if it's there on the Switch, then the CoD fans who own an original PS4 then years later thinking about buying a Switch might just get the Switch and COD on that and not the PS4. I say this because not everyone of the 60 million PS4 owners bought the PS4 for it's internal specs. I would guess and say the majority of that 60 million bought their PS4 for the PS4 games. Just to be able to play them. Now being able to play them on the go, tablet style with the switch, that could be the selling point for them. Sure it's not full 1080p (or UHD on the PS4Pro) on the go with the Swith's tablet screen. But I really think people will prize the portability over a slightly better visual experience. Also they can play it 1080 at home too on the TV with the Switch docked.

It's not "my" idea of what taking the Switch on the go means, it's what Nintendo showed. I mean, if you're telling me Nintendo is wrong in their own ad, then fine. I'm not going to argue this point with you.

I agree with you totally. I am not saying Nintendo made the advert wrong. I am saying what the advert is, is how Nintendo hope people will be using the Switch. I think what Nintendo are hoping for here is different to the reality of how people actually use their tablet devices. I feel Nintendo is not wrong based on their own advert in relation to what they want. I just think Nintendo are wanting the Switch to be something it's not. Maybe Nintendo can pull this off, maybe not. We shall soon see.

And because North America is Nintendo's #1 market, I'm going off of what North American gamers do. If you're thinking that Nintendo is making business decisions based on their smaller markets instead of their bigger ones, then, again, I'm not going to argue this point with you.

Nintendo tries to make it's decisions based on all of it's 4 core markets. Japan, NA, EU, ANZ. Nintendo in most press releases talks about it's 4 main markets. Or Nintendo release specific press releases for each of the 4 markets. Sales wise NA is the biggest market. I do think they will consider all 4 base markets when preparing for the Switch release.

I would like to see (as a side note) the figures for NA vs Japan for the 3DS. I would suspect they might be closer then I would have thought considering how huge the 3DS is in Japan. But home console wise, easily NA is No.1

Obviously they're not lying, for the same reasons that they weren't able to show Skyrim footage without permission. They wouldn't have put the logo of the company in that visual if they didn't have that company's support. But what they didn't show is what kind of support we're getting. Okay, so we're getting Skyrim and NBA2k-whatever. But what else? Seeing the logos is great, and I'm not being sarcastic, but until the games are announced, it means nothing. EA supported the Wii until the bitter end, but they supported the Wii with really crappy versions of FIFA, Madden and NCAA. But it was "support", so support means nothing if it isn't substantive.

I think we can all agree we don't want a repeat of that.

Yes we can both agree with all of that. Support is better than no support. But support that is basically crapware, as in the latter EA games and actually most 3rd party games on the Wii were crapware. In my book, the Wii rivals the original NES for the amount of crapware it has. Sure the WiiU had a lot less titles but percentage wise, there was a much higher percent of quality titles vs utter crapware. I do hope Nintendo is not just getting in all these developers and half of them develop crapware. Nintendo really need to push quality over qualtity from the 3rd parties.

Watered-down matters a lot, or have you forgotten the Wii? We got inferior versions of almost every multiplatform game. Yes, there were some pretty games on the Wii, and there are some absolutely gorgeous games on the Wii U, but I'm not talking visuals. I'm talking watered-down versions, not uglier versions. I'm talking less features, less maps, less game-modes.

On the Wii true this happened. The proof was the number of games bought per console bought was pretty low. People just bought a few games and that's it. The WiiU was the complete opposite. Those who took the plunge went all in and bought quite a few games. I think the crappy ports were an issue on the Wii. On the WiiU the ports on the whole were pretty good. But their issue was they were ports on games released years ago and ported to everything under the sun before they were finally ported to the WiiU. THis game's definitive version is on the WiiU. WHo cares, as I've already bought it 5x already. Not buying it again. That's the issue the WiiU launch ported games had.

Again, it has more to do with features and ability of the machine that how games look. Personally, I couldn't care less if the games are ugly, as long as we get the full features of the game. Unfortunately, most people don't agree with me and do care about graphics.

I'm sure Nintendo will optimize, and I'm sure their games will look and play fantastic. It's not Nintendo I'm worried about.

I realise you care about the thiungs that matter in games and that you understand the nuts and bolts of gaming very well. That's why I respect you and reply to you as I do. I don't hate you even if we have differing opinions. I'm glad you have them and have taught me a few things too over the years.

Many people are not like us and do care for good looks in games. Games that look good but are other wise bad do sell well in today's gaming market. I think we botk realise Nintendo' s first party games will have had a lot of effort put into them for the Switch. They usually do. Even if the whole concept behind the game is flawed they try. Some of the 3rd parties (EA is a serial offender here) do make good looking games that undermeath the shiny, is just crapware. Or worse crappy ports of already crappy games. If every Switch partner made a great game that's be cool. But we don't know if that'll be the case.

And on the go? Can I play the thing on the go with a Pro Controller?

Supposedly yes if it's as shown on the reveal trailer.

It doesn't, and I'm willing to bet it will not cater to most people.

I guess the sales figures will show us how many people believe the switch is catered towards them.

Nope. Because a cheap $60 tablet is $60 and the Switch is going to be hundreds of dollars. Who is going to say "I was going to get a cheap tablet to play games, but instead I'll get a $300 machine," I wonder? I just don't see this.

The Switch as a gaming machine is more in competition with things like the iPod Tough and iPad Mini (as pure gaming devices). The sales of both from Apple is in decline. Mostly doe to larger size iPhones cannibalising them. But it's still happening. Cheap gaming tablets can't do half of what the Switch can and nobody expects them to. On a personal note I don't know why people even buy those cheap garbage tablets. But people still do.

Thanks for the reply. I always enjoy hearing your opinion and yeah I don't always agree with it, I do always respect it.

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Unless Nintendo royally ****s up with something, like making the Switch $500, the Nintendo Switch will at the very least be a moderate success.

I thought the same about the WiiU but launch day proved me wrong. I agree with everything you said. The Switch as a platform is shaping up well. Has all the support needed for good games and the reaction to it is really positive. But you never know what can happen in the future.

I think if BotW is not release day then that'll be a huge screw up by Nintendo. BotW has to be the one big game to sell the Swith (something the WiiU never had). Launch window or whatever they want to call post launch day will not cut the mustard. I feel anything else mentioned on January 13 can be after Switch launch and I'd be ok with it. But not BotW. Just cause of how much Nintendo had pushed that game on to us.

I would not be surprised if the WiiU version of the game was released slightly after the Switch version. To get more Switch sales. But if they were released at the same time, then sure that'd work. Releasing the WiiU version first would be very dumb.

So far Nintendo have gotten most things right with the Switch. Now we need to see if they can get January 13 and the launch day to be correct. We don't even know if all the 4 big regions will get the console on the same day. Sure all in March. But all on the same day March? We just do not know.

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@CrimsonCavalier and @Lozjam and everyone else . . . I just had a thought / question for you.

What size will the boxes the Switch games be sold in?

It's hard to know. Will they use 3DS size small boxes cause the Switch game carts are small? Or will they stick to the standard DVD size box they have used since the Gamecube? The Gamecube is a strange one. Nintendo could have used smaller boxes cause of the smaller disc size but they did not. Since Nintendo are not so limited to using "made for disc" boxes, they could use any shape really. Thicker and smaller or taller and thinner?

The other factor that needs to be considered is instruction manuals. Printed ones. They have been getting smaller and smaller (in terms of content) since the NES days. To the point that most WiU games are one page of instructions or in some cases no printed instructions at all. The proper instructions are all digital and can be accessed from the disc when inside the machine.
What do you all think?

 

[Nicolai]

What size will the boxes the Switch games be sold in?

You'd think that they'd be 3DS size because the cartridge is the same size, but on the other hand, maybe Nintendo reckons that the consumer is going to look at multiple copies of Skyrim (for example) and think that the smaller one is somehow inferior. Maybe because of this, they'll go with the standard size.

 

[Lozjam]

I'm thinking that perhaps, Nintendo may do something completely unique with the size of their boxes.

I think they may use boxes ala N64 cartridges, and inside those boxes are a small case that you can take them on the go.