Nintendo finally reveals the Switch console

Games
41

I was really excited watching the video. My inner gadget nut was psyched at the modularity. It’s a very cool design, and kudos to Nintendo for continuing to innovate. And Portable Skyrim! (Which would be even more exciting if I hadn’t finished it years ago.)

Basically, they took what people thought the Wii U was when they saw the controller and they actually built it.

Now that I’ve had more time to process this, I’m less psyched. I look at the layer of dust on my PS Vita, which is AWESOME portable technology, but just doesn’t have a use case anymore when I have a laptop, tablet, and big-screen phone.

The ability to play games on the smaller screen when the family wants the TV is cool. But reasonably tech-savvy gamers like us can already do that using the Xbox app or PS Remote Play and their laptops.

And on the road, are you going to pack the Switch, your tablet/laptop, and your phone? How’s the battery life? Can it do Facebook and the web so you can leave the iPad at home? (No sign of a touchscreen in the reveal video.)

There was a lot of stuff showing social gaming in the video. If Nintendo makes their multiplayer connectivity more straightforward and easier to use, that could give it a boost. But they have a lot of catch up to do with MS and Sony in that arena.

If this this is $300 or more as rumored, I don’t see how it’s going to compete outside of core Nintendo players. Xbox One and PS4 likely outpower it, and the mobile market isn’t what it used to be. And the Nintendo mobile gamer is used to paying $100 to $199 for a console, not $300.

Plus, it uses cartridges. (!) Hopefully there’s a digital alternative as well and lots of storage.

If this had come out instead of the Wii U and undercut the Xbox One and PS4 in price, I think we’d be looking at a different market right now. But at this point in the console cycle, with portable gaming having moved to the phone/tablet market, I have a feeling this is going to play to the Nintendo core, but I don’t see it breaking out like the Wii did.

I wish it success. The market is stronger with multiple competitors. But my initial tech geek “wow” didn’t last that long. I’ll likely pick one one up if there’s good virtual console support, though – there are a lot of historic Nintendo games I missed.

(Disclaimer: I think most of y’all know I work for the competition down the road from them in Redmond. But I truly feel the market is better with three strong players, and I don’t want to see Nintendo go the way of Sega.)

42

No its not. Your slogging the Nintendo Kool aid so hard dude.

This is another gimmick system that will fail. Portable dedicated gaming is flat out dying off. That’s the truth, and the public en mass has chosen Xbox and PlayStation for the home and just abandoned Nintendo for the most part. But keep with the complete unfounded joy allot of you have as the harsh reality of this thing failing in the marketplace will happen. This will be another WiiU in sales.

Bring on the hate to me now.

43

Yes, Nintendo is Dead. May they rest in peace.

Personally, I don’t much care. I do all my gaming on PC. There is literally 0 chance I will ever buy a PS4 or Xbone. Ain’t happening. The games they get that the PC does not? Genres I don’t care about.

But Nintendo does their own thing. One I may be interested in.

44

Oh please stop it with that stupid graph that is so screwing with numbers its pathetic. Your ignoring price, your ignoring different time the systems have been out. That graph means nothing.

Portable dedicated gaming is dying off, period and Nintendo lost the home market years ago.

They have one thing of value left. Their gaming IP(Mario, Zelda etc). They should be just game developer and dump all hardware but they are too stubborn to do it and it will be their eventual downfall.

45

That’s what I’m saying! They should partner with Google to become the Android gaming platform.

You don’t want an android tablet today-- but what if was the exclusive spot to play Zelda and Super Smash Bros? Not just a fine tablet to watch netflix and look at chicks on instagram, but also a primary gaming platform.

So you get the Switch hardware, which is basically a tablet and dock. But rather than running some custom NintendOS, it runs Android and can do so much more than play games.

46

And price can’t help drive sales?

And so what? The PS4 has been out for 3 years. The 3DS 5. So, yes, the 3DS has been out 2 years longer.

So?

You think the PS4 will sell another 20 million over the next two years? Maybe they do, but that only matches the 3DS sales.

And if you hate Nintendo so much, why come to this thread?

The graph means nothing

47

Actually, there’s something rather hinky with that graph. Nothing looks to scale.

48

Yeah, the left half is home consoles, the right portables. The percentages are percentage of that respective market.

So, yeah, a bit oddly made. But the most recent one I could find with sales data. I saw better charts, but either with handheld only, or older data.

Just focus on the numbers, those are accurate as best I can tell from the available data.

49

I, uh, like gaming on my 3DS way the hell more than I like gaming on a phone. I’m allowed to be interested in this, right? I’m not a Nintendo fanboy, I promise - I even skipped the WiiU because of how disappointing the Wii was.

(The real question is whether to wait for the inevitable 1.5 upgrade, given both Nintendo’s portable history and the recent trends in home consoles. It seems dumb to be thinking about that before 1.0 is even out, but waiting was absolutely the right decision for the 3DS.)

50

I think how people think of the Switch is going to play a major role in success. If they look at as a mobile device that can display on their tv, it will likely flop. But as a console they can take on the go, maybe it can gain some traction.

My vote for the killer Switch app: Psyonix-developed Mario Rocket League.

51

Uhh, this pretty much says it all. Not bothering with you anymore. Logic and reason mean nothing I see.

52

Lol, same to you buddy. You’re the one who came in throwing firebombs, while I responded with, gasp, actual numbers.

The 3DS has been out longer but has sold 20 million more units.

I don’t even have a 3DS, I just found your hyberbolic screed laughably easy to disprove. But, alas, you care not to live in reality.

53

I’m a very niche case, but as someone who has multiple long trips a year, I’m looking forward to only bringing my laptop and this thing in the carry on. I’m tired of getting looks from the TSA for having an ipad, a laptop, and a 3ds. Now I get to drop the ipad and the 3ds.
Also, Xbone and the PS4 are most likely the last traditional console I’ll buy. I don’t like taking up the living room with my console games plus I enjoy them more on the PC. Also I haven’t been wowed by either manufacturer’s exclusives this generation.
This thing falls in line perfectly with my needs.

However, this could be a deathblow for nintendo where they lose the 3ds market that might not embrace something that is a lot less portable, while still not making much movement on the console market share.

54

Fact check: Instagram still has no tablet client, nobody wants to check their Instagram from the website grandpa.

55

I like the idea of Monster Hunter possibly coming back to my TV, but my desire to buy dedicated MH boxes is pretty small these days. I suppose a lot will hinge on price, but I suspect that if I want to piss away more money on limited used hardware I will just get VR.

I kinda agree that my preference would be for Nintendo to switch to a pure software company at this point. Doubt that is coming soon though since Nintendo seems pretty good at turning a profit.

Unless I inexplicably start making loads more money off this illustration stuff my personal reaction to this is: Dull Thud.

I suppose what I really want is PS4 Monster Hunter. A boy can dream I suppose.

56

Well they wouldn’t be a pure software company. I would take a two pronged approach.

a) Sign up with Google to be synonymous with gaming on Android. You want to play an android game, you’re dealing with Nintendo. This gives Nintendo direction over the experience and they continue to take licensing fees for games.

b) Work with an OEM like HTC, Nvidia, or (now) Google to make co-branded hardware targeting gaming. So you can play first-party Nintendo games on your Lenovo android tablet or Samsung exploding phone with a bluetooth gamepad or on-screen controls, but the Nintendo-branded hardware will have better GPUs, much larger batteries, larger speakers, and integrated gaming controllers.

That’s what I would do.

57

At this point my position on Nintendo is that I would consider purchasing some of their games if I have the system, but they just aren’t system sellers for me. I suppose going android would solve that, but I’d rather have the games on console.

Perhaps if Nintendo and Google teamed up to build consoles that might be cool.

58

Yeah, I think that the plan with this console is to replace both the WiiU and the 3ds. This will be the nintendo machine. And, while Nintendo’s numbers haven’t been the talk of the town lately, the 3DS sold a bajillion units, and continues to be one of the better nintendo systems ever made. It does physical games, tons of space to download titles via the e-shop. Retro-games, etc.

I think with this console positioned to be the next handheld, that works as a home console, Nintendo could do very well. Also, I would need to bring a pro controller with me everywhere, as my giant ogre hands will not work with those joy cons.

I loved the Wii U, but the number one issue is how close you have to be to the console for the wii u pad to work. I love that I can play on the big screen, and then head into the bedroom and play a bit on the pad before going to sleep. It has some issues reaching from the living room to the bedroom in my apartment, but when it works, it is really fun. Or if my fiance wants to watch something on the TV, I can still play games on the pad.

It is a really cool thing, and I hope that the switch is a better version of that.

Also, It really needs to have touch right? I mean… what kid is going to grab a tablet and not expect touch controls of some kind? Like, touch is the norm now.

59

Phil Spencer of Xbox says this of the Switch:

60