Nintendo Lite Switch *switched out*

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There is one interesting side note for that however. In a lot of informal polls that I've seen (mostly streamers polling their audiences), the split is roughly...
Why use informal data when we have Nintendo's user data?

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Why use informal data when we have Nintendo's user data?

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Thanks, I thought I'd seen something like that before but couldn't remember if I had or not. So busy. :p

Anyway, that just proves my point even more. Due to how the device is used by people who buy it, it's difficult to say how separate devices would have sold. There's a very real possibility that 2 separate devices would have had combined sales lower than the current NSW sales. OTOH, if most of those people are diehard Nintendo games, it's possible 2 separate devices might have had higher combined sales. But that would also have eaten into 3DS sales so total 3DS + 2 console sales, might have ended up lower than 3DS sales + NSW sales regardless.

There's just no way to know, and compelling arguments could be made for either scenario.

But, for me, I'd argue that total sales would have been worse as I think NSW brought in significant numbers of gamers who don't traditionally play Nintendo games. NOTE - this doesn't mean they wouldn't like the Nintendo games, but that in the past they wouldn't have been considered a Nintendo gamer either because they'd never played a Nintendo game before or hadn't used a Nintendo system since the NES or Super NES.

It's fun seeing adults in the 20's, 30's, 40's etc. playing Pokémon or Zelda for the first time. :D I still haven't played a Pokémon game, but I'm looking with some interest at the new one that is coming.

Regards,
SB
 
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Seems like simple solution, make 1 SKU with large screen portable unit and sell optional TV Dock.
 
Seems like simple solution, make 1 SKU with large screen portable unit and sell optional TV Dock.

Yeah, I always wondered why Nintendo didn't offer another SKU with a cheaper price point with the dock optional. I think that might come down to the fact that the dock is likely extremely cheap in terms of BOM, so Nintendo would have to eat some margin to offer such an SKU and still have it be significantly cheaper than the SKU with the dock.

Regards,
SB
 
Yeah, I always wondered why Nintendo didn't offer another SKU with a cheaper price point with the dock optional. I think that might come down to the fact that the dock is likely extremely cheap in terms of BOM, so Nintendo would have to eat some margin to offer such an SKU and still have it be significantly cheaper than the SKU with the dock.

Regards,
SB

in japan they have that SKU. But its out of stock. maybe wont be restocked to avoid canibalizing Switchless market?
 
Yep, the dock is essentially a forced purchase con like Kinect 2.

I personally think they might have sold more units and appeared more family friendly with a dock less option cheaper.
 
That's what they needed to release initially to set sales blazing.

Sales have been really good for Switch, so its not like they fumbled the roll out of the system. Having the Lite model at launch would have created consumer confusion, and after the Wii U disaster, that was the last thing they wanted. The Switch is now a well understood product, and hopefully consumers understand what they are giving up by going with the Lite model. It should be a very popular product during Christmas, and for a lot of people who really only want Switch as a portable device. Its more pocket friendly.

I have no desire to purchase one personally. If Nintendo wants more money out of me, it will need to be a Pro model, and it had better offer some pretty compelling upgrades. I have been happy with my Switch since launch, and honestly do not need an upgraded model, but I am a sucker, and would probably buy one. I would prefer for Nintendo to get back to a 5-6 year life cycle with Switch, and launch a true successor in 2022. There will always be overlap between old and new hardware, giving Nintendo the ability to sell inexpensive and expensive hardware at the same time.
 
Completely agree, sales have been good. When I say blazing, I mean 2x what they are now, like original Wii crazy sales numbers during its heyday. That's with only 1 SKU at a $200 price target, so no confusion between Switch Lite and Switch OG or Switch Pro.
 
Just because I have a little bit of free time.
  • PS4 shipped 96.8 million units as of Mar. 31, 2019.
    • That's ~64.5 months of sales (Nov. 15, 2013 - Mar, 31, 2019). But PAL wasn't until Nov. 29, 2019 and JP wasn't until Feb. 2014, so I'm just going to call it ~64 months.
    • So ~1.43 million per month since launch.
  • NSW shipped 34.74 million units as of Mar. 31, 2019.
    • That's ~25 months of sales (Mar. 3, 2017 - Mar 31, 2019)
    • So ~1.38 million per month since launch.
Some caveats, NSW sales still haven't peaked while PS4 sales have peaked and is in decline. Some will also argue that they launched at different times of the year, but any advantage from that will deteriorate into insignificance as more time goes by.

So, perhaps not blazing if PS4 sales aren't considered blazing, but still pretty good when compared to consoles of this generation.

To put that into perspective, that's a better sales rate than Nintendo 3DS (both original and New 3DS) + Wii-U combined. Hard to compare to Wii, as Wii had a meteoric first 2 years, after which it dropped off sharply. Hell, just to see lifetime sales (101.63 million as of Mar. 31, 2016) in Wikipedia, I just noticed that the Wii continued to be sold until 2017! I thought it had been discontinued long before that.

If the NSW (and revisions) end up being sold for 6+ years, it has the potential to surpass Wii total sales and PS4 total sales.

Regards,
SB
 
and for a lot of people who really only want Switch as a portable device. Its more pocket friendly.

Barely, and not pocket friendly enough for my liking (in both sense of the term pocket!)

To put that into perspective, that's a better sales rate than Nintendo 3DS (both original and New 3DS) + Wii-U

Didn’t 3DS have a really slow start and needed a big price drop to kick start? That and WiiU being DoA hardly make a compelling argument. Also, last I heard Switch was still tracking behind PS4 launches aligned...difference being PS4 has a direct competitor and Switch pretty much had the market to itself!

I’m not saying it’s not selling well, just maybe more complicated than just looking at figures like that. I think it will surpass PS4 because I expect even when Switch 2 comes out there will be a Switch mini (etc) which will be really cheap.
 
Didn’t 3DS have a really slow start and needed a big price drop to kick start? That and WiiU being DoA hardly make a compelling argument. Also, last I heard Switch was still tracking behind PS4 launches aligned...difference being PS4 has a direct competitor and Switch pretty much had the market to itself!

Sure but the NSW is even more expensive than the 3DS was and hasn't needed a price drop to still sell virtually neck and neck with the PS4.

Also launch aligned, it's actually doing slightly better it looks like. However, PS4 launched in November while NSW launched in March. So sometime this summer, PS4 should be slightly ahead again launch aligned and then NSW will pass it once the Holiday season comes around.. Next holiday season it's possible that NSW might keep the lead regardless of time of year, depending on whether sales continue to rise or whether they have peaked.


Basically why I say that NSW and PS4 sales are roughly similar.

It's actually at the point where sales almost matches Wii sales, but I think it'll be another year or two before it passes Wii in launch aligned sales. I had forgotten that Wii also had a really good 3rd year in sales.

Regards,
SB
 
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I have no idea PS3 was selling higher than the PS1 for the first 3 years.
Then again the PS1 was released when the market was smaller and was the console that started growing it to a more mature audience
 
Original PS also had zero reputation being from a new player in the console space. Sony really did do supremely well to create the right product, stick with it, grow the games library and market it perfectly to out-compete all the established players.
 
Sure but the NSW is even more expensive than the 3DS was and hasn't needed a price drop to still sell virtually neck and neck with the PS4.

Yes, but as I said before ( I think!) NSW is catering to 2 markets whereas 3DS was just and expensive handheld.

Yeah sales are neck and neck but again NSW has no direct competition like PS4 did ( Which was selling to 1/3 rd the market).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting it down just trying to say this is like looking at the Wii success and explain that against PS3 & X360 sales...it’s almost impossible to pin down and even understand what level of success it’s been (outside of Ninty making bucketloads of course!).
 
Completely agree, sales have been good. When I say blazing, I mean 2x what they are now, like original Wii crazy sales numbers during its heyday.

Part of the reason for those crazy sales numbers was that a lot of non-gamers like my aunt bought a Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Fit then never spent another penny on software for it. Just look back at cross-platform monthly software sales numbers and they are less flattering than the hardware sales would have you expect. Most months 360 and PS3 games greatly outsold Wii games individually and collectively.
 
Part of the reason for those crazy sales numbers was that a lot of non-gamers like my aunt bought a Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Fit then never spent another penny on software for it. Just look back at cross-platform monthly software sales numbers and they are less flattering than the hardware sales would have you expect. Most months 360 and PS3 games greatly outsold Wii games individually and collectively.
I don't think that's true. Attach rates...

Wii - 9.05
PS3 - 8.92
XB360 - 8.76

Either a large number of people carried on buying software, or a small number of people bought an insane number of games.
 
I don't think that's true. Attach rates...

Wii - 9.05
PS3 - 8.92
XB360 - 8.76

Either a large number of people carried on buying software, or a small number of people bought an insane number of games.

Casuals certainly inflated the userbase, but the idea that they only played Wii Sports is overstated. many of these users purchased many additional titles such as Wii Play, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Just Dance, New Super Mario Bros and Wii Sports Resort, as well as countless shovelware games. I would guess its reasonable to believe that your average casual gamer still ended up buying a handful of games for their Wii. Sales for games like Zelda TP, Mario Galaxy 1+2, Super Smash Bros Brawl, DKC Returns and Resident Evil 4 suggest there was a greater number of core gamers on the Wii than many assume. Wii had a great deal of fantastic content for your core gamer, and if you werent put off with the lack of HD visuals, there was a plenty to play.
 
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