Nintendo Switch Event 2017-01-12 and Switch Launch discussion

[Gradthrawn]

Internet chatter.

I see. Internet chatter for Zelda seems almost universally positive. I'm not sure the same could be said for the Switch itself, however. At least based on forum discussions. But then again trending Google search results for Nintendo and Nintendo Switch would seem to be either neutral or expressing some positive interest to buy. Which could indicate that the various problems discussed on gaming focused forums aren't currently a prevailing factor in people's Switch related searches.

Not sure where you read I'm saying Switch is great launch or has any bearing on the future. All I've said is it's better to come out with a 98% metacritic launch game that everyone's raving about, thereby promotion your new hardware for you, then a bunch of mediocre titles and promises and tech features and demos.

Fair enough, I was likely reading too much into your statements. As I mentioned in my edit, there are some potential take always other console manufactures could use as examples that I would rather not see become trends.

 

[ProspectorPete]

Compared to the overall quality of the device, the Tegra appears to be relatively stable, with only a few devices exhibiting GPU errors:

 

[Sigfried1977]

I'm hoping for a 2DS kinda Switch revision. Give me a powerful handheld with non-detachable controls (with a d-pad on one side preferably), a smaller form factor, and at a decent price point. "But that would me missing the entire point of the system" I hear you say. Well, so did the 2DS by leaving out that system's biggest differentiating factor, yet Nintendo still did it.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I'm actually more hoping that the Switch gets the "XL" treatment. I would love a larger switch with larger joycons and a larger screen. It'd be heavier certainly, but likely still heavier than something like the iPad Pro 9.7.

Regards,
SB

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I'm hoping for a 2DS kinda Switch revision. Give me a powerful handheld with non-detachable controls (with a d-pad on one side preferably), a smaller form factor, and at a decent price

So you want... a Vita!?!

 

[Sigfried1977]

A Vita 2 basically, yeah. I love my Vita, but as I'm not particularly keen on visual novels about Waifus or the the millionth version of some hot, pixellated indie garbage that's usually a fraction of the price on Steam, there's very little for me to play on the damned thing.

BTW, having the screen of a €330 device covered by a soft plastic shield in 2017 is just a baffling move, even by Nintendo standards. Even the cheapest smartphones use glass these days.

 

[AlNom]

Clearly, they've got an ancestor of Hermes Conrad employed.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

A Vita 2 basically, yeah. I love my Vita, but as I'm not particularly keen on visual novels about Waifus or the the millionth version of some hot, pixellated indie garbage that's usually a fraction of the price on Steam, there's very little for me to play on the damned thing.

BTW, having the screen of a €330 device covered by a soft plastic shield in 2017 is just a baffling move, even by Nintendo standards. Even the cheapest smartphones use glass these days.

Take a look at the durability test on YouTube. While I would have preferred a glass screen as well, going with a plastic screen actually does make sense.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Plastic screen + £3 tempered glass protector is probably the ideal.

 

[wco81]

Nintendo ramping up production of Switch:

The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that "people briefed on [Nintendo's] plans" say the company is doubling its expected Switch production from 8 million units to 16 million units for the fiscal year running from April through March of 2018.

To put that number in some context, Nintendo only sold 13.5 million Wii U units in that console's entire four-year run on the market. The original Wii, meanwhile, shipped roughly 17 million units in its first full calendar year on the shelves (following a holiday-season launch), amid massive long-term retail shortages and on the way to selling over 100 million units over its lifespan. The PS4 sold just over 14 million consoles worldwide in 2014, after selling about 4 million units during its 2013 holiday launch.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017...-to-double-switch-production-for-coming-year/

 

[MrFox]

Nintendo ramping up production of Switch:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017...-to-double-switch-production-for-coming-year/

Nintendo underestimated Nintendo. Someone said to never do that thing.

 

[wco81]

But they're going pretty aggressive. If the ship 16 million units, that would be more than the PS4 in 2014.

They could get caught with unsold units, leading to price cuts.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Still knee-deep in Zelda and I still have not acclimatised to visuals like BoTW's on a handheld device. When I'm parted from my Switch my brain mentally lowers the visuals as I recall/anticipate them but when I pick up my Switch my brain accuses my eyes of deceiving my brain

 

[goonergaz]

But they're going pretty aggressive. If the ship 16 million units, that would be more than the PS4 in 2014.

They could get caught with unsold units, leading to price cuts.

You'd think they'd have waited a bit before overproducing, still thier mistake will be my gain when I get a cheap switch

 

[eastmen]

You'd think they'd have waited a bit before overproducing, still thier mistake will be my gain when I get a cheap switch

I doubt it , this holiday you will have Zelda , Mario kart , splatoon , and Mario all big games for Nintendo fans . So I would think it will continue to sell well through this year. Perhaps 2018 it will fall off

 

[goonergaz]

oh yeah, I'm in no hurry...but I do think Ninty are over estimating. Having said that, much like the Wii this is a unique console that (potentially) attracts a whole new market or rather a section that wants to play their main games on the go. Thats what vita should have been and hopefully vita 2 will be.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

In a lot of ways the Switch is similar to the Wii. Nintendo producing a conservative number of consoles due to the sales performance of its previous console combined with pent up demand greatly outstripping available supply.

The next few years is where things get interesting.

Wii's gimmick of motion controls that while novel were relatively inaccurate (especially when a game relied mostly on gyroscopic inputs) means that it was highly conducive to being more of a fad than a long term paradigm shift in how games are played. That meant it had a rapid rise and an almost equally rapid fall.

The Switch's gimmick is that it can double as both a handheld and a home console. And it relies far less on a gimmicky input method that required rather a relatively loose or relaxed control design within games.

I think the Switch's gimmick has a lot going for it, but it isn't going to pull in non-console gamers in the same way as the Wii. Conversely I think it has the potential for a longer lifespan than the Wii due to it's better fusion of core and casual gaming.

Something I'm interested to see play out over the next year or so. With Minecraft coming to the Switch, will we start to see more children playing Minecraft on the Switch than on tablets and mobile phones? I could certainly see parents having a preference for getting their children a Switch for Minecraft versus a tablet for Minecraft. Not least of which because it'd simultaneously give them access to Nintendo's stable of games. Another benefit over a tablet is that it'd allow them access to party games that are family friendly and can be played in the home.

How popular it remains with your traditional console gamer is going to depend quite a bit on whether 3rd parties port their games to it and how much effort they put into porting their games to it.

Another thing I'm wondering about is whether indie developers will embrace it. 2DS/3DS had a lot of indie developer support. One of my favorite indie developers (Image & Form, SteamWorld line of games) got their start on the 3DS. There are quite a few indie games I'd LOVE to play on the Switch. Imagine how glorious it would be to play Hollow Knight (IMO, best platformer released in the last 10 years) on a switch, undocked?

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG, I just checked after I typed that out and Hollow Knight is coming to the Switch! I had been just thinking that consoles really need to get this game. Somewhat surprised it appears to be coming to Switch before any of the other consoles.

Regards,
SB

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Something I'm interested to see play out over the next year or so. With Minecraft coming to the Switch, will we start to see more children playing Minecraft on the Switch than on tablets and mobile phones?

Unlikely. There's already tens of millions of mobile Minecraft players. Switch would have to sell to lot!

I could certainly see parents having a preference for getting their children a Switch for Minecraft versus a tablet for Minecraft. Not least of which because it'd simultaneously give them access to Nintendo's stable of games. Another benefit over a tablet is that it'd allow them access to party games that are family friendly and can be played in the home.

But a tablet is far more versatile and can help with school work etc. IMO most families would look to Switch as an additional on top of the tablet, once the tablet was owned.

 

[eastmen]

Unlikely. There's already tens of millions of mobile Minecraft players. Switch would have to sell to lot!
But a tablet is far more versatile and can help with school work etc. IMO most families would look to Switch as an additional on top of the tablet, once the tablet was owned.

I'm actually starting to see people move over to cheap laptops again for kids in the tail end of grade school / highschool. Its not fun to type essays and papers on a tablet and the new laptops are similar in price to an ipad esp when you add on accessories like a Bluetooth keyboard .


Anyway I think Nintendo has a unique opportunity here with their older games . Gamecube games , wii games and wii u games will look good on the switch and in the case of the gamecube and wii u a lot of those games were played by a small portion of gamers. The switch should be able to run game cube and wii games no problem. Wii u games some work will have to be done. But Nintendo should be able to release a steady stream of the older games to buff up their droughts and they can fill in different price points. A remastered Mario galaxy with better textures and so on would sell great a $20-$30 and so on. So if they do it right they can have compelling content coming out year round for the next few rounds

 

[mister slim]

The Switch's gimmick is that it can double as both a handheld and a home console. And it relies far less on a gimmicky input method that required rather a relatively loose or relaxed control design within games.

I think the Switch's gimmick has a lot going for it, but it isn't going to pull in non-console gamers in the same way as the Wii. Conversely I think it has the potential for a longer lifespan than the Wii due to it's better fusion of core and casual gaming.

I wonder if the Switch will have a viral success which functions like Wii Sports did, where it sells the console to people who try it. I've heard good things about 1-2-Switch and Snipperclips, but having a free, bundled experience would probably help a lot.