Nintendo Switch Discussion Thread

Posted this in the preorder thread but copying here as this is where I figure we'll discuss.  In 2 words: Massively disappointing.

I love Nintendo, and I'm sure I'll get this eventually ... BUT that was a train wreck.  Anyone who doesn't acknowledged the serious shortcomings and lackluster aftertaste of that presentation is probably a deluded fanboy.  

Nothing there made the system a day 1 buy.  If you have a Wii U, there's little reason to buy the Switch for Zelda.  I'm buying it on Wii U.  It ticks me off though that Nintendo refuses to say anything about the Wii U version.  I get it from a business standpoint -- so I hope they come out over the next few days and at least acknowledge its existence, and when we can expect it.  My guess is it will be after  the Switch version, but I hope it's not months later.

The price is too high, period.  No pack-in at $299 is IMHO suicide.  With a game and tax, that's close to $400 in Illinois.  Even where sales tax is lower, you're looking at $360, minimum, as the games will cost $59.99.  $400 for a Switch when you can buy a base PS4 or Xbone with games packed in for under $300.  That's just a bad value proposition. I don't see any spin that can save that.

Nintendo's stock prices are tanking.  I hate it when the investors are right, but unless I see something else, I'm scratching my head at what exactly Nintendo's studios have been doing for the last 3-4 years.

All the games shown were largely versions or tinkered iterations of Wii U games (Fire Emblem Warriors -- seriously?!).  Nothing these is going to expand the already dwindling Nintendo base.  Already podcasts like Giantbomb are dismissing the Switch, and I expect opinions about the system to become quickly negative over the next few days.

Listen, we all know Zelda is a good game, but few are going to drop $400 to play it on Switch.  And no way will Switch capture the broader PS4/Xbone player, which they desperately need if this is going to get third party support 9-14 months in.  

As I see it right now, this is going the same way as the Wii U.  Not terribly surprised.  I'm excited for NMH3, but Suda 51 games don't broaden the base.  Nothing Nintendo showed will do that.  EA conspicuously doesn't mention Madden.   2K Sports doesn't bother showing up for NBA 2K (though at least we saw a logo - me thinks it is a downgraded version).  

Yup, Nintendo's last console.   At least we get one. 

 
encendido5 said:
So that was it? Man, what a let down. If Zelda is the only big name for launch, I might be waiting it out.
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Definitely waiting it out (note last console I bought on day 1 was Gamecube and do not anymore - initial consoles always have issues - my launch Gamecube died only a year in -- allegedly, Nintendo used unreliable disc lasers in the initial batch ... lucky me).

Back to topic - no way is this a Day-1 buy for the gamers and general players Nintendo desperately needs. I don't care what enhancements they put on Zelda; I'm buying that for the Wii U. By the time I buy a Switch (probably 2-3 years in), I'll probably be able to get the Switch version for less.

I'm amazed but for all the wrong reasons. No Metroid. No F-Zero. Nothing. A reimagined Splatoon. Mario later this year. And basically, more gimmicky motion games.

Wow ... just wow. One step forward, three steps back.

And don't even get me started with that online talk.

Nintendo will be a full third party developer by 2020. This is going to be a success or a bust, and right now, all signs are that it's a bust. It might sell through the initial stock, but whatever supply constraints at the launch look like they're again going to be driven by Nintendo's tired and cumbersome inability to get these on shelves).

They're stupid if they hold back units - this is NOT the NES Classic. They need to sell millions upon millions to get anyone else to notice. But ... well, they won't. Sales will taper off 5-6 months in. Sony and MS will bust out PS5 talk and Scorpio's launch will basically end whatever enthusiasm is left for this device.

Any steam left for this thing will be all but extinguished come next time this year. Mario will help sell a few more million but I don't see how any of the third parties come back to this.

 
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Those controller prices are just nuts, especially the joy-con prices. 

I was happy to see Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (not a sequel to XCX) but after watching the trailer, it just looks like XCX with even stronger anime overtones. 

Mario Odyssey's trailer's first 30 seconds or so looked dumb as fuck but it looks damn fun... 

 
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You can't bundle the system with games, the system must not have any games.

I still can't get over the insane, completely batshit crazy price. I'm a LEGO fan and complain all the time about the company fucking over their fans. I think we have a new winner for that. 

Are there games? The thing launches in less than two months and there is Zelda and that's it? Wow! Nice job Nintendo. I don't get why Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can't come out for launch too. You are trying to prove yourself, do it with Mario Kart! They couldn't start the port of the game two months sooner? It's a port. I don't get it.

But everything else aside, it was a mess of a presentation. After that wonderful teaser this was a let down. There should have been more info, more showing off the launch titles and launch window games, even if they are ports. There is no talk of anything. It was a waste of time that showed off next to nothing besides the creepy tiny Mario in NYC thing.

Quick Google search and Nintendo's stock is 200 yen away from a yearly low. Been hovering at 5.75% drop. That's a horrible sign for a company that just showed off it's future to the world.

 
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d5c_3d-boxes_2.jpg


NISA appears to have leaked the box design. Hopefully Nintendo of America is a little clearer about the launch titles and stuff. With that said, I pre-ordered the Neon NS at Best Buy.

 
What a god awful launch lineup if true.

At least this is what I saw floating around:

- 1, 2 Switch
- The Legend of Zelda: BotW
- Just Dance 2017
- Has Been Heroes
- Snipperclips
- Super Bomberman R
- Disgaea 5 Complete
- Puyo Puyo Tetris
- Rayman Legends
- Steep
- Skylanders: Imaginators
- I Am Setsuna

I'm ok with the $300 price but I think $250 is the real sweet spot for anyone to impulse buy the system.

The accessories are laughably overpriced.

I hope I'm out of touch and this sells well with the masses like the Wii did, but things are not looking good right now imho. I am not seeing much positive on the net right now at all.

The best news out of the conference for me was confirmation of Zelda releasing on both the Wii U and Switch on March 3rd. The trailer was god damn amazing.

Was also shocked to see No More Heroes getting a sequel considering that was my favorite game on the Wii.

Overall conference was just putting me to sleep. Very disappointed with the presentation, even more disappointed with possibly the worst launch lineup of all time for a home console. Even the XBox One had a better launch lineup.

 
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Nintendo can't even bring another port to the table? The system should have been $250, more so BECAUSE of the price of the controllers. Or $300 for a second controller and another older port like moving Mario Mart up 7 weeks or porting Smash Brothers. This isn't the time to be holding back after the biggest home console disaster ever in the Wii U (and yes I'm including the Dreamcast because I think even if sold better it it's time than the Wii U.).
 

The wiggle controllers made me, a Nintendo fanboy until the end, slightly wish that Nintendo would go third party. And that hurts.

 
As a Nintendo fanboy (at heart), I was extremely let down.

$300:  I actually figured that was the price.  I wanted $250, but deep down, I thought it would be $300. 

My non-gaming wife watched with me last night.  She (and I) both agreed that 1, 2, Switch and Arms look pretty crappy.  They look like pack-in games, not full retail. 

I got very, very hyped for Splatoon 2.  I went S+ on the original and played the hell out of it.  I *have* to get a Switch for it now, but definitely not anytime soon since Splatoon 2 is "summer 2017".

I agree with Vinny:  I thought the NYC-esque Mario portions looked awful.  Once he got out of the city looking area, it looked great.

Looking like a bad launch.  Launching with Zelda, which also is on the Wii U....and that's it?  Not good.

 
Rig said:
I agree with Vinny: I thought the NYC-esque Mario portions looked awful. Once he got out of the city looking area, it looked great.
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Mario shouldn't take place in our world, he's very colorful and cartoony. The one way it would have worked is if they made the NYC landscape photo realistic, but they never do that.

 
Not trying to dump on em too hard, but I'm in agreement with the general sentiment. I dunno man, for a system, whose big 'hook' is being able to be portable, that 3hour battery life on Zelda is a MAJOR letdown! With my experience with the OG 3ds and my Wii U gamepad, I can tell you, that short battery life is just insulting. 

*sigh*

 
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KillerRamen said:
NISA appears to have leaked the box design. Hopefully Nintendo of America is a little clearer about the launch titles and stuff. With that said, I pre-ordered the Neon NS at Best Buy.
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That looks great. I'm a bit behind on my Disgaeas, but will definitely be picking that up. (Also, how does a game publisher "leak" their own box art? XD)

Also, if I Am Setsuna somehow gets a physical release on Switch, I'll likely go that route instead of buying it on Steam.

Oh, and I'm very, very happy that we're getting a region-free Nintendo system for the first time since the DS Lite.

Right now, the only real annoyance is having to buy Puyo Puyo Tetris again and the accessory prices, especially the Pro controller and extra JoyCons. Other than that, I'm more than happy to wait out the launch shortages and get a Switch later in the year (the sweet spot would be when Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is out, but who knows what supply will be like then :razz:).

 
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Like Rig, I was expecting $300 but hoping for $250. Granted I'll probably not buy it for a while as there's not enough to get me to buy it early. I'm also disappointed by the 32GB storage. While I know M.2 is still a little pricey, it would be nice to see those start being used more commonly in things like handhelds, but it's technology Nintendo would only start adapting to 10-15 years from now. If you don't know what an M.2 SSD looks like, it's this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA9TS3JP7261

As for the games, the first part of the Mario gameplay video looked pretty dumb but I'm sure the game itself will be fine. SMT, Fire Emblem Warriors (Musou I assume) and Xenoblade 2 at some point for me probably. Not a whole lot more I'm currently interested in. I would've tried Splatoon 2 multiplayer maybe, but Nintendo pulled a Nintendo. Zelda will really depend on how the Wii U version is and if they plan to add some bullshit forced controls on either version but not the other.

Basically the things I just can't understand is... WHY IS THERE NO ETHERNET PORT BUILT IN TO THE DOCK? WHY ARE THEY CHARGING FOR MULTIPLAYER WHEN THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMPLETE ASS? WHY DID THEY PUT VOICE CHAT THROUGH A SMART PHONE APP? What the fuck Nintendo. You manage to blow my mind every generation in the worst ways possible. I shouldn't even be surprised at this point, but somehow they just blow past any negative expectations I can come up with.

EDIT: I feel like I should also add their "free" monthly games are just rentals, rather than ownership so long as you're subbed to the service like PSN and XBL is. Dear god Nintendo, I really hope someone slaps the shit out of you so you can wake up from the delusion you're living in.

 
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I've been pretty critical of Nintendo's direction with the Switch and after seeing everything, I'm fairly confident this'll be a re-peat of the Wii U and that's not something they can afford. 

The new Mario looks fun and Zelda looks great but I'm just not sold on the system or the concept. 

 
I can't argue with any of the negative points I've read here and elsewhere.  But I'm just giving into my natural tendencies:

  • I love games
  • I'm a sucker for new consoles
  • I grew up with Nintendo and it's penetrated my inner being despite a few differences of opinion (Wii, Mario Galaxy, etc.)
  • Zelda looks shit hot
  • Mario Odyssey looks like a return to form
  • I'm a sucker for Mario Kart

System sold.  I might play it off as a birthday gift for my son, but I'm not fooling anyone.  I want this. 

 
I'm really starting to feel like the portable multi-player with physical controls is going to end up being the dark horse selling feature of this console.

Personally, I'm excited to just be able to pop out the stand and pop the joy cons off to play some Puyo Puyo Tetris or something else on a plane with my wife.
 
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RedvsBlue said:
I'm really starting to feel like the portable multi-player with physical controls is going to end up being the dark horse selling feature of this console.
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Local multiplayer is inherently fun. Playing with people who are nearby is just a good time, and always has been. The problem in recent years with that type of game is that it is increasingly harder to get people together to play. This is especially true when you have to get them together in a single location. Convincing two or three of my friends to come to my house for a fun evening is difficult no matter what we were planning on doing.

The real potential of the Switch is that it allows you to take that type of experience with you in a way that almost no other system has. You can carry it along and play games like Towerfall or Nidhogg with other people while you're out and about. It makes it much more convenient to share that local multiplayer experience. The word-of-mouth and hands on play that go along with this will be the best advertisements for the Switch.

 
Richard Kain said:
Local multiplayer is inherently fun. Playing with people who are nearby is just a good time, and always has been. The problem in recent years with that type of game is that it is increasingly harder to get people together to play. This is especially true when you have to get them together in a single location. Convincing two or three of my friends to come to my house for a fun evening is difficult no matter what we were planning on doing.
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I think this is just called "getting old". Grouping up with friends offline nowadays is difficult for me, too, but the Switch could be for other people like what the N64 was for me back when I was in college, maybe even better.

Man, we're all old, aren't we?

whoknows said:
Has there been word on if the virtual console or other eshop games will be there at launch?
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Not really. One of the announced games for March is Has-Been Heroes by Frozenbyte (the Trine developers), so that seems to imply an eShop with downloadable indie games if not at launch, then very soon afterward. Also, the paid online service will include access to a Virtual Console game each month (and only that month), so VC seems likely to be present around launch as well.
 
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RedvsBlue said:
I'm really starting to feel like the portable multi-player with physical controls is going to end up being the dark horse selling feature of this console.

Personally, I'm excited to just be able to pop out the stand and pop the joy cons off to play some Puyo Puyo Tetris or something else on a plane with my wife.
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I agree. I think it will be really nice for parents with two kids. They both can play the game on the same system when they're on the go and since it comes built in with two controllers there's nothing else that they need to buy. It's also nice if they're on a trip with a friend since they'll both be able to play the game without needing two systems and two copies of the game.

I do like that they're selling the dock separately so you can play with your console at multiple locations without the need for multiple consoles. That would be really nice for kids where parents have joint custody or adults that want to play on the TV in their computer room while the kids are watching TV.

I also wouldn't be surprised if they sell the Switch without the dock for $250 or less by Christmas or early next year.

I love getting a new system and while launches always kind of suck since there are always very few games, I think Nintendo has it spread out enough for the first few months until we get more information about the holiday line-up at E3.

The MSRP on the Pro Controller kind of sucks, but I don't pay MSRP for controllers. Who knows, maybe I'll end up liking the Grip thing until the price lowers on Amazon. Like the PS4 controller MSRP is $59.99-64.99 or $99.99 for a pair of Move controllers and there's no way I'd pay that. The Xbox One's controllers MSRP range from $59.99-69.99 for standard, $79.99 for custom and $149.99-199.99 for Pro. (On the other hand, I do suspect the Nintendo USB-C power adapter will become very popular for MacBook users as an alternative to Apple's $70 replacement)

Give it a few months and the sale price on the Pro Controller will be sub-$50 and hopefully in more colors.

 
I have one preordered but am disappointed with the launch line up. We knew about Zelda already. Will need to wait 2 months to play something I want (Mario Kart 8)

 
So what I have learned is that no one actually has real friends anymore, everything is just online friendships...

Now the Switch has made me depressed for society. Damn you Nintendo! 

 
So, I'm late to the party, but I just caught up on the Switch release news and the subsequent reactions

 

Wow.

 

I can't believe the lengths some people will go to in order to delude themselves that this launch is acceptable, or that this console will be successful.

 

32 gigs of built-in storage, a lack of ethernet, a paid online system completely lacking in universal friends systems/free game offers, and remakes of games that already sold poorly on other systems (Disgaea, Rayman Legends) or failed to sell WiiUs (Splatoon, Mario Kart 8).

 

This launch would have been unsatisfying midway through the 360/PS3 days. That Nintendo would have the futzpah to try it now, after failing so utterly with the WiiU, is evidence that they will NEVER "get it". There's no humility, no willingness to learn from mistakes, and no sense that they have to earn us as consumers.

 

One of the reasons the PS4's launch was so much more successful than the PS3's was because they built up goodwill...they showed themselves to be a better value. Similarly, even Microsoft showed some understanding of this (too late) when they introduced backwards compatibility, released 4 "free" games a month, and dropped the price of the system. No one can say that these companies have failed to entice consumers with value.

 

By contrast, the Switch in no way seems like a good value.

 

The device fails as a console, because it can't stack up to the competition in terms of game catalog, power, features, or cost. It fails as a portable, because it's battery life is total shit (also: how could they be SO obtuse as to not have a Pokemon game ready at launch...or in 2017, for that matter?).

 

In short, Nintendo has learned nothing. The absolute best thing you could say about it is that, because it's just an overpriced combination of concepts and games that we've already seen, you will no immediately if it appeals to you. Sadly, that will be a very small population indeed.

 
The Green Giant said:
I didn't say there was, but everyone here seems to only have online friends and real life friends are a thing of the past.
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Getting old sucks, like blue said. Real life friends have lives, wives and kids now or they just flat out moved out of town. Plus travel distance to and from if you're relatively local. Just far easier to get an hour session together online than it is to have them drive 15-30 minutes one way for however long they're able to commit to. If I live to 60-70, I'm sure that could change but then you've got old people problems to deal with.

Can't win either way. Oh and my friend I used to game in real life a ton moved to Japan. So, yeah, that shit doesn't happen anymore except maybe once every 3 years. I suppose it doesn't help that I'm not the most outgoing person and I'm allergic to virtually every animal in existence which really limits my options.

You can just ignore me though, sometimes it feels a little therapeutic to complain about life's problems.

 
Draekon said:
Getting old sucks, like blue said. Real life friends have lives, wives and kids now or they just flat out moved out of town. Plus travel distance to and from if you're relatively local. Just far easier to get an hour session together online than it is to have them drive 15-30 minutes one way for however long they're able to commit to. If I live to 60-70, I'm sure that could change but then you've got old people problems to deal with.

Can't win either way. Oh and my friend I used to game in real life a ton moved to Japan. So, yeah, that shit doesn't happen anymore except maybe once every 3 years. I suppose it doesn't help that I'm not the most outgoing person and I'm allergic to virtually every animal in existence which really limits my options.

You can just ignore me though, sometimes it feels a little therapeutic to complain about life's problems.
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Yeah I have started seeing that, it's just depressing it happens to everyone. I live in Massachusetts, my best friend NY state, another in Denver, Dallas, a few in different areas of CA.

 
Draekon said:
Getting old sucks, like blue said. Real life friends have lives, wives and kids now or they just flat out moved out of town. Plus travel distance to and from if you're relatively local. Just far easier to get an hour session together online than it is to have them drive 15-30 minutes one way for however long they're able to commit to. If I live to 60-70, I'm sure that could change but then you've got old people problems to deal with.

Can't win either way. Oh and my friend I used to game in real life a ton moved to Japan. So, yeah, that shit doesn't happen anymore except maybe once every 3 years. I suppose it doesn't help that I'm not the most outgoing person and I'm allergic to virtually every animal in existence which really limits my options.

You can just ignore me though, sometimes it feels a little therapeutic to complain about life's problems.
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No need to ignore. What the person you quoted said was incredibly stupid. It gets to the point where it's just hard to meet up with friends due to busy schedules and playing online with them is a million times more convenient. Of course according to that person that means you don't have any "real life friends".

 
Archaic said:
So, I'm late to the party, but I just caught up on the Switch release news and the subsequent reactions



Wow.



I can't believe the lengths some people will go to in order to delude themselves that this launch is acceptable, or that this console will be successful.



32 gigs of built-in storage, a lack of ethernet, a paid online system completely lacking in universal friends systems/free game offers, and remakes of games that already sold poorly on other systems (Disgaea, Rayman Legends) or failed to sell WiiUs (Splatoon, Mario Kart 8).



This launch would have been unsatisfying midway through the 360/PS3 days. That Nintendo would have the futzpah to try it now, after failing so utterly with the WiiU, is evidence that they will NEVER "get it". There's no humility, no willingness to learn from mistakes, and no sense that they have to earn us as consumers.



One of the reasons the PS4's launch was so much more successful than the PS3's was because they built up goodwill...they showed themselves to be a better value. Similarly, even Microsoft showed some understanding of this (too late) when they introduced backwards compatibility, released 4 "free" games a month, and dropped the price of the system. No one can say that these companies have failed to entice consumers with value.



By contrast, the Switch in no way seems like a good value.



The device fails as a console, because it can't stack up to the competition in terms of game catalog, power, features, or cost. It fails as a portable, because it's battery life is total shit (also: how could they be SO obtuse as to not have a Pokemon game ready at launch...or in 2017, for that matter?).



In short, Nintendo has learned nothing. The absolute best thing you could say about it is that, because it's just an overpriced combination of concepts and games that we've already seen, you will no immediately if it appeals to you. Sadly, that will be a very small population indeed.
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100% agree. And so do many in the gaming podcast community. If I ever get one, it will be years from now when it's clear the whole thing has burned down in flames. I'm sort of in collector mode for Switch in that I know it will be the last proprietary system for Nintendo. I'll pick it up when stores will be wiping it out, and Nintendo announces it's making games for mobile and ... sadly, its competition.

I can't even imagine what might happen if Zelda turns out to be anything less than amazing -- if that game scores even 8s, it will mean the death of Switch before anything else. I mean, I am skeptical even Breath of the Wild is as good as people say it is. It's already hyped to infinity.

We all know very few things ever live up to that level of hype, and there will be a lot of hard reviews on Zelda given Nintendo is basically telling players to fork over $450 to play it.

 
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Nothing like a console launch to bring out the trolls. It's a good thing the Switch didn't require a constant online connection or a Kinect. The internet would literally implode on itself at that point.
 
I think part of the problem is that people are looking at this as a regular home console instead of a tablet with gaming capabilities.  The way I see it, I can get a new ipad mini 32gb for $269 or I can get the Switch for $30 more.  Yes, I know the screen is smaller, but come on, Zelda on the go!  

I said earlier I wasn't going to get one yet, but then I thought about how the Wii U never really dropped in price.  I'm going to preorder Zelda and then wait and see what comes out in the spring.  I'm excited about the Mario Kart remake since I was going to drop $300 last month for a Wii U deluxe edition.

 
Richard Kain said:
Local multiplayer is inherently fun. Playing with people who are nearby is just a good time, and always has been. The problem in recent years with that type of game is that it is increasingly harder to get people together to play. This is especially true when you have to get them together in a single location. Convincing two or three of my friends to come to my house for a fun evening is difficult no matter what we were planning on doing.
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Local multiplay really is fun, as you say. Outside of the points you mentioned, mainly just getting people together which, you're right, can be a PITA to do, for video games there are some extra hurdles:

- everyone needs to own the console.

- Everyone needs to own the game. (about as close as you'll get to this is Mario Kart)

Those are two pretty huge hurdles to get around especially when you consider people gravitating toward XBox or Playstation and then, in a minor way, the Nintendo line.

I think Nintendo was pretty close to making this work with the DS and their support of downloadable versions of the games. If you had Mario Kart, for example, your buddy could download a version of it from your DS to their's and then you're racing. If he had the full version then you got all of the tracks. Great way to elevate the fun but also to sell more games (maybe he'd buy Mario Kart after trying it out with you).

I know that the 3DS has this feature but I've only seen one game, Mario Party Star <something>, to promote it.

I remember watching the initial Switch video showing people playing a game in the middle of a basketball court (like 6-8 of them) or a guy sitting down next to some random chick and them firing up some game to play against each other and I remember thinking, "That looks like A LOT of fun.... and it's also not reality..." It sucks, but it's not.

 
The Wii U is, for me, the best console I've owned so far. I know some will compare the specs to the PS4 (or even the PS3) or XBoxes, etc.. 

Here's the thing: I had a PSX, PS2, PS3, and a long list of other consoles. The Wii U is one of those machines that I go back to again and again to play. For the PS-line a lot of it was, "Wow.. Look at those graphics!!," and after an initial playing period it'd sit dormant. The Wii had the same problem (except for the wow-graphics bit). It was OK but I thought that the GameCube was SO much better in terms of game play. I'd go back to that again and again when I had it (gave it away to my daughter who still has it and still plays it).

The Wii U was a flop, though. A horrible, horrible flop.

Some thoughts on this: There was a rumor that Nintendo pulled back all of the remaining stock of Wii Us. I have a Target across the street and haven't seen a Wii U there in months (August, maybe) until after the 1st of the year and then one, I think bundled with Mario Kart 8, showed up. I'm pretty sure it's there right now.. at $300. WTF?? How is it that 4 years into the failed system's life the console is selling at $300. How is it that it's not marked on clearance for $150? Nope.. Sits there collecting dust at $300.

Meanwhile, Nintendo's new system is going to be priced at $300.

There seems to be a huge disconnect here.

Some other thoughts:

Ethernet: Nintendo has never made a console with an ethernet port. The Wii and even Wii U should have really had one built in. I know both have WiFi built in but WiFi isn't very good with long term changes (DS and 802.11b / WEP being a good example). I can still plug in 10Mbps ethernet devices into a switch and they'll still work. I can't with old WiFi devices or, I have to go through a lot of work and kind of open up an insecure hole in my network which I don't want to do (and that doesn't always work). Still, for the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U you could buy an ethernet port which was nice. I prefer to have everything that is sitting still in my place hard wired.

Switch being a portable home console: It's neat but I don't know that I care. I don't know that, realistically, I'd take my switch on the go with me and that leaves me thinking that there are limitations to it being made portable that really didn't have to be there.

Memory: 32GB was small was the Wii U was released. Thankfully you could plug a hard drive into the back and, for me, that's one of the best things about the Wii U: All of my games are in the box. I don't have to have shelving/space to take up a bunch of boxes for games that really just gather dust. I kind of get that they couldn't have put a hard drive in it for power (see the above paragraph about how the probably not-much-used portability will create other limitations) but they could could have made the built-in memory something like 128GB or 256GB. I think if they had it at 128GB that people would still be complaining that it was kind of small.

Games: I think that it's pretty obvious that they missed the mark here. People are excited about Zelda and some about Mario (didn't do anything for me - I really think that Super Mario World 3D hit it out of the park for just shear fun) but, that's basically it. Yeah, there are some other odd ducks in there but you get 2 games about 8 months apart in the first year. Smells of Wii U success all over again.

Reaction to press conference:

I saw some of the YouTube videos of people at the event and it really felt like they were trying to find something to get excited about and, at the same time, feign excitement for what they were being shown. It really felt like a lot of "big smiles" for "this is it???"

Online reviews haven't been kind, either. A lot of it has been what we all saw and what's been rehashed here.

One more thought on the price: I think $300 would have felt better had the Wii U been priced at $200ish for the last year and maybe $150 on clearance. I think that the remaining high price of the Wii U makes the Switch price feel odd like Nintendo doesn't get it.

I don't see me getting a Switch. There just doesn't seem to be anything there for me.

My only caution to writing it off completely would be to look back and see how they pulled the 3DS out of the pit of despair. It was fully tanking in that first 12-18 months and they took it from there to being a great little portable gaming system.

 
Here's an important question: what size are the game cases?  

51-iEKJX%2B5L._SX215_.jpg


it looks like a PSP game case size.  Why wouldn't they use the DS and 3DS case size?  Seems like a waste of space and it won't fit next to my other games.

 
The only thing that is pissing me off about the Switch is that I have to pay to play online multiplayer, especially since Nintendo's online services have been crap for the most part. But other than that, I think the price for the console itself is ok and the lineup of games look very good so far (Splatoon 2, Zelda, MK8 deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Arms, Fire Emblem Warriors, Snipperclips, etc). 

The Switch might not sell like the Wii did, but it definitely won't flop as the Wii U.

 
RoytheRobot said:
The Switch might not sell like the Wii did, but it definitely won't flop as the Wii U.
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I don't see how you're reaching that conclusion. This totally look like the Wii U ... and just wait til Nintendo delays Mario out of the holidays. Come on, Mario games have always been delayed.

 
romeogbs19 said:
I don't see how you're reaching that conclusion. This totally look like the Wii U
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Well, let me just put this into context for you. The Wii U was initially sold for $300 as well. However, that version came with no stand for the gamepad, no software, less flash memory, and almost no one understood what the heck it was. Most consumers who bought the Wii assumed that the Wii U was an additional tablet/gamepad that they were charging $300 for. The version that everyone wanted cost $350. The lesser bundle was incredibly unpopular, sold terribly, and was discontinued within the system's first year on the market. Ironically, that initial version is now one of the rarest, and will eventually command a much higher price on the second-hand market.

The Switch is a game-tablet with a decently-sized screen that by all accounts looks really good. There is no additional box to rig up to your TV, everything you need fits right in your hand. Explaining all of this to the average consumer is extremely easy. It's a Nintendo-tablet that plays Nintendo games. Done. That is an easier sales pitch than the Wii U ever had. This alone improves the Switch's chances in the market. Hey, did you like the Wii? Well here's a tablet that does everything the Wii did, and you can take it with you on the go.

And then you have to take into account just how low the bar was set with the Wii U. No matter how anyone feels about the system, it is one of Nintendo's worst selling consoles. It only avoids that dubious distinction because the Virtual Boy exists. And all this despite the fact that it had a very strong line-up of games. History is going to pick over the Wii U, and try to sort out exactly what went wrong. The point is, the Switch would have to sell REALLY poorly to be in the same ranking as the Wii U. Even with modest sales, the Switch will likely double the Wii U's sales over it's lifetime. It just has to shift 20 million units over the course of five years to pull that off. In this industry that's peanuts. Even Microsoft has likely managed to shift that many XBones by now, despite their colossal screw-up at its launch.

 
The Wii U had a killer line up of games and it's really sad that it didn't sell. If you collect and if there's anything on the Wii U that you want then you better get it as soon as possible because the good titles (especially the early ones) are already getting hard to come by. 

 
Archaic said:
In short, Nintendo has learned nothing. The absolute best thing you could say about it is that, because it's just an overpriced combination of concepts and games that we've already seen, you will no immediately if it appeals to you. Sadly, that will be a very small population indeed.
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I share similar feelings and was always baffled at how quickly people brushed them off. I just couldn't see what everyone else saw-- still can't. I don't know if it's just Nintendo that hasn't learned or if it's their fans who don't seem to care and end up buying everything for the sake of nostalgia.

 
romeogbs19 said:
I don't see how you're reaching that conclusion. This totally look like the Wii U ... and just wait til Nintendo delays Mario out of the holidays. Come on, Mario games have always been delayed.
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Bingo!

What exactly has Nintendo been doing for the last few years as the Wii U flopped? They still don't make enough games even when the only games they need to make are for the Switch now. It's insane. Are they going to release the game on time and fix it with patches, or delay it?

80% of what I have seen online has been "I'll pass", 10% is "I like it but overpriced" and 10% think it's amazing as ice cream. A friend of mine is like "All my other friends love it, you are just pessimistic". I was thinking "That's because all your friends are exact copies of yourself".

I will give Nintendo slight credit, at least there is more press with the Switch than the Wii U.

 
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Brad Bishop said:
Ethernet: Nintendo has never made a console with an ethernet port. The Wii and even Wii U should have really had one built in. I know both have WiFi built in but WiFi isn't very good with long term changes (DS and 802.11b / WEP being a good example). I can still plug in 10Mbps ethernet devices into a switch and they'll still work. I can't with old WiFi devices or, I have to go through a lot of work and kind of open up an insecure hole in my network which I don't want to do (and that doesn't always work). Still, for the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U you could buy an ethernet port which was nice. I prefer to have everything that is sitting still in my place hard wired.
The Wii U is, for me, the best console I've owned so far. I know some will compare the specs to the PS4 (or even the PS3) or XBoxes, etc..
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http://hypergamer.50megs.com/gamecube/broadband.html the gamecube had a Ethernet/broadband module. I will submit if you meant out of the box then you are right the gamecube's wasn't built in.

 
romeogbs19 said:
I don't see how you're reaching that conclusion. This totally look like the Wii U ... and just wait til Nintendo delays Mario out of the holidays. Come on, Mario games have always been delayed.
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I'm saying that the Internet railing against an announced Nintendo system is not a gauge of its long term success. People bitched on the internet endlessly about the Wii and it went down as one of the most successful consoles of all time. Same for DS as well.

Hell, it's not just Nintendo either. The backlash against the PS3 was monstrous and the dumb thing ended up being a bigger seller than the 360 when all was said and done (not Wii big but still put up impressive numbers).
 
RedvsBlue said:
I'm saying that the Internet railing against an announced Nintendo system is not a gauge of its long term success.
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Very true. This is old hat ever since the internet became a common tool for communication. I read all the same arguments and discussions a decade and change ago when the DS and Wii were released. Back then everyone was swearing up and down that the PSP was going to finally trounce Nintendo out of the handheld space. The most vocal portions of the internet only make for a small sub-section of humanity. And that sub-section tends to be heavily biased in various ways. One of the more obvious and prominent leanings are in favor of technological superiority. Internet discussions almost always lean toward "more tech = better." If a device is technologically inferior to its most direct competition, it is doomed to failure, end of discussion. And I see this opinion parroted over and over, despite the historical precedent being strongly against it.

One of the most common complaints I've been hearing out of the Switch reveal was disappointment in the fact that "1, 2, Switch" was not a bundled title. To a certain degree I agree with this sentiment. I like bundled software. Having a "free" game come with your system is always a plus. Apparently part of the reason for this is that Nintendo considers 1, 2, Switch to be a more robust and extensive experience than a title like Wii Sports. While this is fair, one could easily argue that the value of highlighting the systems strengths right out of the box is more important than the potential lost sales of a single title. This holds true even if the title in question has more going for it than previous pack-in games. So while I appreciate that Nintendo might want to get their money back from the development of 1, 2, Switch, I can't say that this desire was justification for refusing to pack the game in with every system.

I DO agree with their decision to have only one basic bundle, and to only separate bundles based on colors, as opposed to features. While I would have liked to see a pack-in game, I did not want to see two options for bundles that offered different options. Keeping the base bundle simple was a good move. The Wii U created too much consumer confusion with it's split bundles. And with that platform already confusing consumers with its nature, that was more variety than Nintendo could afford.

The best argument in favor of not bundling a game with the Switch is this. Bundling a game with the system more strongly targets the system toward a particular demographic or style of play. If you want to target a system toward a broader audience, bundling a game is the wrong approach, especially if the game in question heavily favors a particular demographic or style of play. Doing so can limit how the system is perceived by the general public, and by developers. This was a problem for the Wii, despite the success it enjoyed. During its run, the Wii was constantly getting mini-game collections. It was frequently viewed as a local-multiplayer mini-game machine. Every developer had their own take on the genre, and the shovelware for the Wii was lousy with that kind of experience. And all of this was a direct result of the success of Wii Sports.

If Nintendo bundled the Switch with 1, 2, Switch, people might associate it the same way they did the Wii. And that could potentially damage the long-term viability of the platform. A broader, more diverse set of experiences would allow the system to appeal to a broader swath of consumers. If the Switch gets pigeon-holed early on, that might damage its long-term prospects. Likewise, bundling it with a game like Zelda might convince users that it's just a Nintendo adventure-game machine. Bundling it with nothing makes it easier for people to choose their own initial association, in the shape of the game they initially buy with the system. For a lot of long-term Nintendo fans that will be Zelda. For more casual users it will likely be 1, 2, Switch. For some it might be Bomberman, or Puyo/Tetris.

 
Yes and no. Now that it's a hybrid system you have the home console developers and the mobile console developers coming up with games for the system. So if Nintendo bundled in a game there'd be plenty of other titles people would receive, unlike what happened to the Wii.
 
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/switch-vs-wii-u-all-the-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-d/1100-6447008/ 

I think this might help us understand how powerful the Switch is compared to the Wii U. Zelda BotW runs at 900p Switch docked, and 720p undocked and Wii U. Runs at 30 fps at all times. Switch version also has "high quality" sounds, which I'm guessing is probably attributed to better sound processing- not sure it's a huge benefit. I don't mind the resolution but was really hoping that it would run 60 fps on the Switch when docked. 

 
RedvsBlue said:
I'm saying that the Internet railing against an announced Nintendo system is not a gauge of its long term success. People bitched on the internet endlessly about the Wii and it went down as one of the most successful consoles of all time. Same for DS as well.

Hell, it's not just Nintendo either. The backlash against the PS3 was monstrous and the dumb thing ended up being a bigger seller than the 360 when all was said and done (not Wii big but still put up impressive numbers).
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Everyone keeps pointing to the Wii - listen, that was alchemy, lightning in a bottle - you can't look at the Switch and say there is anything about that system that is going to launch a cultural phenomenon. This is especially the case because "HD/console gaming on the go" has already been done twice by the PSP and the Vita, and the motion record has been played -- and played by Nintendo. It's not a record anyone wants to listen to again. Thinking the Switch will be anything remotely successful like the Wii is just being unrealistic. It's like saying - well Apple struck gold with the iPod - of course their watch will be gangbusters -- except that it's not.

You're absolutely right about the PS3's initial reception, and it's amazing Sony climbed out of the big hole they dug themselves in, BUT I think you're not being honest about the context of that. Sony came off the WILDLY successful PS2; Nintendo is coming off the WILDLY UN-successful Wii U. Sony had third parties in Japan that remained loyal to its console, and was willing to pay them to make exclusives. Nintendo hasn't demonstrated any interest in doing that since its Gamecube days with RE4 and MGS Twin Snakes. If anything, Nintendo is doubling down on its development work, and seems more than willing to carry on with the Switch like business as usual.

PS3 was coming off 100 million PS2 consoles sold - without that, it's likely the system would have never come back. Frankly, the only reason Xbone is selling at all is because the 360 was such a success. Even still, Microsoft is struggling this generation, and that's after it's admitted to mistakes and tried to correct the ship.

Nintendo Switch arrives from a largely failed venture -- and a combined userbase between the 3DS and Wii U that is about half the number of PS2s sold.

That is a steep climb for any company to come back from, and I'm not convinced Nintendo can, especially given that from everything I've seen - it feels like Nintendo hasn't learned a freaking thing from the failed Wii U.

 
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Something else about the Wii:

It was a huge success... except it wasn't.

When the Wii was released there was all of this talk about the "casual gamer" and how this is the the new way to do gaming and all of the hard-core gamers would go to Xbox and PS but Nintendo was being genius by going after the casual gamer.

It worked. They sold 100M+ units. Most of those units were stuck on Wii Sports for most of those years at Grandma's house. If you look at the installed based of Wiis it was huge. Why weren't there more good/fun games for it? Most people I know, myself included, had the thing sitting dormant collecting dust after the first year or so. Something like Mario Kart would get us to turn it on for another few months but then it was back to being dormant.

I don't have a lot of fond memories of the Wii. I have some fond memories of the GameCube.

Worse, Nintendo did this thing which is kind of good but kind of bad to rely on: They brought games from the GameCube to the Wii mostly unchanged and some direct copies. Ok, it's nice on the one hand but then it kind of sucks that those were the better games on the Wii. They did the same thing with the Wii U but at least provided some other great titles.

I think that the Wii was a kind of flop. Sure, 100M+ units but just mounds and mounds of junk games at Target and elsewhere to where you didn't even want to sift through all of the Petz, and Horsez, and Barbie's Brothel titles. I remember looking through the Wii Shop each week for new and interesting titles (some VC). I remember going to Best Buy or Target looking for titles. I remember when I gave up because it just looked like everything was junk.

None of that even includes the overuse of the motion controls. I actually don't mind the motion controls where it makes sense and is limited. Nintendo really pushed the motion controls early on which made the initial games suck compared to what they could have been.

 
The difference I see between the Switch and the Wii and more so DS is people were actually very open minded after the teaser trailer in November. Then Nintendo did the 'reveal' which revealed almost nothing and did it horribly. The Wii and DS people were bitching just to bitch, which still is an issue, but now it's actually certain issues with the launch itself. I haven't heard much complaining about the 'gimmick' of the two in one system, it's about games and price.

Comparing sales to the PS2, which Sony was sued for making systems poorly so they would break and people buy a new one, is silly. It's not 2003 anymore. The 3DS has sold 60-65 million systems, if Nintendo can get half of those people to buy a Switch than Nintendo will be fine. But the internet complaining isn't just the internet, there are serious issues that Nintendo clearly hasn't learned it's lesson from.

Having Wiimotes and a touch screen is nice, but the DS games are unplayable because Nintendo make everything touch screen when a D pad would have worked just fine.

Nintendo is releasing two-three real games that are exclusive to the Switch this year  and that's if they aren't delayed. Sure they can show more at E3, but that's months away and you want people to want the system right away and get it off to a great start... and they won't.

Nintendo needs to grow up. They can grow up and still be Nintendo.

 
This thread is like the telephone game. I never said the Switch will be as popular as the Wii and yet look at how the preceding 3 posts made it that argument.

It's like the nouns were picked out of my post and then an argument was presumed around it.
 
RedvsBlue said:
This thread is like the telephone game. I never said the Switch will be as popular as the Wii and yet look at how the preceding 3 posts made it that argument.

It's like the nouns were picked out of my post and then an argument was presumed around it.
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I don't know that everyone is responding directly to your post like you think they are. I certainly wasn't. I was only pointing out the oddity that while the Wii was successful in console sales, it really wasn't a successful gaming platform.

I think a lot of this is just people posting thoughts, not really arguing for the sake of arguing.

 
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