Switch Questions

So I'm thinking of getting a Switch and I have a few questions. Sorry for being lazy rather than researching. But I trust my CAG crowd.

- Will my Wii U still be relevant? I have a bunch of games I downloaded from the VC from my Wii to my Wii U. Will I have access to them? How is the backwards compatibility?

- Are Wii Switch games and Wii U diffrent formats? In other words if I get a Switch do I specifically need to buy Switch games or are they all still under the Wii U umbrella. Do they have diffrent versions for Zelda BotW?

Rodimus said:

- Will my Wii U still be relevant? I have a bunch of games I downloaded from the VC from my Wii to my Wii U. Will I have access to them? How is the backwards compatibility?

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They haven't actually addressed this yet. We're still waiting on whether or not digital purchases will carry over free of charge, a partial charge or if we're required to re-buy the game for full price on the Switch should it ever release there.

We also don't know what they're really planning for the Switch Virtual Console (Outside of adding in Gamecube games to it), whether all/some titles will be available or if they'll do it like the Wii & Wii U where they just trickle in games stupidly slowly.

Rodimus said:

- Are Wii Switch games and Wii U diffrent formats? In other words if I get a Switch do I specifically need to buy Switch games or are they all still under the Wii U umbrella. Do they have diffrent versions for Zelda BotW?

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I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're getting at. I'll leave it to someone else to answer unless you could explain it a little better.

Draekon said:

They haven't actually addressed this yet. We're still waiting on whether or not digital purchases will carry over free of charge, a partial charge or if we're required to re-buy the game for full price on the Switch should it ever release there.

We also don't know what they're really planning for the Switch Virtual Console (Outside of adding in Gamecube games to it), whether all/some titles will be available or if they'll do it like the Wii & Wii U where they just trickle in games stupidly slowly.

I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're getting at. I'll leave it to someone else to answer unless you could explain it a little better.

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I actually answered my own question. I saw Switch games are on little carts that look like SD cards. So no more CD based games I guess? So I guess the only BC would be from the VC. Looks like it doesn't play Wii U games. Sorry my question wasn't well worded.

Rodimus said:

I actually answered my own question. I saw Switch games are on little carts that look like SD cards. So no more CD based games I guess? So I guess the only BC would be from the VC. Looks like it doesn't play Wii U games. Sorry my question wasn't well worded.

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Yeah, they're back to cartridges. There won't be any place for a disc player as it takes up a large amount of space in hardware design over something like a flash cartridge. Plus discs aren't exactly portable friendly in design to begin with.

I wouldn't count on any Wii/Wii U games being playable on the Switch either unless they're ported.

Keep your Wii U, ignore the Switch until it gets more than Zelda. Just buy Wii U Zelda.

Thanks for the input guys.

Looks like I'll hold off on the Switch. As long as I can get Zelda for Wii U the Switch doesn't really do anything for me as of now.

I was thinking if it was more backwards compatible I would just upgrade, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Rodimus said:

Thanks for the input guys.

Looks like I'll hold off on the Switch. As long as I can get Zelda for Wii U the Switch doesn't really do anything for me as of now.

I was thinking if it was more backwards compatible I would just upgrade, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

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In no way does it have any kind of BC, unless down the line Nintendo makes you rebuy the games, or ports them to the Switch.

Yup, as Green Giant said, just pick up Zelda on the Wii U.  That's what I'm doing.  

I'm holding off on the Switch until someone knocks some sense into Nintendo on that pricing, and we get more games.  Recall Nintendo dropped the price on both the DS and 3DS after the systems had troubled times after release.  I have a feeling we're going to see that happen again this time.

Nintendo may have been willing to keep prices of the Wii U high despite difficulties, but they know the Switch is their last roll of the dice.  I expect them to *eventually* become pretty aggressive after the core Nintendo players have bought the system and sales taper off or take a nosedive (which I definitely see happening either later this year or a few months after Odyssey comes out).  

Let's be honest, outside of Zelda and Mario, unless this thing sells like gangbusters, there will be third parties there to bring it the games it needs to stay afloat.  As much as we love Nintendo franchises, the fact is that outside of Zelda and Mario - the other franchises aren't "system sellers" in the traditional sense.  

It'll take a cultural phenomenon like game to get Nintendo Switch to a critical mass - think Nintendogs or Brain Age with the DS - problem is games like that are now easily found on Smartphones, so what could it be ... or cynically, is there really anything that can drive sales like that when the barrier to entry is $300+?  We are talking about a blue ocean strategy that requires Nintendo to sell this thing to casuals who balk at paying $10 for Mario Run.  

That's a tough, tough, crowd.  Not sure any Nintendo franchise can crack that nut.

Early adoption on the Switch is for Nintendo enthusiasts with plenty of disposable income. It could also be for lapsed gamers looking to get a convenient console that fits their lifestyle, but we have yet to see if that demographic pans out.

It is not an easy sell to your average CAG. Few systems are at launch, but the Switch is out-there enough to represent a fairly substantial risk. It could be great and do well. It could also fail to find an audience and tank hard.

Either way, it is not an easy recommendation for anyone looking to save money. The Wii U was not a popular/successful system, but it still represents far less risk than the Switch. It has an existing library of games that are now available for a reasonable price. If you already have a Wii U, you can easily get your Nintendo fix on that platform for less money.

Also, Nintendo's history of handling digital/Virtual Console games across different platforms is bad. Games tend to be tied to specific hardware, and can't always be transferred to new hardware. Even when they can the process is a pain. It is entirely possible that many/all of the digital games you have on the Wii/Wii U won't transfer to the Switch by default. If you want access to a digital Nintendo library, it's better to stick with the Wii U you currently have for the moment.

Wii U backwards compatibility for the Switch is extremely unlikely, and impossible at launch. It could theoretically be added at some point in the future, but would require hardware designed specifically for it. (an external optical drive/video streaming handler would be the needed) At this juncture, it is highly unlikely that backwards compatibility for the Wii U on the Switch will ever happen. Even EShop BC will likely never materialize, thanks to the hardware requirements. If you want to play Wii U games, then keep your Wii U.

Well i read a report yesterday that Nintendo has officially announced that Zelda will be the last Wii U release title. They were also asked about bc and as of now there will be none other than however the eshop purchases will work.

Vulsker said:

Well i read a report yesterday that Nintendo has officially announced that Zelda will be the last Wii U release title. They were also asked about bc and as of now there will be none other than however the eshop purchases will work.

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Both of these things are extremely likely. Nintendo will likely have no more first-party titles on the Wii U. There's no reason to doubt that statement. There may be additional 3rd party games, but I wouldn't expect much. With the console holder themselves bailing, it is unlikely that 3rd party developers and publishers will hang around afterwards. Zelda Wii U may not be the LAST title released for the Wii U, but it is going to be close.

And backwards compatibility for the Wii U on the Switch is not impossible, but extremely unlikely. The Wii U, with it's streaming video between the tablet and console, was a much more esoteric design than what the Switch is proposing. It would not be possible to provide proper backwards compatible support to the Switch without additional hardware, and that's just not happening with the Wii U's miniscule user base. There aren't enough current Wii U customers to make it worth the trouble.