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Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 10th, 2017, 5:12 pm
by VideoGameCritic
On tech sites I see people offering various theories as to why the Switch is off to such a strong start. Some think it's the portable aspect that's attracting people. I think that's overrated. How many people are going to play this "on the go?" Lugging it around your own house would be more likely.

No, I think the reason the Switch is hot is because there are a lot of gamers who "sat out" the previous generation of Nintendo offerings (Wii U). And it's easy to see how that could happen. The system wasn't introduced properly and got off to a slow start. The way the media blows things up on the internet, a lot of gamers assumed the system was dead on arrival.

But now that people have had their share of the marginal PS4/XB1 gaming experience they are more than ready to jump back on board the Nintendo bandwagon. This console has an old-school vibe. Console popularity comes in waves, and I think Nintendo is due to crest.

Your thoughts?

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 10th, 2017, 5:31 pm
by eneuman96
How many people are going to play this "on the go?"


...A lot of people? I highly doubt it would do as well as it's doing so far if it weren't portable, because otherwise there wouldn't be any real reason to buy the Switch version of a multiplatform game over the others besides supporting Nintendo. I'd wager that's a huge reason the Wii U flopped: if you have a Wii U and, say, a PS4, and a game comes out on both systems, what's the point of choosing the Wii U version, especially considering the cutbacks developers often made just to get their games on there in the first place? NintendoLife had a poll asking whether readers mostly use their Switch in portable mode, docked mode, or both equally, and only 30% of 7,243 voters said they mainly use it in docked mode. Maybe a single poll isn't the best evidence for my argument, but I wouldn't underestimate the value of being able to bring games like Mario Kart 8 and Puyo Puyo Tetris with you and play them with other people wherever you go, which is more than you can say for the other big two consoles.

Also, in regards to Nintendo being more old-school than the competition, I'd say that's becoming less and less true as of recently, particularly since they will introduce their own (albeit supposedly cheap) paid-online subscription service at some point and there are already a number of hidden download-only gems for the Switch.

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 10th, 2017, 8:24 pm
by Voor
My brother takes his Switch to work to play during breaks, and he's never owned a portable system.

So there. Lol.

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 10th, 2017, 8:54 pm
by LoganRuckman
Being a(n ir) responsible adult with a job, portability is more appealing to me nowadays than a home console. It's just easier being able to take it with you.

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 11th, 2017, 5:11 am
by newmodelarmy
Pump the brakes folks. There are those Nintendo fans that will buy ANYTHING..remember as bad as the Wii U was 13 million people still bought it. I mean Nintendo could sell figures that do virtually nothing but sit on your desk or shelf and collect dust and people would still buy them (oh wait, THAT happened). This is simply a Zelda machine which is a huge franchise for them. Let's see if it has any legs. The machine itself is a liability and it has virtually no third party support. I am interested but only if they fix the hardware issues and there are more games available. My guess is that it will sell slightly better then the Wii U but judging by the fact that these are easier to find then a NES classic I don't think we have another Wii runaway hit here.

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 11th, 2017, 6:40 am
by Atariboy
The issues with the Wii U and the 3DS were apparent virtually from day 1, so there goes that theory you keep proclaiming that the launch success is clouded by too many fanboys to get any accurate sense of how the system is doing.

We're over two months in and they're still not sticking around on store shelves for long and the vast majority of consumers and media are very optimistic about the future for the platform. It's safe to say that Nintendo has a hit on their hands and will succeed if they manage it properly.

VideoGameCritic wrote:Some think it's the portable aspect that's attracting people. I think that's overrated. How many people are going to play this "on the go?"


I think the portable aspect, a market where Nintendo has always done much better at than in the console world, is helping.

I believe as seen by the rise of tablets and the popularity of XL size screen options on Nintendo handhelds, that people appreciate the ability to not be tethered to their television set, to a computer desk, and so on even if the device itself isn't small enough to slip into a pocket or have battery life that's adequate to be self-sufficient for hours on end before having to be recharged.

They like options and that means the ability to enjoy a game in the manner they choose to do so, even if it never leaves your household.

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 11th, 2017, 10:06 am
by BlasteroidAli
I think the wii u would have been a big success if they had called it the Nintendo Dual screen or the power of 2. Everyone I knew thought that it was a power controller for the wii.. hence wii u. So for me I think Nintendo have always been pretty successful. I am happy that is has proven to have a good start. So far we are talking about 2 months. When the dust settles then we can see if they have pulled it off. I remember the wii u got off to a strong start as well amongst the faithful.

If it was down at 200 and had a few more games I must say I would be tempted. A new metroid prime would also stick it on my radar and a console I needed plus .. pretty please a new f zero.

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 11th, 2017, 10:57 am
by BanjoPickles
I'm honestly shocked at the rate of success that the Switch has been enjoying, but I do think that people are jumping the gun on this a bit. Come back to me in a year.

Nintendo was on to something with the Wii U, but they made the mistake of having it tethered to a hub (I so wanted to take it to the bathroom, or out onto my patio on nice days) and whoever named the thing/marketed it should have lost their job! Looking back, Nintendo could have made a success out of the Wii U, had they marketed it better, under a different name!

But here's my question: what do gamers really gain from their success? I know that it sounds like a stupid question, but think about this: when the PS1 put Sony on the map, the PS2 was able to piggy-back off of that success (even though the PS2 launch was the absolute pits) before building an incredible library! When the Wii U launched, not only did it not capitalize on the previous generation's remarkable success, it flat-out bombed (it sold 13.9 million units in four-and-a-half years! It took the Dreamcast to sell 10 million in less than two!)! Even if the Switch is successful in the long run, what will that really mean for third-party support? I mean, save for Vita, Sony has never lost the third party community. I always wonder if Nintendo will ever find themselves in that position again.

Every week, I look at the weekly eshop release update, and it's a constant reminder of why I have lost much interest in them as a company. For the past two years, I have said that Nintendo is like that boyfriend who does just enough to keep their girlfriend hanging on. They release the occasional big game, run the shabbiest sales in the industry, and treat their virtual console like such an afterthought. It's astonishing to me that they have basically left the 3DS to rot, over the past couple of years!

Okay, I won't turn this into an anti-Nintendo post, but I do have to take issue with Dave saying that it's in response to the PS4/XBox One experiences. Apart from the little inconveniences, I'm puzzled why anybody would have a problem with the gaming experiences. Even Dave has given a number of PS4 games very respectable scores.

Anyway (I apologize for being all over the place), I don't think that the Switch's success is in response to anything. I think that it was marketed well (having an ad run during the Super Bowl was a great idea), the name is simple and it actually communicates the functionality of the system, and the allure of playing a game like Mario Kart 8 on the go (I love the idea of bringing it to work and playing it with a friend on break). Sometimes, though, I wish that Nintendo would stop treating every generation like it's a fresh start/break from the previous generation and start actually building off of their successes!

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 11th, 2017, 12:08 pm
by Voor
I think people are so used to bringing their entertainment with them, some portability is expected with a $300 system.

Re: Switch off to a strong start

Posted: May 12th, 2017, 10:08 am
by Rookie1
I would wager this thing sells 24 million and then levels out. Still waiting on that flood of 3rd party games that was supposed to release. What was the count, 84 or something? The slow trickle of 1st party titles is Nintendos MO, and they are doing this here, again.

Time will tell tough. I will say the marketing for this thing is massive. I have started seeing it everywhere. Its high price, however, doesnt make it kid friendly. My GF got her some an iPad mini for $150 over the holidays last year with a life proof case and that thing is indestructible. He left it outside the other day during a rain storm and nothing happened to it. Cant say that for the Switch.