Introducing the Nintendo Switch

General and high profile video game topics.
Paul Campbell
Posts: 259
Joined: August 12th, 2015, 10:52 pm

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby Paul Campbell » October 21st, 2016, 7:13 pm

One thing I miss in video games over the last decade or so is that childlike excitement I would get for a new console or game. This is why I loved the original Wii so much. Like it or not, it somehow gave me a feeling of wonder and excitement that I had not felt since I got my first NES or SNES. I remember unboxing the Wii carefully and playing Twilight Princess into the wee hours of the morning, just to hang onto that feeling. I'm wondering if Playstation VR will give me this same feeling, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't think the Switch will do what the Wii did, but I think it will do alot better than my PS4 did. I love my PS4 but there was little wonder involved. If it IS there it might have more to do with the launch titles than the console, but we'll see.

One thing I didn't see in the video is if there is a way to dock the screen sideways so it isn't so tall. I don't know about the rest of you, but all my consoles are in cabinets on shelves. Not on a tabletop where height is not an issue...

snakeboy
Posts: 308
Joined: April 30th, 2015, 3:40 pm

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby snakeboy » October 21st, 2016, 8:37 pm

scotland wrote:Could you expand on this, because I am not following this line of thinking. You could say this person values these things, and that person values other things, but we all live in the same world. Whatever reasons for caution I have also apply to bluenote, although he or she may put more or less weight on those reasons.


Aren't what you value and your reasons for caution tied together? For example, if you value financial security, wouldn't you be more cautious when spending money as opposed to someone who values their possessions more than their savings account?

So, when it comes to a Nintendo console you may value third party support the most, but I may place the most value on first party Nintendo games. Therefore, Nintendo has given you reason to be cautious because of all the third party support they lost with the Wii U. However, I would have less reason for caution because Nintendo has a history of putting out quality first party games.

User avatar
Atariboy
Posts: 956
Joined: April 7th, 2015, 11:07 pm

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby Atariboy » October 22nd, 2016, 8:53 am

New systems are always expensive, Scotland. So I wouldn't hold it against this that it's going to be more than the 2DS. And don't underestimate portability. Nintendo's handhelds always outsell their consoles.

Even the Wii with its 100+ million units sold, still lost to the DS by over 50 million units. There are an awful lot more handheld Nintendo fans than there are console fans, so it's crucial that Nintendo continues to support that segment rather than retreat from it. Console fans only stand to benefit from this hybrid solution, since the numbers support focusing on the handheld side over the console business. Yet Nintendo instead showed with this trailer that console fans like myself still remain important to their business.

As for the list of partners, I'm afraid that's par for the course and doesn't necessarily mean much. Similarly impressive lists were shown for the Wii U and going back in time, systems like the Jaguar. Yet few publishers even gave it a chance at launch at a time when there was every possibility Nintendo could have another hit on their hands after the record setting success of the Wii.

It's not bad news, but it's not necessarily going to equate to healthy 3rd party support, either. I bet a lot of these supporters will play it cautiously and will see how the first 6-12 months pan out before giving it a serious look. Their overly cautious support paid off last time, and helped seal the Wii U's fate in the process with what's a viscous cycle.

3rd parties don't want to support a sales failure and will play the waiting game to see if this takes off, yet many customers don't want to support a system without healthy 3rd party support. Not exactly an ideal situation and it's one that the Switch will be going up against.
Last edited by Atariboy on October 23rd, 2016, 12:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

CaptainCruch
Posts: 662
Joined: July 17th, 2015, 11:26 am

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby CaptainCruch » October 22nd, 2016, 11:51 am

I'm always excited about new hardware, I hope the Switch is backward compatible with 3DS games... But I don't understand: why doesn't the Nintendo Switch doesn't ALSO function as a REAL tablet? They should have put a real 'Switch' function on it, so it was usable as a Android-tablet too, I think that would have given it a stronger position in the current market.

Also, I'd really like to see new franchises, not only by Nintendo, but also by other companies (Mario Kart, Zelda, Mario Land, Elder Scrolls... good games, but I'd like to something really totally new...)

Despite my comments, I'm still excited. I think Nintendo showed courage once more to do something different from the competition and I really hope it will succeed this time...

User avatar
Marriott_Guy
Posts: 78
Joined: April 11th, 2015, 6:05 am

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby Marriott_Guy » October 23rd, 2016, 12:56 pm

I wrote an article in 2009 that details this exact idea. I coined my new prototype system the "SX2" (System x Two). From the original article its origin : "Develop one system that provides the advanced offerings of the console and includes a portable, compatible gaming device to continue your gaming experience on the road or out on your back patio." The article even included a crude mock-up (created in MS Publisher) of the docking station and the approximate size of the on-the-go portable (which I called the PGD - Portable Gaming Device). The link to the article:

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/blog/?p=379

Nintendo owes me (and the multitude of others that have written something similar) a ton of cash. :lol:
Just interested in your thoughts on if I hit the nail on the head back in 2009. Thanks all.

Terry

User avatar
Rookie1
Posts: 705
Joined: August 6th, 2015, 7:42 am

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby Rookie1 » October 24th, 2016, 11:37 am

I wish Nintendo would just do an info dump on this thing. I mean, 5ish months away from release and we still dont know anything about it except what it looks like and a few minor things that it does. Why? Why? Why? It just seems so silly and makes me think that there is a lot that they havent nailed down yet. Like they are still trying to work out kinks on all fronts.

I really hope they just step up their game and pump out titles for this thing. Just give people what they want for a change, rather than play games with the fans.

User avatar
scotland
Posts: 2561
Joined: April 7th, 2015, 7:33 pm

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby scotland » October 24th, 2016, 12:06 pm

Marriott_Guy wrote:I wrote an article in 2009 that details this exact idea. I coined my new prototype system the "SX2" (System x Two).


Neat article, Terry. Like you, I enjoy 1 or 2 games at a time, not a whole bunch.

Here I think the PGD is all there is. There is no main hardware to dock into. The dock is just a recharging and tv upscaling device. I think.

We should remember Nintendo has had other portable console ecosystems. Consider the Gamecube. I am not referring to the LCD screen that made the system car portable, but that was tried too. I was thinking of the GBA adapter. You could play your GBA game on the go, come home and play on your tv, etc. Yes, it was a set of devices to create a single ecosystem, but it still allowed ways for gamers engrossed in a game, like Final Fantasy, to play on the go and keep playing at home.

bluenote
Posts: 290
Joined: August 14th, 2015, 5:16 pm

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby bluenote » October 24th, 2016, 2:33 pm

Rookie1 wrote:I wish Nintendo would just do an info dump on this thing. I mean, 5ish months away from release and we still dont know anything about it except what it looks like and a few minor things that it does. Why? Why? Why? It just seems so silly and makes me think that there is a lot that they havent nailed down yet. Like they are still trying to work out kinks on all fronts.

I really hope they just step up their game and pump out titles for this thing. Just give people what they want for a change, rather than play games with the fans.


I don't know, I think they did the right thing. They have to keep people interested until it's released. Keep the people wanting more! The teaser commercial showed quite a bit though.

User avatar
scotland
Posts: 2561
Joined: April 7th, 2015, 7:33 pm

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby scotland » October 24th, 2016, 5:20 pm

bluenote wrote:
Rookie1 wrote:I wish Nintendo would just do an info dump on this thing. I mean, 5ish months away from release and we still dont know anything about it except what it looks like and a few minor things that it does. Why? Why? Why? It just seems so silly and makes me think that there is a lot that they havent nailed down yet. Like they are still trying to work out kinks on all fronts.


I don't know, I think they did the right thing. They have to keep people interested until it's released. Keep the people wanting more! The teaser commercial showed quite a bit though.


I guess you and I, friend bluenote, are coming at this from different perspectives. I want tnis product to work out for Nintendo, but I disagee with you again here.

We are about the same distance from release as the 2013 E3 before the 2013 holiday season, and by that we had all sorts of information on the Sony and MS systems. Not only could consumers make educated choices, but MS actually was able to change some policies.

With the holidays coming, the retro NES mini will probably do well, However, a late 1st quarter or early 2nd quarter Switch console launch might be fighting headwinds from people who just paid off Christmas and now are looking at 2016 tax returns on their desks. Giving consumers more information before the holidays not only allows consumers to budget, it allows Nintendo to make some changes if the public reacts poorly, and builds the kind of relationship that communication and transparency fosters.

Tron
Posts: 870
Joined: April 9th, 2015, 8:02 pm

Re: Introducing the Nintendo Switch

Postby Tron » October 24th, 2016, 10:42 pm

At first glance I didn't think much about the Switch not being backwards compatible with DS games, but then I saw pictures of what the Switch cartridges look like & I thought, "This thing really should play DS games". I mean the cartridges look very similiar to the existing DS cartridges.

I may be in the minority, but I've been waiting for the Wii, then the Wii U & now the Switch to be able to play DS games. The Switch boasting portability should be ideal to play DS games. I would've bought a Wii U if I could've played my Advance Wars DS games on it. It's that big of a deal for me. Without that feature I'm pouting like a child. I may be acting immature & thinking irrationally, but I feel like Nintendo is still trying to hold back on what they could be offering their consumers. It's like they still think they are dominating the video game market & people will just give them their money no matter what. In actuality Nintendo is in a slump. This would be a perfect opportunity to give Switch owners an awesome library of DS & 3DS games to play on the big screen TV right off the bat. Instead I have the feeling that Nintendo just thinks that they can charge consumers countless times for digital downloads.


Return to “Video Games General”