The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

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BanjoPickles
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The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby BanjoPickles » February 23rd, 2017, 11:49 pm

As strange as it sounds, this just about seals it for me.

I know that I've been very hard on the Switch, for several reasons. I so desperately want this to be the console that the Wii U wasn't, but they seem to be making mistake after mistake with it. The lack of a Virtual Console service is a problem, for a number of reasons:

1). Once and for all, it makes the Switch launch look like an absolute rush job. Granted, the Wii U didn't have a Virtual Console service for several months either, but Nintendo has to know that they are offering gamers absolutely zero incentive to invest in their latest hardware....that is, if they already own a Wii U. Even though they are older games, having a Gamecube VC at launch would have softened the blow.

2). Nintendo's comments on the possibility of GC VC worry me. They have offered the same non-committal "we're looking into it" that they were spouting throughout the lifespan of the Wii U. The lack of analog on the Pro Controller/joycons would necessitate the release of a dedicated GC-style controller. Sixteen years later, there isn't an excuse as to why GC has become the forgotten console. You can download select PS2 games on PS3/PS4.

3). Virtual Console has become an afterthought. I actually invested in a New 3DS because of the addition of SNES Virtual Console titles. As has been the case since the Wii, I was well aware that I wouldn't get ALL of the games that I was hoping for (mostly due to licensing issues). What I was NOT anticipating was the support of only two third-party developers (Capcom and Konami); where was Square Enix (Squaresoft), and even Nintendo themselves? The service is already all but extinct on the 3DS/N3DS, and games such as Kirby Superstar Saga, Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland 3, Super Mario RPG, Starfox (considering that Mega man X2 and X3 used a specialized chip, I'm no longer buying the "FX chip games can't be done properly" excuse), etc. Nintendo made the Wii U a VC priority while leaving the 3DS to rot. Am I wrong to feel a bit sore about this?

How does all of this bode for the Switch? They aren't commenting on VC, and I'm getting the feeling that it is going to have even less of a VC than the Wii U had, which was a mere shadow of what the Wii had to offer. If Square refuses to support NA VC, and Nintendo trots out the same games that they've been trotting out for the past eleven years, what is the point? What will they offer that they haven't already offered?

I'm just trying to make sense of what they're doing. I won't budge until I see something that is worth my time and money. Give me a compelling reason to put down my Dualshock, because Sony has given me two recent reasons to not bother with the Switch (Nioh and Horizon Zero Dawn).

I'm sorry that I've been on an anti-Nintendo kick lately, folks. It's just frustrating seeing your favorite game company treat it's fanbase to the bare minimum (give them Zelda U, a few other remastered Wii U ports, and some party games for the next six months) when the competition is in full swing.

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Rookie1
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby Rookie1 » February 24th, 2017, 8:53 am

I too was confused by this. I mean, I know its no different from what they have done in the past , but coming off of the failure that was the WiiU you would think Nintendo would want to come out of the gates with a bang.

Seems weird they wouldnt have a stronger launch with all things considered right now. I will continue to be extremely skeptical of the Switch.

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scotland
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby scotland » February 24th, 2017, 10:13 am

I have encountered 'soft launch' several times now. Thats a PR way to hedge against initial low sales, should that happen. You can decide if Nintendo is wise here, building up a library or working on features, before Holiday 2017, when sales should take off, or if they are squandering their best time to introduce the Switch and make a good impression while the hype about new hardware is at a feverish high.

Voor
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby Voor » February 24th, 2017, 3:52 pm

Maybe the lack of launch VC is to promote sales of their new (and way more expensive) games?

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Atarifever
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby Atarifever » February 24th, 2017, 9:20 pm

Voor wrote:Maybe the lack of launch VC is to promote sales of their new (and way more expensive) games?


I think it is much more simple. I think they have their heads firmly inside their rectal cavities. I think they are doing this because they are stupid. Stupid and dumb. Stupid, dumb, and out of ideas. They have the biggest back catalog ever, and they don't care. Not a bit. They're too dumb to care.

As I watch all the ads for this thing on TV, I feel like grabbing the company and shaking it. The ads are cool and make it look fun. The ads are almost all for 1,2, Switch. It looks like the thing you could sell a lot of to casual gamers and families. I look at the ads and I listen to the catchy music and watch my 5 year old's face light up, and I think "this could be another Wii." Then it says, very clearly, "game and console sold separately." I think "why?" Why is this not a pack in? It probably cost 12 cents to program and 50 cents to print onto a disc. Just throw it in the darn box!

Then, you toss that in the box, you sell Zelda to the core audience, and you announce that you have Mario 64, Metroid Prime 1, Mario 1,2,3 and World, DKC 1, 2, and 3, and Super Metroid ready to go at launch because you're not stupid and you have yourselves a real launch. Sell some copies of ARMS early so that becomes a thing for a generation, relaunch the Earthbound games on there, Mario RPG, and a few VC fighting games with online added, and you're already better than the Wii U. How hard is this stuff? Not at all. God they are. So. Freaking. Stupid.

BanjoPickles
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby BanjoPickles » February 25th, 2017, 3:03 am

Atarifever wrote:
Voor wrote:Maybe the lack of launch VC is to promote sales of their new (and way more expensive) games?


I think it is much more simple. I think they have their heads firmly inside their rectal cavities. I think they are doing this because they are stupid. Stupid and dumb. Stupid, dumb, and out of ideas. They have the biggest back catalog ever, and they don't care. Not a bit. They're too dumb to care.

As I watch all the ads for this thing on TV, I feel like grabbing the company and shaking it. The ads are cool and make it look fun. The ads are almost all for 1,2, Switch. It looks like the thing you could sell a lot of to casual gamers and families. I look at the ads and I listen to the catchy music and watch my 5 year old's face light up, and I think "this could be another Wii." Then it says, very clearly, "game and console sold separately." I think "why?" Why is this not a pack in? It probably cost 12 cents to program and 50 cents to print onto a disc. Just throw it in the darn box!

Then, you toss that in the box, you sell Zelda to the core audience, and you announce that you have Mario 64, Metroid Prime 1, Mario 1,2,3 and World, DKC 1, 2, and 3, and Super Metroid ready to go at launch because you're not stupid and you have yourselves a real launch. Sell some copies of ARMS early so that becomes a thing for a generation, relaunch the Earthbound games on there, Mario RPG, and a few VC fighting games with online added, and you're already better than the Wii U. How hard is this stuff? Not at all. God they are. So. Freaking. Stupid.


Exactly! I was talking to a friend of mine about this yesterday. Nintendo seems to do just enough to keep their diehard loyalists happy, and.....that's about it. Oh, you want a good selection of classics? Well, how about we offer you a drip-feed instead? You want GBA games on the 3DS Eshop? How about we offer them on the Wii U because that makes a lot of friggin' sense! We'll work out a deal with Square Enix to put Final Fantasy 1 on the NES Classic, but you can forget about downloading it for the 3DS/Wii U. Seriously, how can I, or any self-respecting gamer, commit to a company that isn't doesn't even seem firmly committed to their own future?

I'm starting to look at Nintendo as the video game equivalent of the negligent boyfriend/girlfriend with the other companies doing everything in their power to earn that attention. In the past couple of months alone, three high-profile exclusives have launched for the PS4 (Nioh, The Last Guardian, and Horizon Zero Dawn). When I think about Nintendo, I know that they would never allow that to happen! If those games were exclusives to Nintendo, Nioh would release in January, The Last Guardian would release in the Summer, and HZD would show up just in time for the Christmas rush.

Atari, I'll take what you just said (all excellent points) and expand on it: Release the console in two bundles: $250 for the console alone, with a voucher for a few free VC games (obviously not happening now, since the VC on Switch is currently non-existent!), and a $300 bundle that comes with 1,2-Switch and a DEMO for Arms! In fact, Nintendo could take a cue from Sony and MS and prioritize the release of demos! Zelda: BotW should have had a demo ages ago! Do you remember, during the 80's, playing Super Mario Bros at special Kiosks? How about the Toys R Us demos for Smash Bros, or Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer? Ocarina of Time? They've adopted this incredibly ignorant, dopey stance where they either keep their games a secret, or expect people to purchase their crap in the name of blind faith! Once again, why should I invest in Switch when the other two companies are actually competing for my money? I'm sorry, but Nintendo seriously needs to get over the arrogant notion that they are the only game in town!

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ActRaiser
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby ActRaiser » February 25th, 2017, 8:29 am

I'm agreeing with everything you guys said.

Playing devil's advocate, it doesn't matter at launch. The reason - it's already sold out. They'd "lose" $50 by bundling a game.

They could and my guess is release a holiday bundle where they include 1:2 switch. By then they'll have plenty in stock.

Of course, this is stupid but it's one possibility. I don't have time to play my own consoles so I'm sitting the Switch out until there's a nice, sizable library - and even then I may not care. :)

David
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby David » February 25th, 2017, 8:56 am

Sadly, with as many complaints as there are in this thread, they're still all valid and great points. It feels like Nintendo's downfall with the Switch, initially at least, is going to be death by a thousand cuts. Launch lineup is a little sparse. Unclear plan for their paid online. No virtual console at launch. Probably $50 too expensive. Accessories are all about $10 too high. If any one of these had been the flaw of the Switch's launch it'd be a lot easier to look past, but all these things are adding up quick. With how bad the Wii U bombed and the 3DS selling only half as much as the DS I would've expected Nintendo to be a little more aggressive. Instead of launching like this prematurely, they should've waited until the fall and let the launch lineup grow and they could've gotten their s--- together. Zelda, Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, virtual console - all at launch. A clear plan for their online at launch. Whatever E3 games they have planned this year could've been given attention. Even if it meant delaying Zelda (again) to save it for the fall, I think it would've been better than what they have now, and it's a bad look.

bluenote
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby bluenote » February 25th, 2017, 12:11 pm

I may be in the minority here, but why are people so enamoured with virtual console with the switch? I'm not spending $400 on the newest console so I can play super Mario bros for the millionth time. I can play these games on the original consoles, wii, wii u and any other re-release. I have played these games to death and the the old games I haven't played I have numerous options to do so.

I guess it would be nice to have virtual console due to the portable nature of the switch, but for me it's a nice option, not a deal breaker. I am much more interested in new content, not the same old games over and over.

BanjoPickles
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Re: The Switch won't launch with a Virtual Console

Postby BanjoPickles » February 25th, 2017, 4:38 pm

I get what you're saying, but for some of us (myself included), VC is important because we simply don't have the living space to support so many consoles, games, etc. VC provides a filling of the traditional Nintendo gaps, and it's looking like the first year is going to be especially empty (unless you didn't own the games on Wii U, or PS3/360). Besides, many of the GC games have risen in value to the point where you're paying as much as you did when they were new.

To give you an idea of the importance of VC to me, I'll tell you how many games I have for each system I currently own:

Wii: 56 VC games
3DS: 72 VC games
Wii U: 19 VC games

That's quite the investment from one person, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one.


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