Topic: Do you feel like the high cost of everything is just to get more money after the failure of the Wii U?

@Octane will it be sale at launch? I can't find it.

Don't forget about the nunchuks, which effectively drive up the cost of a single controller to AU$99. On the other hand, the Joy-Cons can function as...
A) 2 separate controllers
B) A single, more robust controller (a la the Classic/Pro Controller)
C) A completely wireless and rechargeable Wii Remote Plus + Nunchuk substitute for motion gameplay

To get the same experience on Wii/Wii U, you'll need a Wii Remote, a Nunchuk and a Classic Controller Pro. Total cost per player? AU$129.85 (I can't recall the RRP of the original Wii Classic Controller Pro, so I just calculated it at $29.95, though I could have sworn that it was higher).

So yes, while the Joy-Cons are quite expensive, they offer more "bang for your buck" compared to previous Nintendo accessories. I'll probably just buy an extra Pro Controller seeing as the Joy-Cons do not have a D-Pad (which is essential for side-scrollers and puzzle games, such as the upcoming Puyo Puyo Tetris), and I'll consider buying more Joy-Cons once Nintendo starts releasing themed controllers (and possibly themed grips to complement them?).

Also, the Joy-Cons are rechargeable out of the box, while Wii Remotes ran on AA batteries, and Nintendo, astonishingly and bafflingly, never released their own rechargeable battery or charger for the Wii Remote at retail, and third party options have repeatedly proven themselves to be unreliable.

@Mellor2000 I've seen them on Play-Asia, but it's possible that they're not available at launch. We don't know.

I got to try out the Switch in January and let me tell you the high cost is worth it. This is not your average Nintendo console. It has been built with a stupidly high level of quality. Everything I got to experience on it feels like next level gaming not in "graphics" but in the evolution of consoles. It is a very smart console.

But all this quality comes at a price. And the price is that the materials are more expensive then usual. Hence its £280 marketed price.

THIS is what people need to be paying more attention to: People who have ACTUALLY played with the thing.

@Octane quite a lot of accessories on Play-Asia. Never heard of them before. Any good?

@Mellor2000 Play-Asia? Yeah, they're reliable. I've used them before to buy stuff from China or Japan. But I don't have that much experience with them, so maybe I'm not the right person answering the question.

@sillygostly
WiiMote + Nunchuck -> Joycon L & R
2x WiiMotes -> Joycon L & R
Classic Controller -> Joycon L & R or Pro Controller

Effectively what you're getting in the box in terms of Wii-era equivalent hardware is:
1x Wii
1x DS
2x WiiMotes (with Motion+)
1x Nunchuck
1x Classic Controller

Isn't that encouraging us to just ignore you then?

I'm more than happy to answer any questions I can that will give people a clear picture on the hardware's quality

@rallydefault well reply that depends on who has played it. There are a lot of people on this that will say that anything Nintendo does is good.

Yep - I say all the time to take what I say with a grain of salt.

"So chaps... The Wii U, it didn't do so well. I've been thinking about how we get back in the game with the next product: overcharge to recoup our losses."

Yeh... nope.

I forgot to say this yesterday as I was doing two things at once, but I'm curious as to how little did people want this to cost?

A new console is generally 300-400. Controllers are 60 and up. Games are 50-60. What did people want? Did they want the console to be 250 and the games/controllers to only be 50?

Asking for lower would be absolute insanity. So what... people are angry about the extra 50-70 dollars greater than they expected to get started in an entirely new platform?

If that's too much, focus on putting bread on the table and don't worry about a new gaming console. This is a silly machine to play virtual games like we are kids and be completely non-productive with our lives.. meaning A) nobody is entitled to own one and B) its 100% not a necessity to have.

Hah, thanks shpydar, glad to know someone appreciates me around here. ^.^

@AlexSays
Dude, a year or two ago, I absolutely hated you. But everything you're posting right now I 100% agree with.

People wanted this thing to be 250 bucks, and because the Joycons are "small" that MUST equal inexpensive, right? Right?! Anything more than 25ish bucks for each Joycon was destined to be labeled as "overpriced."

You use the word "insane," which is exactly correct. The expectations people have on pricing these days is just . . . outside of sanity.

Nintendo is a business, so they will always try to maximise profits. They'll be doing this regardless of how well the Wii U did.

@rallydefault Lol I appreciate your honesty; I try to cycle through seasons of likability. Expectations were definitely unreasonable though.

For the first time in a while I agree with the majority of Nintendo's decisions right now (which will probably make me a bit more agreeable to a lot of members). They're offering the most versatile video game system ever made with high-tech controllers that double as innovative and traditional. The up front cost is very reasonable for what we are getting.

Ya... I don't really see much as being "expensive".

Except the dock, which is outrageous. They definitely didn't price it at the lowest possible. But I think that's to give them some wiggle room in case of an emergency... they can do a 3DS like price slash to revive it if necessary

@AlexSays
I think, back then, a lot of us were having an extremely difficult time admitting the Wii U was a failure. There was still hope in Smash turning things around, but the writing was on the wall.

@rallydefault
I think Nintendo's vagueness about their direction didn't help forum discussion. The way they were moving the pieces had some people convinced they were going for a Wii U successor. Others like myself looked at the tech and were more convinced they needed a new portable. Everyone was very sure of themselves and in the end everyone was right...

Except SMD....

@JaxonH
The thing about the dock is that it's an entirely optional accessory for a fairly niche use-case. It's for people who have one Switch in the house and want to move it between TVs. If it was cheaper I'd be getting one. With the price it is? I realise how little I'd actually use a second dock....