Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Ah... the Nintendo Switch name is sinking in well for me. It only took a couple months. Wii U, on the other hand, still has yet to cross the finish line. I still hate to say that name out loud.

Pretty boring, but I have a few small notes:

1) It surprises me how confidently they're saying how they had no idea Pokemon GO would be successful. If I were Nintendo, I would at least pretend like the success shows that Nintendo knows what it is doing with mobile. Not that they would fool me, but still

2) Seems like energy efficiency was a priority again, just like the Wii U. Which is another indicator that its on the lower end of what we're expecting for power. Energy efficiency is not a bad thing, though.

So no browser has been confirned now along with no Netflix, if I complete Zelda too quickly I wont have anything to do with the Switch til Arms or Splatoon 2 comes out.

I kinda love it that it's purely a gaming machine.

@Nicolai Power efficiency actually makes sense this time around. Still crazy how much they promoted that for the Wii U before its launch. Who really cares? If it's a handheld, then yes, I do care, but not for home consoles.

@Octane: Oh, I guess I didn't think about the portability aspect. I guess that makes a lot of sense. I assumed they were talking about consumption while it was docked.

I remember reading an Iwata Asks on the development of the Wii U console, and the ENTIRE article was spend on ways they cut back on energy consumption. I was like "um... okay. Good?" I reasoned that maybe, from a software engineer's perspective, it was more impressive to talk about efficiency than it was the Gamepad. And I remember feeling proud when those studies came out comparing each of the consoles on energy consumption, and the Wii U did so well in that department, as a starving college student who's watching his electric bill. Efficiency is a good thing, but at that time it did absolutely nothing for sales.

SOFT LAUNCH LMAO

I havent been able to get a Switch Pre Order in yet, but I Did Pre Order Zelda Breath of The Wild, I might be the only guy who pre ordered a Switch game and not the system yet LOL

Yes it's cool in some ways that the thing does only games, but in the times we live in, it's really weird that this thing is launching so... Barebones. Even miiverse is gone, and that's a bug bummer

It's not so weird when you compare it to the 3DS

It depends on your point of view. You can make the argument that it's a pure gaming device. But on the other hand, you can also say that it's missing a lot of features that are pretty standard on basically every other device.

Price would factor into that. I'm not jumping down that rabbit hole, though. All I'll say is it's launching with less than I expected.

@Octane
It's weird.

On the one hand, having a browser or Netflix has absolutely zero bearing on my decision to purchase when it comes to gaming devices. I'm buying to play video games, and as long as it accomplishes that purpose I'm more than content. Even my TV has Netflix built in, and on the go I use my cell phone which actually has 4G data to stream. So browser/Netflix wouldn't really help on the go anyways, and as for home- aside from 5 other devices with access to all the above, as I said before even my TV does it... don't even need a separate device.

On the other hand, it is still a bit odd. Not that I think it really matters, cause I don't, but it's just so uncommon nowadays to see a device with a screen release that's not a Swiss Army Knife. Uncommon indeed. I don't think it's so much damaging as it is a curiosity. I think people are just perplexed as to why... not that people particularly need it, but I think people are wondering why wouldn't they.

I do think Nintendo should patch in Netflix, at the very least. The browser is basically useless (nobody uses a browser on consoles nowadays) but Netflix, despite being on every device known to man, needs to be on Switch (ironically, for that very reason). You don't want to be the one device without it. In fact I may even find use for it. If I end up playing Switch as much as I think I will, it will become a main hub of entertainment in my life, and as such it needs to be equipped with the apps that people use on a day-to-day basis. Not because people can't switch inputs and use anyone of their multitude other devices, but for the sake of convenience.

Granted, I have an HDR 4KTV, and thus the only app equipped to run 2160p in HDR is my TV itself. There's one other device I have that outputs 4K (PS4 Pro) but the PS4 Netflix doesn't do HDR.

@JaxonH I use my PS4 for Netflix, so personally I couldn't care either way, but it's strange indeed. Leaving it out and saying you probably have a dozen of other devices that do Netflix is true, but it's also perplexing that it doesn't have Netflix or even a browser either. I'm not sure what I think of this, although I do think that the option of having Netflix or a browser is always better than not having them.

So...the Wii U can do more than the Switch can at launch.....including playing BotW. Craziness. I will get a Switch one day but i see no point in getting it on March 3rd.

Honestly: Who here does not have another console, smart TV, or Fire Stick/Chromecast stick/etc. to get Netflix and all the media stuff on?

Honestly. Don't be lying little buggers lol

I know there will be a couple of you, but not many. Even me - I have a PS4 that has basically become my media machine if I want to check out Prime (I don't even have Netflix actually) or whatever.

Nintendo knows this, so what's the dang point of wasting time and money getting redundant stuff like that ready for launch? That stuff will roll out over time, and beyond griping on a forum like this, next to nobody will care or probably even notice.

REAL TALK!!!

@Octane
Oh for sure, agreed.

@bezerker99
Well I don't think it's about doing more, I think it's about a new generation of games and playing those games anywhere. If it was a competition to do the most, it'd just become a smartphone console loaded with every app and service under the sun, know what I mean?

Of course, there's really not much it offers at launch if you're a Wii U owner. However, Zelda on a handheld that looks as good as it does on HD console is infinitely more appealing than Xenoblade on an SD handheld, and even that was appealing to a lot of 3DS owners to buy in. So it's mostly that (Zelda on handheld), the ushering in of new games Wii U will never see (like Bomberman R and Snipperclips and I Am Setsuna and Has Been Heroes, etc, a list which will grow by the month) and just investing for all the above along with the next 5+ years to come. Kind of a, "well if I'm gonna get it anyways, why wait, why not get it now and enjoy it right away, play Zelda at work, enjoy these other games and all that..." as opposed to waiting 2-3 years, still end up buying it anyways and lose 2-3 years you could have had with the system for your money (well, maybe save $50 waiting but, seems a pretty negligible gain in exchange for several years of doing without)

That's why I never wait on a console I know I'm gonna buy anyways... not unless I think the price is gonna drop by a substantial amount really fast, like, waiting 6 months will see a drop from $600 to $400 or something like that.

@rallydefault Yeah my PS4 is a media machine away from my PC. Or the Fire Stick downstairs...

Also 4x ARM Cortex A57 cores. Everyone Nintendoom wave approaching brace for impact because this is somehow news we werent prepared for.

alarms blaring

The internet has yet to take the damn hint this thing is an inch thick and not more than 8 inches wide and that its gotta have costs dropped somewhere to accomodate form factor and that its not meant to have its battery eaten in minutes and that its Nintendo and its easy to port to and that brute force power to run games is horribly inefficient development that really dhould stop in the industry but nope.

DoA. Lets here it,yall know who you are, its as sure as 2pm daily.

Cant gone week without Nintendoom but hey thats what happens when ya like something I guess.

In all seriousness if it does what it needs to do then great. Could you fit a PS4 in that form factor? Yes, most definitely. Would it be cheap? If you are loaded yes. Welcome to the reality of tech, you cant have everything.

^Is it actually easy to port for tho? There was quotes about pc ports taking a year to do, and even then we are not talking about PS4-Xbone AAA titles coming over.

@BLP_Software But I want everything to be of the highest tech even though I don't know anything about tech or how it works but give me the highest standard pls and cheap while you're at it! Fun!? I don't need fun, I need numbers! I visit these forums to learn about pascal and dockall and bout tegra x1 and segra d1. Practicality!? I don't need that! I want an ugly box that screams and shouts power out of its bulky belly. I want it to be strong just like my mom and fat just like my... dad.

My true feelings.