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Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

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Therad

MegaTen wrote:

From a couple of months ago:

[Doug] Bowser: "The Switch is off to a great start. We’ve seen people engaging the Switch in a number of different ways, and we’ve been given some raw data that I won’t get into, but across the spectrum, some never take it out of its cradle, others use it as a portable device, but a lot of people are right in the middle, with a balance between home and portable play. We absolutely believe there’s still a future in handheld, and so we’re investing in it."

Discussing the Future of Handheld With Nintendo's Doug Bowser

To me, that sounds rather that they have no plans to make a dedicated home console for the foreseeable future. Aka, the switch is working, stay course.

I won't be surprised if we will see a clam-shell switch in the future, but I don't think it will be anywhere near as successful as the ordinary switch. I am not saying the handheld market is totally gone, but the one Nintendo excelled in is.

Therad

Therad

Chandlero wrote:

@Therad: Clam-shell without dual-screens? Do you have a design idea for this that is also comfortable to play with?

@MegaTen: Eventually, the Switch will get a successor and we can be sure that it will be more handheld than home console.

No, clam-shell with dual screens and no joycons. But the same architecture as the switch. It is a logical next step if they would still have a dedicated handheld line. In fact, any new iteration should have the same underlying architecture. There isn't really any good reason to change up the nvidia (or amd) + ARM combo.

@MegaTen: that article is really not evidence that they will continue to have 2 lines of consoles. The part you quoted, was basically saying some only use switch as an handheld, some use it only docked. And later in the article he says this:

Bowser wrote:

Paste: Will the next handheld will be another iteration of the 3DS, or a brand new handheld altogether?

Bowser: Right now the one we’re working on is the one we’re about to launch. I think time will tell. We’re only in the early stages of the Switch, we’ll see how the year plays out.

Which is basically a wait-and-see approach on switch performance.

Edited on by Therad

Therad

MFD

@MegaTen And he did mention that separately, as if they aim to somehow continue the 3DS, and cement the Switch being the success to the Wii-U's failure.

Sounds like interesting times ahead alright.

If they're going ahead with this, though, we may yet see them use that computing device to strengthen the dock, since then they wouldn't necessarily have to be paranoid about people misconstruing what the Switch is (and it's been out long enough so they know what it is)

Edited on by MFD

MFD

JoyBoy

It doesn’t matter what Nintendo says, it’s about what they show.

They show a hybrid system.

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3DS Friend Code: 3754-7789-7523 | Nintendo Network ID: Longforgotten

MFD

@MegaTen Them going the handheld route, in addition to Switch, I can see that. But if there's a home-console route in addition? Then what's the use of the Switch? Though, if you have a universal architecture, and all games can, regardless, fit on all systems by making one version, then you can still offer the other options. Question is, what will then happen with the userbase? Won't it be split in 3? And will the venture itself be worth it?

@Spanjard True, but when you consider Switch as hybrid, well, I see a lot of people just waiting and thinking that the 3DS culminates in the Switch, and yet here they're speaking of investing in a dedicated handheld. It's a little strange, isn't it? I mean, the Switch and 3DS will compete, but if they, as I've said above, make sure they don't have to split resources, and the venture is worthwhile for them, then, I guess why not?

Edited on by MFD

MFD

TuVictus

I think adding another handheld console would be counter-intuitive to the Switch's ideas and the fact that now they have all of Nintendo's most important teams on one console. As awesome as an HDS would be, I'd rather they just have all their development teams on a single device.

TuVictus

Ralizah

I'm not surprised they've been working on a handheld behind the scenes in case the Switch failed. A dedicated handheld is something they've always been able to fall back on. I don't think they'll shoot themselves in the foot by releasing a competing portable platform. Not now that the Switch is doing so well.

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

Octane

What would they gain from releasing a new handheld at this point? It would split their dev teams again, split their userbase. Why is the Switch even portable if there's another device that does the same thing but more effectively? I don't see it happening.

Octane

MFD

@MegaTen But then you'd have to argue a case against unifying those developers into 1

MFD

Octane

The Switch is more portable than anything else though. I really don't see the reason of having two portable systems compete with each other on the market. I think it was just a fail-safe in case the Switch wouldn't sell.

Octane

MFD

@Octane I can see the logic in that, but there's no denying that the 3DS has a lower price barrier, and is probably less costly to develop for to boot. Plus, didn't Nintendo say they kinda wanted the 3DS for the younger demographic, aka the kids and such? Switch is definitely aimed at an older demographic among others, so it would make sense in that regard.

MFD

Octane

@UmniKnight The only reason they said that is because they can't (and don't want to) lower the price of the Switch right now. So the 2DS does that job for now. They're currently marketing the Switch to the audience that can afford the system, but once it drops in price, expect their marketing strategy to change as well and include the kids/family demographic the 2DS is currently targeting.

Octane

Therad

@MegaTen And they are still just talking about supporting 3ds “well into 2018 and beyond”. Aka they will milk it as long as possible. He doesn't talk about a new platform, he is talking about the current one (2/3ds).

Therad

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