Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@rallydefault I imagine if nx takes off everyone that supported 3ds and Wii u will be back.

Novelty is exactly what I was expecting. And many others as well. All this points to some physical gimmick (meant to draw attention to the product, not necessarily bad. If that rustles your jimmies just pretend I said "innovation") that's probably going to be something of an attempt to draw in people that use smartphones. At which case, if it's true, I will sigh and watch as they go another generation failing to recapture wii audiences.

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2016/08/04/2016-gamestop-... it's in September and Nintendo is listed. Potential NA hands on venue for NX?

remember they did strike that free form screen deal.

Funny how so many people pick out the word 'novelty' from that quote, but then fail to mention that it's qualified as a 'good one'.

@WebHead
Interesting article on IGN right now about NX and third parties. Just another rumor, of course, but apparently lots of third parties are already "on board," including Warner Brothers and Square Enix. They also listed Sega (of course) and Activision. We already know about Ubisoft.

So, take that in context, because that was pretty much the story with the launch of the Wii U, as well. But hey, it's definitely better than reports of third parties staying AWAY from the system lol

@gcunit
With all due respect, I don't see what's "funny" about it. "Novelty" is a big, charged word. It carries with it a lot of definition and weight: an article of trade whose value is chiefly decorative, comic, or the like and whose appeal is often transitory (dictionary.com)

You don't think that's a big deal? So if it's called a "good" novelty, you think that takes away all the negatives? Come on, man.

@gcunit ''Good'' is subjective though, I think the word novelty carries more weight here. Anyway, the most surprising comment was on how Nintendo is set to compete with Andriod and iOS. As the article mentioned; ''That’s going to be a big job for the marketing department.'' If that's indeed their plan, then I don't think that's a wise move; that's fighting a losing battle.

@rallydefault I personally prefer the idea of a device with a good novelty to a bog standard piece of kit.

3D on the 3DS is a novelty to me, a good one, and it's what pushed me over the line to buy a New 3DS, having never owned a portable gaming device (other than a Game & Watch about 30 years ago). It gave it a uniqueness that made it stand out as something I wanted to keep hold of for many years to come for the ingenuity of it.

I hope NX does have a good novelty, because if it is a portable primarily, and doesn't have a novelty factor, it's not gonna be much different to a jacked up Vita.

But don't let me stop you interpreting it negatively if you want, man.

The 3D on the 3DS is pretty cool. I remember having my mind blown when I saw it in person. But everyone knows that's not what sold the system. Nintendo tried so hard to focus on it when it first came out and all they got for it was a flop. When they focused on just making good games for it and chopping the price, it started selling well. People wanted it for the games. It started selling so well and the 3D was such a non-issue that they made a version of it without the novelty entirely, and that succeeded.

The novelty can be good, and maybe even fun at first (I enjoyed the 3D for a few weeks), but if Nintendo is betting on just that, again, they're in for (another) rude awakening.

@Operative Agreed. In the end it's the software and games that matter. Novelties and gimmicks can be good, but they can wear off or can be met with a negative reception. It's always a big risk.

Well what we presumably know so far about it is that it's a portable first. That in terms of graphical horsepower it's between the Wii U and XBOne. At best it's slightly closer to the XBOne. And it's also ARM based so it's not really going to be a walk in the park porting big AAA games over to it. So I wouldn't go expecting the next GTA, I'm not sure whether or not we'll get games like Battlefield. I'm not holding my breath about CoD, Tomb Raider etc. So I don't see this replacing your PS4.

But I don't think that's as bad a thing as you make it out to be. Remember, this thing is a portable system. A Nintendo one. So I don't at all think about how dissapointing it is that the Wii U never got GTA. Instead I think about how good the 3DS was and how insane it would have been if it had also got those Wii U exclusives. Think of your 3DS library... and add ZombiU, Rayman Legends, Bayonetta, Super Mario Maker, Splatoon, The Wonderful 101. Maybe even ports of games like Assassin's Creed, CoD, Batman. All in your pocket. Does that take down the PS4? ... no. But it ain't bad.

Sure but isn't a portable system that you plug into your TV a "bit of a novelty"? I'm not sure why any of this is worrying you at all. If these rumours are on the money, and it seems very likely, then what do you expect them to say? That it's a standard, novelty free console that's going to appeal directly to PS4 fans?

@skywake yeah I definitely believe square when they said FF XV NX isn't happening for now. I think even at 720p it'd be very difficult to get the game to run on this supposed chipset.

@WebHead I don't expect anything big from third party developers coming to the NX. Nintendo will start with a large number of publishers and developers backing the console, but will quickly fizzle out to mainly Just Dance, Monster Hunter, Lego and the odd other title here and there. I am also interested to know whether the NX will once again find itself being skipped by a lot of the bigger indie titles again too.

Yeah, I think Square is going to have a difficult enough time running FF XV at 720p and 30fps on the NEO and Scorpio... _BURN!!!

lol

@WebHead Well, FF15 is pushing the XOne to its limits, so I definitely don't think we'll see that game on the NX.

One thing Nintendo should do is help fund big games for their new system; both ports (and preferably at the same time) and new exclusive games. Just like Bloodborne for example. A From Software game, but the development was aided by funding from Sony. Nintendo did that with Bayonetta 2, but that was just one game in an entire console's lifespan. If the third parties don't flock to your system, you have bring them there yourself.

@Octane Problem with that is, Nintendo funded Bayonetta 2 and Devil's Third with the hope the Wii U will take off as a hardcore gaming console. The NX doesn't seem to be looking to do that, instead going back to the casual market (or what little that's left) so I'm not sure Nintendo will bother funding games.

As for funding ports, it's all a matter of whether the NX will be powerful enough to even run them to begin with, and if they need downgrading to practically last gen performance then is it really worth the resources? Probably not even for Nintendo. Just focus on their own games.

@FragRed I still think they'll do it. Regardless of target audience there needs to be software diversity. Just like restaurant menus need entrees and sides.

Keep in mind that most engines have a form of gradual scaling performance these days. Lower resolution, lower detail, same game - all through the game engines they're built with. Almost like tweaking a setting, you get what the system can give you, not what the developers try to squeeze out.

There's little reason to not give it a shot if the expense of it all goes down. I think nintendo knows this.

@erv That would be true if the NX CPU was x86 based. Porting from x86 to ARM takes more effort regardless. So I don't we'll see much third party games at all. I'll admit, at this point it's just wishful thinking from my part.