switches are expensive. like, really expensive. and i do believe that the console dock is a big-ish contribution to the price. because, i do believe (and please correct me if i'm wrong) that the dock is useless seeing as the switch IS the console. so, this lead me to believe that a standalone console (just the screen + 2 joycons) would work as a "budget" version.
i mean, since the 3ds is supposedly going to be killed off soon, this would kind of make sense, right?
but, correct me if i'm wrong. i have never used one of these units and i don't actually know the cost of manufacturing these things or anything like that.
the whole reason they created the switch was to give you a system you can have as a console and as a portable without any compromise, so it doesn't make sense for them to sell the device without the dock really. the switch isn't "really expensive", i mean a console and a handheld separately cost far more. however there would be nothing budget about selling it without a dock.
the dock isn't that big a contributor to the price, i mean the switch and joycon are the bulk of that. the dock isn't useless, as you need it to hook it up to the TV.
I think it was $400, maybe more than that, to have a Wii and DS and it was even pricier for a Wii U/3DS combination. I much prefer the route Nintendo is going now. $300 for a super powered handheld with an upgraded performance in 'console mode' and access to all the games Nintendo makes? I'll take this any day.
It depends where you live. In NA, the Nintendo Switch is fairly cheap when stacked against the price of other consoles at launch. But now that "Nintendo Switch is expensive" has become a meme, it'll never die.
For what the Switch is, it is not that expensive. In fact, it is the best price for what it offers. At 250, Nintendo is losing money, at 300 it's fair for both costumers and Nintendo. If you look at ps3 in 2006 at $500; shame. Switch at 300 in 2017; fair enough.
Though I would agree that if they had a sole console I wouldn't protest against it.
And, the switch is expensive in my opinion, like, I get why it's priced like that but, $470 aud is still quite a huge chunk of change. But, i guess the Wii u (before it went off of the shelfs) cost $399 w/ Mario Kart 8 so, it's actually not much of a difference.
The dock would cost next to nothing to make. It's a hunk of plastic with ports, so from Nintendo's perspective, the difference in manufacturing cost in order to sell a dockless Switch is negligible. While additional docks may be useful to have, it still doesn't excuse Nintendo from charging a whopping AU$130 for it separately.
"Gee, that's really persuasive. Do you have any actual points to make other than to essentially say 'me Tarzan, physical bad, digital good'?"
The dock would cost next to nothing to make. It's a hunk of plastic with ports, so from Nintendo's perspective, the difference in manufacturing cost in order to sell a dockless Switch is negligible. While additional docks may be useful to have, it still doesn't excuse Nintendo from charging a whopping AU$130 for it separately.
Yeah, I mean, the Switch sold out in many territories - so Nintendo would argue that they got the price-point (at least for the first batch) bang on...thinking about it, it's not too bad for a 'console + 2 controllers' bundle (that's how I justified buying one at least!) but I think that if Nintendo want to shift serious numbers going forward, they should consider throwing some software in to the package too at the same price...maybe a lite version of 1-2-Switch? If you knew that you were getting 4 or 5 fun little mini-games pre-installed, the whole thing would look a whole lot more attractive
If they did a stationary console, they could strip the screen, battery and some electronics. Then they could probably shave off 50-100 dollars or so. But removing just the dock wouldn't lower the price significantly.
A standalone console could be very cheap... but making it cheap doesn't necessarily mean it would have a higher total yield by selling more or even that it'll sell more in the first place. At the moment the Switch is a premium piece of electronics that's your key into a premium ecosystem of games. Nintendo has positioned it as desirable and aspirational.
Making a "cheap" Switch would dent that and a lot of the people who want a Switch at the moment because it's "special" might not want it if it were £100 cheaper (even if it were exactly the same).
Long term they will pivot and offer Switch hardware at a cheaper price (probably in a form factor specifically aimed at pre-teen kids like the 2DS that's "fisher priced" enough that it won't cannibalise the premium Switch). I fully expect a "handheld only" Switch and a "home only" Switch at some point 18-24 months from now... but not yet as it would sabotage the very clear marketing message that they've projected so far.
Regardless Nintendo products will always be "expensive" relative to the cost of the components or manufacturing or distribution because the set price is about far more than just those factors*.
There's so many angles to the marketing behind the Switch - it's really on a whole different level to the marketing behind the Wii U. At the moment Nintendo seem to be running every major marketing decision through a filter - "what would Steve Jobs do?" - which I think is a very clever thing for them to do.
*see the pricing for Super Mario Run - it could have been free or much cheaper but Nintendo consciously set a high price to plant a flag on the hill saying "this is who we are, these are our values, this is what we're worth, we compete on quality not price". I'm not sure it was perfectly handled but it was a very strong statement about Nintendo as a company.
I think the opposite would actually be true. A console without a screen (touchscreen) and battery. Larger in size that wouldn't have to use such space saving parts, the same strangth as the Switch but only running in console mode would be cheaper. Joy Cons wouldn't have to change, I guess just need a way to sync up and charge without connecting to the system. I would be interested in that.
People keep saying the Xbox One doesn't have Backwards Compatibility.
I don't think they know what Backwards Compatibility means...
3DS Friend Code: 2621-2786-9784 | Nintendo Network ID: DefHalan
Feasible? Absolutely. Easily. But... That's more of a logtistics problem than a technology one, and I'm definitely with defHalen on this one, a TV only version would be the low price entry point.
Of course that comes with quite the opportunity price, the system would need to be doing quite well with a healthy library to make all the money spent on the development and production of such a device worthwhile.
But a standalone console without expensive things like a screen, and battery, and portable/TV connecting doohikies could definitely take a chunk out of the asking price.
Forums
Topic: Would a standalone console be feasible?
Posts 1 to 20 of 20
This topic has been archived, no further posts can be added.