Switching it up?

The hype for Nintendo Switch is real but the company's approach could scupper its chances of success, according to analysts at DFC Intelligence.

The firm has just released its Holiday 2016 research brief which takes a look at the games industry as a whole and makes predictions based on current data.

The key message is that the holiday season - which publishers traditionally target with their big releases - is no longer "make or break", and that "recurrent revenue" - cash generated from existing games via DLC and the like - is becoming more important.

Regarding Nintendo, DFC, David Cole said that there was "significant excitement about a new game system from Nintendo and lots of talk about Nintendo among both the older generation and their kids."

However, Cole feels that there's a chance Nintendo could yet drop the ball with Switch:

We are still concerned that Nintendo management is not really prepared to take full advantage of that good will. They have really struggled with overall strategy and product launches the past few years.

Cole certainly has reason to be pessimistic; the 3DS release was less than ideal, with the console launching at too high a price with too few AAA titles. The Wii U also suffered from poor marketing at release, falling into a funk from which it was never able to extract itself. More recently, Nintendo fumbled the release of its $60 NES Classic Mini system, massively underestimating demand for the product in the runup to the Christmas period.

Do you think Nintendo has learned its lessons for Switch? Will the company get everything right for the March 2017 launch, or - like DFC - do you anticipate some typically "Nintendo" issues? Drop a comment to let everyone know.

[source gamesindustry.biz]