TL;DR
Im a past nintendo fan and see the company failing in 2017. I want to give perspective on digital game distribution. I wont get the switch in 2017 or even 2018 BUT im on the fence IF they improve ALOT, few reasons:
no rights about save files or game data =cant do backup = nintendo doesnt respect its fans and customers
no backward compatibility cant even transfer all WiiU or 3Ds games to switch
random built quality: screen scratch, creaky plastic buttons, bluetooth& wifi connect issues
no removable battery
no open developer platform
very bad 3. party dev support
conclusion: please be reasonable and try to convince people: be argumentative in a constructive way! stop hate speech or silly consolewars, stop attack people personally. give feedback on future of gaming please
Introduction about myself:
In the past i was an avid mobile( as in out of home i dont mean phones) Nintendo gamer hence my name.
Dont get me wrong i am still an mobile gamer but currenly not on nintendo hardware.
But im flexible: I know playstation did test alot of steam and even had some Gamegear from ebay and Pandora fun. Yes the 3ds was a great platform, but its dying so we have to move on.
Now since a new potential long term Platform for mobile
gaming aka NX aka Nintendo switch arrived i was contemplating about it.
Especially about the future of gaming in general. Sure things like PS4 VR are cute and impressive, but ultimatelly they will stay niche and are stuck to inhouse.
I truely believe in a global world portable, mobile or handheld gaming are the future.
I also strongly believe in consumer rights and sharing experiences with friends / family / strangers.
Pro and Contra of the new Nintendo SwitchPlatform:
First the pros:
One gamin tool to rule them all, but only potentially. In theory it can replace all mobile tools and effectivelly reduce trash and bagpack litter. Basically for future u need only phone for communication and photos and maybe switch for ALL the rest, turning it into a tablet like the windows surface.
It got 2 mobile modes out of the gate: Tablet and Portable mode
You might get better / different / specialized controllers in the future. Currentlty the Joy-cons are a mixed bag.
I look at you D-pad ...
You can instatly share the exprience with others by better display and controllers. As much as i loved the 3ds u could never share the full stereo 3d experience with others to watch 3d movies or play 3d multiplayer
It got swappable physical games.
Its a new platform so depending on market might et 5-8 years of support ultimatelly lasting till around 2025
It got easily reachable sd card slots for media share
Second the cons (some can be fixed from consumer):
Locked in syndrome when buying digital programs
like with Apple products
Very small game library or utility software
Very small features: No game streaming. No twitch connection. No video recording. No web browser.
Its like a stupid machine built in 1970.
Its like a gameboy - no internet literally
Yes it can play games but thats it.
Very small dev community: No open platform for devs to jump on easy and quickly. No steam greenlight program to support trainee / noob / newcomer devs.
No dev tools to get video player for example to watch .mk data.
Very big con but understandable: Zero backwards compability, big break in nintendo firm policy
Too small HDD capacity i believe only internal 16GB and maybe SD card up to 128GB?? please correct me if im wrong
ffa
Conclusion:
So its very hard to draw a conclusion for the future. Currently most people would agree its not worth getting for several reasons:
Faulty units, steep price no real value for big money
-> any 300 bucks nowadays can do more then the switch currently because of better internal software and open digital stuff
Nintendo still didnt decide if they want to go all digital or all physical both got pros and cons.
Problem is both solution are done half assed on the N switch. Physical is cool because u can share fun with friends aka give games as ‘demos’ to friend or rent them at outlets. But currently there are like only 3 retail games with 0 contents aka no ost soundtrack, no manual, no artwork, no specials like maps etc
Digital is cool too, you can download games day 1 midnight. Its fast and comfy BUT and thats a big but ultimatelly how nintendo does digital distribution is very anti consumer. Lets give u some perspective:
Why cant you share send or gift games in eshop?
Just look what powerful tool the steamstore is. Yes its also locked in syndrom but at least offers much more freedom..
You can backup entire games and save files. You can host servers with server tools. You can resell and trade all kinds of crazy stuff like games , cards, stickers, emojis.etc
Biggest Problem about Nintendos digital future:
You cant seperate hardware from software in a legit way. If you go swimming with your N switch (its summer after all) you will lose EVERYTHING. Not only the hardware because due water damage but also all software: games, save files, videos, personal datas.
Same with theft for example in planes, metros or train stations.
Same with accidents: aka 6y kid spoils orange juice over it or throws out of 10 floor building window
Believe me in this fast paced age of the internet time is precious and its inacceptable to ‘waste’ game time because u couldnt backup your game or save files.
Recently i replayed my old Dsi just because why not? Had a blast with kirby mass attack. Yes i love the blue cartridge.
Then i got curious and went to the Dsi eshop to check out news.
And u know what? Nintendo will shot down its servers in 2017.
Yes yes i know Dsi is ancient and it was bound to happen you say? Sure theoretically its ok IF and only if Nintendo would do something of those 2 options:
REFUND all Dsi owners with all the money they put into their Dsi account (yes its a capitalist profit driven company so it wont happen because its corrupt )
more realistic option #2: fully open up the Dsi shop and lift all money restrictions till spring 2018 so people can backup and download all the games they still cherish and love.
People bought the Dsi for digital games so they have all the right to get life time support for said games / platform until all Dsi handhelds die of failure or for whatever reason.
People didnt write a contract with Nintendo in 2008: yes i will buy the Dsi and support its digital platform with all my money, but all spent money and your handheld will be rendered rubbish in 2018, because even if the handheld is still 100% pistine and working physically it will be useless cause it got rubbish self exploding software. I would call that fraud and planned digital obdulescence....
Anyway thats just an example and some food for thought for current N switch owners of future owners. Hey im not an nintendo hater im just a simple gamer. But if im paying premium prices for premium platform i also expect premium service and lifetime support. Sure the casuals might not care, but we game / handheld collectors surely care. And i feel and fear the N switch will be a failure in the future if not the company(less likely) OR the consumer( we all are gamers right?) step in.
Imagine this future: In the year 2026 support for N switch will be discontinued the eshop will shut down. No backups, no compensation no nothing. Then you will end up with another tech gadget junk, which you can send to africa so kids there can burn it up so they can harvest silicone, copper, gold etc and pollute the air with it.
The power is in the hands of gamers in what gamin or digital future u wanna live?
Vote now and give feeback, opinions, reasons
Im open for everything.
And im not into console wars as i said i collect and play multiplatform.
Thx for listening.
Btw this full essay was written on a pandora handheld and was super fun to do. I ike speculations.
I wonder why almost nobody gave feedback to this essay? I mean this problem is far deeper than simply going physical or digital. There are alot of unanswered Question and i feel Consumers need to raise their voice and give input.
Honestly im suprised tha Nlife didnt do any kind of article on this big issue.
Sure the 'Switchonomics' article was cute, but surely not enough ...
see https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/05/editorial_an_empty_b...
or
This article seems to justify something which cant be justified by reason.It sounds 50% stockholm syndrome and 50% buyers remorse. Dont get me wrong i just want to understand why people go through all this trouble? Why take up with so many problems and 'swallow' them?
I understand people impulse buy stuff with emotions and heart, but what if u cant justify it after say 1 week or 1 month? Why buy something which turns you unhappy in long therm perspective?
@Tasuki
If your interested in your hobby or world it surely isnt relevant how long something is.
Its rather important if its fruitful or helpful. I read long and short posts all over the net some are great and some arent.
Its about quality you know. And please give feedback on the topic ...
Its a topic that everyone affects in one way or another and im surely anybody got ideas, opinions or such. They just need to share them
@Stereoman
If you want honest feedback? Well let me be as kind as possible. A good thread explains what its about in the title and then in the first post puts up an argument on one side or another. A good post will make itself clear in the first paragraph and then use extra paragraphs just to give more depth or argue the case further if needed.
I read probably about a quarter of what you typed and I still don't know what this thread is for. Your entire post could basically be explained in a couple of lines and you took pages of text to get to the point. You could have said something like this and you would have said just as much:
"I like portable gaming and the Switch is portable which is great. Still, I'm not sure about digital purchases vs physical and saves not being on the cartridge. One-device to rule them all is great but I'm worried about putting all my eggs into one digital basket. What do you guys think?"
I'm of the opinion that by buying physical, you're always able to recoup some of your investment when you're done playing it by selling the game for cash or at the very least trading it in for store credit.
@Stereoman Are you being serious? It is relevant how long a post is especially on something like an Internet site such as this. You are posting on a gaming site not writing something for a college symposium. If you want people to give you feedback write something that won't put them to sleep mid way through. Honestly most people see that and just be turned off by the length alone.
Heck with that length alone the only one who might even comment here is Zoidberg.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
"Believe me in this fast paced age of the internet time is precious..." I think everyone who didn't read the post or comment understands that fully xDD
Check out SUBLIME GAMER, my YouTube Channel
God loves you
"Believe me in this fast paced age of the internet time is precious..." I think everyone who didn't read the post or comment understands that fully xDD
yeah in hindsight i guess i contradicted myself and my post is abitironical right? anyway thanks of you beeing the 0,01%of reading it through lol.
crazy how ignorant people can be and hurt their own consumer rights ....
its eye opening but shocking nevertheless just look at the commenter #13
@Stereoman Nintendo gave warning about the DSi shop shutting down way in advance. Plus, I think all the DSiware games are still on the 3DS eshop anyways.
"You feel it? Fawful is also feeling it! I am needing to feel it even more, though!" - The magnificent Fawful
The OP is a wall of text, has bad grammatic and even shortens words. If you want someone to take seriously, at least bother to take the time to review what you wrote and don't shorten your words.
If you couldn't spend two seconds writing "you" instead of "u", I don't see why I should spend my time reading that wall of text.
The OP is a wall of text, has bad grammatic and even shortens words. If you want someone to take seriously, at least bother to take the time to review what you wrote and don't shorten your words.
If you couldn't spend two seconds writing "you" instead of "u", I don't see why I should spend my time reading that wall of text.
Why rely only on ad hominem and strawman arguments?
Why are people so agressive in this thread although the topic is very important and does affect ANY gamer: casual and hardcore alike?
Again pls guys stay on topic and give arguments how to solve this problem.
Also i never claimed to be an english professor. Keep in mind if you stay this toxic and hateful why should any enthusiast bother to correct wrong grammar or write the "perfec" thread for people? If those said people act like crazy and can only hate speech?
Tbh im quite dissapointed by this community. I can remember in the past i could do fruitful and very civil, mature and reasonable discussions ...
despite my lack of sucky english. important is the message and willing to communicate not your xenophobic reactions and stubborness on AA level english professor language ...
As a text waller myself, I take offense at all the people taking offense at the length of the post And as for the grammer errors, I'm going to guess English is not StereoMan's first language despite the UK region in his profile (heck even if he's UK native, Gaelic may be his native langauge.)
All that said, the post IS kind of rambling off its own direction. It summarizes the question of digital rights primarily (I agree Nintendo's handling of digital rights is bad, but to be honest I've seen no company that has "good" digital rights which is why I hate digital everything. Steam is often cited but they only attained "good" digital rights after they were dragged there kicking and screaming through court after trying to have the most consumer-abusive digital policies ever designed. I will NEVER trust that company. At least Nintendo tells me where I stand BEFORE I buy.) Physical, there's no question about what you get. Digital saves, SOMETHING will become available. Probably announced in a few weeks at E3. Whether it's cloud service tied or local, even 3DS allowed backups.
As for "open development" being missing, that's a feature, not a flaw. Greenlight is a cesspool. WiiU was a cesspool when they made it open (because they had too few real games.) Nintendo built their reputation from the start in the 80's as a filter to curate content vs. Atari's wild west. PSN/XBLA has become a cesspool, and even 3DS eShop was heading down that route. I, for one am happy not to have a pile of trash to sift through to find the gems. My fear is they "open the floodgates" as they've hinted a few times and stop curating, and open it up. That would make the eShop yet another joke to ignore.
The rest of the post seems to focus on features like game streaming and such, which aren't really very suitable on ANY portable console. Without a wired fiber connection that's a feature that will be kind of sucky no matter what.
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Topic: Digital Consumerism 2.0
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