Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Sorry a bit off topic but Nintendo didnt show Pikmin 4 at E3. I guess that means Pikmin 4 is a Nintendo NX title.

I think we're looking at some form of originality in the system or its handling itself. I kind of like nintendo staying out of the spec wars... I do think they could do with simple architecture changes that allows blockbuster stuff to get easily ported to their system as well - not half assed ports but proper ones.

@DjLewe78 That's not true. When more power allows for more creative, detailed and immersive games, then it's absolutely of importance. It's clear that the Wii U struggles to run some games; Xenoblade Chronicles X for example. And a bit more horsepower behind the new Zelda game wouldn't hurt either. And that's not even talking about third party games, because at this point even indie titles are skipping the Wii U. Partly due to the outdated processor, but also due to the outdated specs.

So yes, those things are very important. Reggie doesn't really know what he's talking about; or it's just standard PR nonsense.

@Octane
WRONG!
If you give a chef a microwave he cook everything quickly with power.
Take that microwave away and he has to use his skills to cook properly.

Just like Nintendo do (only not in a kitchen)

How many times have we heard that Nintendo makes standard graphics look beautiful.
That's because their developers have time and skills do do the job properly.

@DjLewe78

I think that was an excellent analogy. Nintendo definately knows how to make their Ips shine. I doubt something like Zelda in the hands of Microsoft or Sony would have the same feel. I'm sure it would look shiny with a new coat of paint but the mechanics that we know and love wouldn't be there because It's not Nintendos hands that are crafting it. What Im saying is that Nintendo knows their product just as Sony knows theirs. If you throw God Of War in Microsofts hands sure it would still be God of War but it wouldn't have the Sony touch on it and wouldn't be the same.

I'm so sick of the power doesn't matter because it doesn't effect gameplay argument. Same should be applied to game music. It absolutely does matter. Breath of the wild wasn't possible on Wii. Super Mario 64 wasn't possible on SNES.

But anyway final thought on nx. A 64 bit ARM/Polaris 11, carts based home console with a pro controller that has scroll wheels and haptic sticks.

I think Reggie's comments are hinting at the NX being less powerful than Xbox One base model (the one released in 2013). So I think the NX is that at a <$250 price point with some Wii style controller gimmick.

@Grumblevolcano so a modern wii.

@WebHead Pretty much, of course by "Wii style controller gimmick" I mean some kind of new control style that Nintendo thinks will revolutionize gaming.

@Grumblevolcano seems like that will be the case.

@DjLewe78 Sure, and if they had more power, their games would look even better. If power wasn't necessary, we'd still be playing on the NES. And this isn't about Nintendo games only; what about third party games? As a commercial product; the Wii U didn't work; I don't want to see a repeat of that. The problem is Nintendo's mentally of shoehorning ''innovative'' ideas into their hardware. Your analogy works for that; just give them a basic console and let the games be innovative, instead of the hardware and coming up with ways to use those gimmicks.

@Grumblevolcano Not sure if that's going to work with even the XOne S launching at $299 this year; HDR visuals, support for upscaling to 4K and 4K media. I'll bet that the PS4 will also drop in price later with year when PS4 NEO releases. If the ''Wii 2.0'' rumours are true, then I wish them good luck in trying to chase a non-existent market.

@Octane Man, you must never be satisfied with that 'would look even better on a more powerful system' argument. You are just setting yourself up for chasing something that is always out of reach (and capitalism loves that!). You should appreciate what the Wii U is doing.

@GrailUK It's not that I don't think Zelda doesn't look good; it's one of the better looking games on the Wii U in my opinion, despite it's huge world. But after playing games like Uncharted 4, I wonder what a game like Zelda could look like if the Wii U was on par with the PS4. Because let's be honest, whilst Zelda looks good, it's not the most technical impressive game, I've seen a lot better.

It's also no secret that a game like Zelda would've been simply impossible on the Wii; more power does matter. Zelda even ditched the entire GamePad; I think that is proof enough. You don't need hardware gimmicks to make great (and innovative) games. My favourite Wii U game at the moment; Tropical Freeze, doesn't use the GamePad either. I appreciate the GamePad for its off-TV play, but I can live without that. If we're getting an optional controller with a screen that support off-TV play for the NX, I would buy it in an instant though.

I'd just love to see what game Nintendo can come up with if the games didn't have to be an excuse to sell a hardware gimmick and if they had plenty of horsepower to work with. That opens the door to third party games as well; more competition and eventually a healthier gaming environment overall. I'm not asking for something impossible, I'm just asking for something that should be reasonably expected.

@Octane So, are you looking forward to Horizon Zero Dawn? I must say, from what I saw of that, it seemed to share a theme with Zelda.

@GrailUK Yeah, I do. Both are open world games with some robot enemies, but they're also their very own game. I don't see the similarities as much as other people do, but it's still a good looking game nontheless. Not sure if I like some of the recent things we saw, but that's a judgement I'll reserve for when the game comes out.

Hmmm....didn't realize AMD has invested in producing 64-bit ARM chips, but it looks like it is aimed at servers. It would be interesting if the NX turns out to have a SoC design of an ARM CPU + Polaris 11 GPU. With such setup, I can see how the home console and handheld would share the same architecture if the idea is to have both using the same game cards.

http://gamingbolt.com/nintendo-nx-gamestop-comments-on-possib... physical games confirmed it seems. I'm expecting cartridges . Nintendo can probably get them cheap and they're faster than disk. It also can help keep the chassis small and save on cost.

Why when Nintendo says they're not interested in spec wars do people seem to assume Wii U specs? I'm sorry but in 2016 for a new system? The XBone/PS4 spec is the low end and it's a spec that's fine for 1080p.

Them not chasing specs just means they're ignoring VR and 4k. Could it mean an even lower spec? Maybe. But it wouldn't be at much of a price advantage. So why would they?

@skywake Wii U specs relative to the competition. If they're releasing something that's on par with the PS4 / XOne, it's fine, but they're 3.5 years late. The real question is then; how long will that console last? Traditional console generations are as good as over with, but I still think we can expect a PS5 in 2019, maybe 2020? Combine that with the fact that the PS4 and XOne weren't exactly powerhouses three years ago. If they want the NX to hold up several years, I think they should at least aim for something a little closer to NEO.

@Octane
What makes you think the NX is the last NX? If 4K does eventually matter then if they are making the NX on-par in all aspects having a higher end SKU would be as easy as it was for Sony and MS. By the time we roll around to 2020 I wouldn't be surprised if the Neo, Scorpio and NX all have partial "half-gen" successors on the horizon. Console generations are dead, you guys need to start understanding what that actually means.