Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Sorry to ask this, I don't really keep up with Final Fantasy, but what's the difference between FFXV Pocket Edition and FFXV A New Empire?

Definitely a home console!

@NaviAndMii At least that's a given (just which mode is now to figure)

@NaviAndMii In fairness, the question doesn't ask HOW people play it at home.

I personally play the Switch exclusively as a portable, but I never take it outside with me. I just go to whichever room is the quietest and play there. That's still technically portable.

@NaviAndMii I pointed this survey out earlier. Not only does it (1)not factor in those who play in handheld mode at home (me), but it also (2)doesn't give a lot of options for those who don't. Say someone mostly plays at a friend's house or at work while on break (I played constantly at my recital set-up job), they would probably just not answer, since theirs is not on the list. And I'm willing to bet that (3) even if someone spends most of their Switch time outside (say 40% at home, 30% at work, 15% friends house, 5% waiting in line, 5% at park, 5% other), they're still going to choose "home" as their most frequent location, despite mostly playing on the go (60%).

3 reasons why that survey is heavily misleading.

@Nicolai Hmmm... makes sense. Question would be if it truly matters how people play. Ideally, most games can do whichever mode no matter what, with no compromises.

Yeah, I was just messing about I would be interested to know the exact statistics of docked vs undocked use of the Switch though - with me, it's probably about 80% docked, 20% undocked - but I've heard many people say that they use it 100% handheld...not that it matters, really - it'd just be interesting to know!

@NaviAndMii As long as developers/Nintendo don't use those statistics in any way, you won't hear me. But I'm afraid a majority in either will have dollar signs pop in some eyes, and have them try to capitalize on that.

@UmniKnight The point of the console is its flexibility: making it more of a home console by making dock-only games, for example, or making it more of a pure handheld by restricting something like Pokemon to tablet mode wouldn't make any sense. There are only two or so games that can only be played on the tablet right now, and that's because they're only possible to play with touch controls.

@Ralizah I can only hope that situation will remain. It's interesting that the Switch is a hybrid, but that brings it's own set of problems.

@UmniKnight Every design choice has benefits and drawbacks. Being able to play console-quality games anywhere I want is a massive enough plus to me that I'll put up the Switch with being less easily portable than a 3DS/Vita and not as powerful hardware-wise as the current home consoles.

@Ralizah True, but I'd have rather seen the 3DS go down this route and leave the Wii-U open to be succeeded by another home-console, or at least something that can receive as many games as possible.

As I've said before, handheld enthusiasts can pick up a 3DS, a still going strong handheld with an enormous library to pick from. Home-console enthusiasts (if they want Nintendo games with their other stuff) have no choice (given they still want a healthy console that gets support) since the Wii-U is very dead indeed, and doesn't have nearly the same appeal as 3DS does.

Edit: Side note, look at Skyrim and how it gets marketed for Switch. Have you seen a SINGLE home-console mode video? They're all about the handheld for that game.

@UmniKnight Skyrim is an old third party game and the main selling point to the Switch version is being able to play it on the go. Bethesda is marketing that way to get people to double dip on the game

@IceClimbers Fair enough, but some docked gameplay has to be shown, if only to reassure people it works properly.

We already have people who aren't interested in Skyrim because it is an old game. May as well play off its strengths.

So much for Doom on Switch...

@UmniKnight Even if the Switch was just a powerful home console, it was never going to be the system to get if you want to play as many third party games as possible. That hasn't been true since the PS1 stole the N64's thunder in the mid to late nineties.

Moreover, another handheld/home console split means Nintendo would have to split its development resources between two different platforms again, and we saw exactly how well that turned out for the Wii U.

Nintendo Switch wasn't just the smartest move for Nintendo: it was the only one.

Also, nobody thinks Skyrim on Switch won't be playable on the TV. There's no point in showcasing TV mode. TV mode for Skyrim has been showcased for the last 6 years.

If you really want to play third party AAAs that badly, buy a PS4/Xbox One. They're both pretty cheap these days, ESPECIALLY when they're on sale. And this Switch/PS4 or Switch/Xbone setup still ensures you access to way more games than [Nintendo home console]/[Nintendo handheld] would ever allow.

@Ralizah So you're saying it's this route or nothing at all, and that those who have come to play home-console Nintendo machines are to consign themselves to the Switch route?

The Wiiu clearly showed those people don't exist anymore. Just let it go.

Sorry to go back a few posts, but I really don't understand the logic behind this...the hardware is flexible - but all software should be restricted to being 'hybrid only'?

If a smart phone has a really good camera, that doesn't mean that all apps should use the camera - and if a number of apps don't use the camera, that doesn't mean that they can't continue to market the phone as being a 'smart phone with a great camera'...

If a games developer really has a vision that their game should be handheld only for some reason - or docked only - or, I dunno, keyboard and mouse only (!) - and the Switch is capable of fulfilling that vision...why shouldn't that be allowed? I don't get it... (EDIT: Those choices might be mistakes on the part of the developer - if a game isn't hybrid, my guess is that it probably wouldn't sell as well as it would have if it were - but it should be the developers choice nonetheless...and those games shouldn't be ruled out just because they want to use the hardware in a different way)

The more diverse the selection of games - and use of the hardware - surely the more flexible and versatile the system looks?

@bitleman The "core" Nintendo fanbase on home consoles isn't big, but the same is true for Xbox and PlayStation. Those systems can flop too if they don't get the games, are too expensive or aren't marketed at all.