Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

You ignored entirely what I said next. So just to make it simpler I'll put it in list form. Here are just some basic media apps that I might want to use on a tablet (remember, all of these are on Android and iOS). Pretty much all of them I have installed one or more of my devices currently. And next to those apps I'll list which consoles they're on:

Video Streaming
Netflix: 360, XBOne, PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Vita
Stan: PS3, PS4, XBOne
ABC iView: PS3, 360, XBOne
SBSOnDemand: 360, PS3, PS4
TenPlay: 360, XBOne
Plus7: XBone, PS3, PS4
9Now: ....

Music:
Google Play Music: ....
Apple Music: ....
Spotify: PS3, PS4
Pandora: ....
Sonos: ....
last.fm: PSP & 360 (kinda)

And this is ignoring entirely various utilities, social media apps and whatever else. So no, I wouldn't buy a Nintendo branded tablet instead of an Android or iOS one. It's a waste of time them trying to compete. It's no contest. But I would buy it as a gaming machine because as a gaming machine they can do a lot better than a traditional tablet.

Your line of argument here is pointless because I never said that all tablet owners would see a more restricted tablet as a viable option to them. It isn't suitable for you? Fair enough. I'll even be as nice to say that 90% of tablet owners might view the restricted offering of the NX as a tablet device as not enough for their needs. That would be mighty generous given that the things you have listed seem a) to mostly be offered anyway and b) haven't outlined why the NX couldn't offer them (or a viable alternative) if it tried to take itself somewhat seriously as a tablet.

But let's just assume that 90% of tablet consumers would just say "interesting, but no thanks as it's too limiting as a tablet". That still leaves 10% of owners who might view the NX as a tablet that is more than suitable for their needs. According to estimates 10%, whilst a small proportion of the tablet market, would still be quite a large figure of consumers (http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Users-Surpass-1-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1011806).

Of course it would still be contingent that that 10% would both a) be interested in a console (or more specifically Nintendo gaming) and b) not already have a Nintendo console. But even a small percentage of that 10% would equate to a reasonably sized ( ~ 5-10m) chunk of consumers that Nintendo could attract to their install base.

And again let me make it clear that I am not advocating that the NX should market itself primarily as a tablet. Nor am I advocating that the NX should "topple" the tablet giants by offering tablet functionality in the NX. Both of those suggestions are ludicrous. Nonetheless, I personally see a niche in the market for more unifying of technology (hence why we already see laptop/tablet hybrids) that would appeal to a reasonable size of consumers (whether parents for their kids or people for themselves personally) who find themselves unable to purchase all this technology or feel put off by being asked to have so much of it that could help the NX have a healthy install base.

This whole issue isn't really a case of whether they "should" because in an ideal world, allowing your product to attack the gaming and tablet industry just makes a lot of sense. The more form factors it has, the larger install base it can attract. The questions we should be asking ourselves really are: a) what functions of a tablet would the NX be completely, without question, unable to offer?; b) at what cost would designing the NX with tablet features drive up the manufacturing cost that it makes no sense appealing towards that market?

Those questions are much more difficult to answer, especially the second one, without knowing what Nintendo had generally in store for gaming. If they already had decided they wanted some touchscreen functionality in the games and user interface then basically there is very little additional cost to consider when making it a something like a proper-tablet device.

In defense of the "who the heck are they targeting?" arguments, I think much the same could have been said for the Wii's concept of getting EVERYONE (uninterested hipsters, grandparents, your pet turtle, etc.) to play games - people that, historically, DID NOT play games.

Much can be said for the NX right now - "Why would tablet owners bother with something like this?" Well, that's something the hardware and software will (hopefully) prove to us over time. It's the nature of any sort of competition. "Why would you buy a Game Gear if Game Boy exists?" and so on. Yet it happens. So we just have to wait and see. And make no mistake, it WILL be competing against both tablets and home consoles due to its format.

Despite all of this, I have hope for it. I don't know. I think Nintendo's franchises still hold allure for a lot of people, and if they create hardware that runs "full experience" console games AND their smartphone games for a reasonable price (cheaper than a brand-new smartphone, as a matter of fact), the results may be pretty awesome.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-inside-...

I guess amd's 3 semi custom design wins are One S, Scorpio, and Neo.

@rallydefault I think people are looking way too much into the whole idea of the NX playing smartphone games. I don't think it will play the smartphone games themselves but instead require you to play them on your phone in order to say unlock hidden items or caves etc in the main NX release games. If that makes sense.

And I am one who thinks Nintendo are going to fail if they think the NX will appeal to the type of people who only play trending free to play 5 minute experiences on their phones and tablets at the bus stop or while on a work break etc.

Nintendo need to focus its efforts on keeping those who own a 3DS and getting them to make the jump over to the NX

Right now, Nintendo have a lot to prove and it's going to be a real big uphill battle. The Internet as a whole seems very much mixed to negative on the NX, and that's not a good start and the longer it takes to reveal the system the worse it's going to be for them.

@FragRed odds are the reveal plans will be announced during the annual late August info dump.

@dtjive @rallydefault
The point I was making originally was that the people who buy an NX won't do so while shopping for tablets. That's not the market Nintendo is aiming for. Will they be competing with tablets in terms of mindshare? Sure. Might they appear on kids Christmas wishlists instead of a tablet? Definitely. But that's not what the NX should or will be. Nor can it be and that's not a bad thing.

The NX will be a product that fits in the same space as the 3DS has. It'll also run into the space that the Wii U has occupied. It's the same space that the Vita and PSP sat in and the same space that the Wii was in. Just because the portable space is dominated by general-purpose devices doesn't mean the NX can't win while being very good at one thing. And that thing is games, specifically ones with Nintendo's IP.

You make it sound like they can't do both, or have to weight their marketing efforts equally across the tablet/console aspects. Just like how this is primarily a handheld that doubles up as a console, Nintendo can equally make the NX a handheld that doubles as a tablet.

Make no mistake the marketing would be primarily geared towards the gaming aspect of the device. And Nintendo need to nail that from the hardware to the software. But the ability to also say when delivering this message the 'oh and you can also use it as a tablet too' is a really powerful message that could appeal to a number of tablet consumers who have an interest in console gaming.

In fact, just a simple ad that has somebody playing Mario Kart at home before picking up the device and walking out the door to play it on the go, and then to see them again remove the controller sides and use it as a tablet to browse the net, watch videos and play mobile games is a highly powerful and clear message to sell to an audience.

As I said before, the question isn't whether Nintendo should do this, it's a question of how viable a product like that really is. Can a device really be a tablet and a console at the same time and do both things well? Can a device really be a tablet and a console and remain affordable at the same time? My belief is yes to an extent. But that depends on what you really want out of a console and a tablet. If you want a powerful, high-end dedicated tablet (or console for that matter) then you're better off getting them. I don't think the appeal of the NX will be to people who want dedicated machines to those activities, but it will appeal (of which I believe there is a good number of them) to those it can satisfy both their general tablet and gaming needs.

Sucks the nx seemingly leaked but Nintendo is the one who chose to keep putting off the reveal.

@WebHead I sometimes wonder if Nintendo even has a plan of how and when to reveal the NX. It would make sense to have at least announced a date to reveal the NX, I mean they already told everyone through media and social media that the thing is launching worldwide in March, so I don't see the problem with announcing a reveal date.

@FragRed and they need to give people at least a little time to make an informed decision and put money aside. And imo I don't think 3 or so months would be enough time.

@FragRed I agree at this point it seems like they should at least have informed people of a date for when this thing will be revealed. Although I suspect that is what they might do and we might hear this in the next few weeks- but they first wanted to ride the wave of E3 and then Pokemon Go but I suspect before August is out that we'll be given a reveal date.

@dtjive well the reveal is supposed to be September. And this is a brand new game system that's shaping the future of the company. I don't think a random 25 minute direct will suffice.

@WebHead Exactly. It's not like Sony and Microsoft where the target audience knows what they are getting, just more powerful, with Nintendo it's always different. I mean even their own fans don't know whether they want it or not, for the most part.

In terms of hardware it can, in terms of software it won't. If you are wondering why I'm saying that then look at your post on the previous page where you talk about the tablet install base. Anyways, this idea of it being a "tablet"only matters if it is going to mean changes to the hardware and marketing. Giving it the form, screen size, resolution, cameras and other gadgets that make a tablet a tablet. Things which will inevitably impact on how well this thing runs more traditional console content. And putting non-gaming functions front and centre in their marketing. Both would be mistakes IMO.

No argument from me whether or not this thing has a web browser because it should. And I'm not going to freak out if media streaming services appear on it. Because some inevitably will. I'm just saying it's a wasted effort to market it as such a device or try and/or try and pander to what those consumers want. To spend time trying to convince companies to develop mobile apps when they could be getting games. Because like it or not this won't be a tablet. This will be a gaming device.

@FragRed I mean if it's really out in March the final devkits should surely be in dev hands by now.

If people don't know what I'm on about go back and watch some of the early Wii U promotional videos. They almost look like Nintendo are trying to sell you a tablet. Like the games are just another thing that this device does. That the main appeal of it was the drawing apps, video chat, web browsers, youtube and so on. Which in hindsight was clearly a mistake. Similar to how Microsoft tried to position the XBOne as a TV companion device rather than a gaming box.

It's not that those functions shouldn't have been on the Wii U. It's just that nobody brought the Wii U to do those things. And I doubt anyone will buy the NX to do those sorts of things either. Because nobody cares. When the NX launches people will be buying it because it can do this:

And they won't care in the slightest if it lacks push notifications for emails and facebook messages

Wouldn't a handheld console likely have the same features as a tablet anyway? I mean a 6-7inch HD screen with a camera and given Nintendo's history- a touch screen. The only difference I can think of if you wanted to make this work as a tablet is the slimness of the device, a flat front and the need to have small-ish bezels. As I said before, a virtual home button would and a power button placed on the side would achieve that. The only thing after that would be to allow the possibility of cellular data in the way of SIM card slot.

And putting non-gaming functions front and centre in their marketing.

I have said several times that I don't think Nintendo would and it would be mentioned as a peripheral feature of the device so I don't know why this keeps getting mentioned.

I'm just saying it's a wasted effort to market it as such a device or try and/or try and pander to what those consumers want. To spend time trying to convince companies to develop mobile apps when they could be getting games. Because like it or not this won't be a tablet. This will be a gaming device.

Again, the tablet aspect would only be a small aspect of the bigger picture. Like you say, it's a gaming device and would be marketed as such. It would therefore be appealing (and marketed) to people who have an interest in gaming consoles, not people who have an interest in having a tablet. But you know what? There are some people who might consider the fact it covers multiple form factors as a unique selling point to them as it reduces either a) personal cost or b) number of devices they need.

I don't know what this 'convince companies to develop mobile apps' is about. I never suggested anything of the sort. Although it would make sense for it to have access to Nintendo mobile apps.

@skywake I know what video you are talking about and I agree with you. The Wii U was horrible to market in that way because 1) it didn't put the gaming aspect front and centre and 2) frankly the Wii U was the opposite of what a tablet even is. Big, unsightly and with actual buttons.

If the NX console however can look like a normal tablet (with the possibility of attaching controllers) then of course the NX may have some appeal in the way the Wii U failed to do. Again though, the strategy should never be what the Wii U did. Gaming should be clearly front and centre, but I don't see what is wrong with expressing very quickly and simply the addition that you can also use it as a tablet. In a presentation of say over 30 minutes, it would require less than 60 seconds to convey that message.

Will this "NX portable" thing have two screens? Are the DS days done and gone? How is that going to affect games? How will that affect Virtual Console?