Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@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?

Apps don't appear on mobile devices by magic. For what you're suggesting to be even remotely realistic they'd need to get developers to support it. And not just game developers. Social media companies, media companies and so on. Which means either being big enough that app developers can't ignore them or running android apps.

And they're not going to open it up to Android apps. It would completely break their security. Which would completely destroy any chance of them getting third party support. Because piracy.

@dtjive I agree. And with Gamescom happening this month, Nintendo needs to say sooner not later. Though being Nintendo I wouldn't be surprised if they don't even reveal it during the Tokyo Games Show either. Though I still believe that late September it too late to reveal a new console.

@DefHalan judging from leaks likely not. And said to be cartridge based. I'm sad to say halan but looks like you're gonna have to pay and download to play Wii u games on nx.

We don't know how many screens it'll have. It could be one but it might still be two, I wouldn't be surprised either way TBH. Plus because it's ARM based I don't see any reason why there couldn't be full 3DS backwards compatibility. In theory at least. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

Really all the rumour was clear about was the internal hardware. Which should have enough power to emulate everything upto and including the Wii. So I personally don't mind if we don't get 3DS/DS backwards compatibility. Because at this stage the only system we know it 100% won't have VC/BC for is the Wii U.... and it is getting BotW.

I don't think they should make it run Android or have Android apps. It can have its own Nintendo operating system and just include access to Nintendo mobile gaming, streaming and social media services (e.g. youtube, spotify, netflix, facebook, twitter etc.) and an internet browser (e.g. Chrome).

And I think you're making it seem more complicated than it sounds for that to be possible. Generally, those companies would pay apple/google etc. to have their services on their devices. For example, google paid Apple $1billion to be their browser on the ipad. Also people who sign up to Netflix (or similar other paid services) will give Apple/Google a fee for those who sign up through their device. Why would those services turn down the possibility to be part of a device that would be succeeding a 10m+ (Wii U) and 60m+ (3DS) install base?

Does that mean Nintendo need to have a huge range of apps from the get go? No, it can work on growing that aspect of the device over time but in the mean time it can already fall back on what the Wii U had which was Amazon video (N. America), BBC iplayer, Hulu, Netflix, Youtube etc.