Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

While every game sells consoles in some way, we won't see a jump in sales when it is released. There is a difference between a "nice to have game" and a "system seller". If it was released at the same time as the other consoles, we would maybe have seen a bump. Maybe.

I think Patcher is definitely someone with too many connections to be treated as a straight player. He also sees the world from within a bubble. He (& his friends & contacts in the industry) don’t really understand why anyone would buy a console to play Pokémon so they preach that it’s going to fail.

As to games like Fortnite I think @JaxonH is right. You can get games like BoTW that act like a bullet and sell systems on their own but it’s usually the combined weight of several games that convinces people that a console is worth buying.

More generally you want to convince people that a console is relevant going forwards. Fortnite is a great get for that purpose.

@Therad
I'd say 95% of a console's sales are achieved under the strength of its total library, not single "system selling" one man army game.

So even if you don't see a noticeable sales surge for one game that's not really saying anything. Because you don't see a noticeable sales surge for the vast majority of games that release, even big ones. And yet consoles reach 80, 90, 100 million sold. Not on the back of one man army system sellers, but on the back of the entire library, where each game helped sell systems in conjunction with every other game.

What's important with Fortnite, is it will stamp cultural relevance all over the Switch, and that in itself is extremely important when selling systems. Because you don't know how it would've sold if the game didn't come. Not just in the short term, but over the long term as well.

FIFA 19 Switch handheld footage.

That's a fine looking handheld game there. Wow. They did a phenomenal job for this one.

About Fortnite, I see it more that its absence has a more negative effect than the positive effect of it being present if that makes any sense. So kind of like how people expect consoles to be able to do proper voice chat and have a proper "party" system.

@Grumblevolcano I get you, and I agree. It's like when Minecraft was on every piece of tech under the sun except the Wii U and 3DS. It was a glaring omission for a while

@jaxonh there are games that definitely have an immediate impact on sales, pokemon and smash are among them. Fortnite might make someone chose a switch over a PS4. But there is no incentive to buy a switch for it if you already own a system that can play it.

Exactly.

@Therad
But there is no incentive to buy a switch for it if you already own a system that can play it

That may be true for other consoles, but not for Switch. Because Switch will be the only one you can play walking around the house, laying in bed, locally via local wireless (or just via internet locally), etc. Heck, you could even bring it with and play at hotels or whatever.

And that is why each and every single game Switch gets is a boon to its overall appeal, whereas with any other version, no, there wouldn't be incentive if you already own it. It's the same reason all handheld/portable games have ever had appeal to those who already owned them. And that isn't changing. And mobile still can't serve as a proper substitute.

For the first E3 in a while I'm not really feeling the hype. I think it's knowing the focus is going to be on Smash, a game I'm not that big into. That and already knowing a few of the other titles due to that leak,which I'm also not into. It could work out in my favour going with mild expectations,3 or 4 nice surprises and I'll be a happy man. If it turns out that Starfox Grand Prix doesn't exist I'll be gutted.

Glass half full prediction
Yoshi - July
Starfox Grand Prix - August
Smash - September
Fire Emblem - October
Pokémon Let's Go - November
Bayonetta 3 - November
Skyward Sword HD - December
Doom Eternal
Wolfenstein Young Blood
Sneak peek at Metroid Prime 4

@OorWullie they already have Captain Toad and Octopath next month so I doubt they would try to throw Yoshi in there too, I'm thinking August for that. I am with you on all the others though

@OorWullie
Add with June : Yokai Watch for Switch due to 27 June 2018.

@redd214 Yep you're right July is already accounted for. Yoshi was the one I was left with, not knowing where to put him I slung him in to July without a thought. Without July, that list is looking rather squeezed. Perhaps remove Skyward Sword HD and fit him into December. It's not really a December kind of game though if you know what I mean.August is a Yoshi kind of month. I refuse to rule out Star Fox GP while there's still hope.

@OorWullie
Unfortunately, Bayonetta 3 is a ways away, and their focus is 2018. There's no indication the game is coming this year or even next year for that matter. If it was they would've said as much. Same for Metroid Prime 4.

And believe me- I don't want to rain on your optimism but, just being realistic here.

DOOM Eternal has a decent chance of coming but, I wouldn't expect an announcement now. That would likely come much later.

I do think we could still get a trailer for one of the above future games, but honestly I wouldn't count on it and at the end of the day it doesn't change anything either way. The games are coming and whether they give us a trailer for them or not, it's not going to make them come any sooner.

I'd say forget Bayo3 and Metroid Prime 4 until next year's e3. For now, let's just hope Fire Emblem and Smash look good, and that we get a nice surprise or two like Star Fox Grand Prix and Pikmin 4.

@DarthNocturnal
I'm fully aware it's on mobile.

That's why I specifically stated mobile is no substitute. And it's not. Being on mobile does not diminish the appeal of a console quality version with real buttons that can be played on the go. Even if you can connect controllers with Bluetooth and all that the fact is most people just won't. It's too much of a hassle and that's why the world hasn't switched over from consoles to playing iPads connected to their televisions yet, despite the fact you've been able to do it for 10 years.

And I don't see why it wouldn't have local wireless. Both modes are indeed online... on consoles that only offer online. But like so many other switch games when you put it on a system where local wireless is a big draw, they tend to add a local wireless mode.

But even if they don't, it doesn't change the fact that you can play locally, wirelessly. My brother can come over and we can play in person, side by side... there's no need for local wireless to do that. It's the fact you can play locally, wirelessly.

@Oorwullie I feel you buddy, often feel like the vast majority of what gets announced (and people go wild for) isn't really what stokes my own fire but if Nintendo can show us an interesting looking FIRE EMBLEM and give us a September-December release date for the game. Announce PIKMIN 4 for Switch, reveal a complete surprise 1st Party game that I would like (don't know what but I dunno, Switch Sports Resort or something. Maybe a new WARIOLAND game with Wario and Warluigi?), I'll walk away happy.

Curious to see if this rumoured STAR FOR GRAND PRIX really does play like a modern-day DIDDY KONG RACING. I'll be well up for that one if it does.

Of course I'd like more and would genuinely get excited for the supposedly 'niche' market arcade stuff. E.g. I'd be more excited seeing footage of SNK Arcade Classics than the new SMASH but of course I am well aware I am in the minority and there's no chance that'll happen.

If someone from Capcom or Konami featured in Nintendo's E3 Direct and said they were releasing a collection of their peerless side-scrolling beat-em-ups it would be the best E3 ever! Ha! Ha! Again, never gonna happen.

So will just wait and see if anything gets me excited in the Direct. Looking forward to it like I always do but deep down, I often know not to expect to see many surprises for things that would actually genuinely appeal to me.

I'm cautiously optimistic about Nintendo. I know their main thing will be Smash, so I'm setting my expectations low, I want at least one new announcement, 2018 or not. Something that hasn't been leaked, at least.

BTW Tennis World Tour (The 20% finished tennis game) was released today at least in the US despite the promised delay.

@DarthNocturnal
Are you... not listening to me or...?

It doesn't matter if it has local wireless. I'm not here to argue over whether it will have local wireless. If it does it does, if it doesn't it doesn't. It doesn't really matter. Even if it does you're probably not gonna have enough people to play anyways (not that that's an excuse to not include it)

It's the fact you can play locally, wirelessly.. That's the bottom line. Like Splatoon 2, my bro bought it because he could come over and play with me in the same room. Did we use the local wireless? No. Because it would've just been us two. But we did play locally, wirelessly. And that was a huge selling point to the both of us, neither of which are big into online games.

Why are we arguing about wireless when Nintendo will reveal Pikmin 4 in about two hours?

If Pikmin 4 isn't announced this e3, I might have to give up on it.

It was 9 years between Pikmin 2 and 3. It's been 5 years since Pikmin 3. That's long enough.