Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

I see the NX (based on the EG rumour ofc) as a middle tier of gaming. I don't know if it is third pillar talk but anyhoo, tablet or hybrid gaming would place it smack bang in the middle of pocket and home. Strictly speaking it has to be compared with it's peers which as far as I can tell are the Shield and the Razor Edge (edit: oh and the Morphus X300) Any other comparison would be like saying cars are better than motorbikes.

@skywake I know that Nintendo won't slap a ''800GLOPS!!'' sticker on the box of the NX; people won't even care about that to begin with. However it does determine (to a desgree) what the device can play and how well it can do all of that. I think that's something people do care about. So even if they don't care at all about the raw numbers, they do care about the impact those numbers have. So if it can at least handle the same multiplat games as a Xbox One? Well, that means that at least those games could appear on the system; that situation is already a lot brighter than it was with the Wii U.

I think this kind of stuff is what SOME people care about. For example, people like US and others who consider themselves "gamers."

But to willingly exclude the ginormous audience that Nintendo constantly says it wants, the "non-gamers" and casuals, is the utmost of folly. I hate to say it, but just look at smart phone games. As much as it pains me to say, look at how those things sell like hot cakes. Do you think really ANY of those people playing those games give a darn about the graphics?

For the audience Nintendo is really going for, the only thing that's going to matter is price and games. If the NX would get something like a Pokemon Go that everybody is talking about, even if it had the graphics of NES Kid Icarus, they would sell millions, no doubt. On top of that, you'd then just hope that Nintendo would release a good stream of "core" games that would also appeal to folks like us and maybe, maybe some of our Xbox/PS brethren.

I respect this strategy because it's no surprise: Nintendo has basically said over and over that this is what they want. They're going for that smart phone market, just with their own hardware. It makes perfect sense given the state of the gaming community in their own country, where basically everything is mobile, and it makes sense when you look at the raw numbers game between PC/console/mobile/smart phone markets. It just seems that people don't want to accept this. They want a console made for THEM. They want another Game Cube or N64 when, realistically, Nintendo COULD do that - but it would bomb and maybe be the last console they ever make. And would that really make you happy?

@rallydefault I agree that the mobile market don't care about graphics, that's plain to see when looking at games that receive millions in downloads. And I do agree they care about price - but that's only if the price is free, even if full of microtransactions. They aren't going to buy the NX or its games unless they become free to play on their own phone or tablet.

Nintendo could release a Pokemon Go type seller for the NX but it won't help them simply because that market aren't going to run out and buy a system for a game they'd prefer to have on their own phone. And that's assuming they even know of the NX existence regardless how Nintendo markers it.

@rallydefault I see what you're saying. However, do you really think there's a chance that the ''mobile gamers'' are willing to spend a few hundred bucks on a gaming console and games when their phone already does all of that for free? The entire reason why mobile games are popular is because they're available on a device that everyone already owns and that most of them are free. I still think that going after the ''Wii crowd'' is a futile attempt; they moved over to gaming on their phones and tablets are they're not going to buy a dedicated gaming device anymore.

I agree with your point that mobile games aren't all about graphics and that simple graphics are enough for most people, but don't forget that we're not talking about $40-60 games, these are still free games.

The idea of Nintendo competing with Android and iOS is just ridiculous in my opinion; that's a losing battle.

I think Nintendo needs to compromise. Give the NX comparable to PS4 level with an affordable price (even if it's at a loss).

@rallydefault @Octane
To chime in on this point. There is one thing to consider here. Portables have been doing pretty well in Japan for a while now. Compared to home consoles at least. Even with the PS4 ramping up and the 3DS slowing down portables still made up about 60% of Japan's hardware sales last year. In the US it was under 20% of total hardware sales.

I wouldn't expect to see much from western developers in terms of high end releases. They're not going to be able to look past the lower spec and different architecture. But we might see a lot from Japanese developers. Because in Japan I'd expect it to be NX vs PS4, based on recent trends the NX will easily win. So don't assume the NX is going to be just a console for Nintendo exclusives and "mobile friendly" releases. But don't expect it to be the same as the PS4/XBOne either.

@Octane
Yea, it's a tough question. How does Nintendo draw these "smart phone gamers" away from devices they already have? And how do they entice them to buy games that aren't free, but may be 40-60 bucks up front? The second question isn't too hard, because Nintendo has shown that they are willing to dabble in the "free to play" market a bit, so I expect we'll be seeing quite a few NX games that use that model. But for that first question, yea... that's the bugger...

Again, I look at such a massive success as Pokemon Go. Nintendo's consoles have oftentimes been defined by one or two outstanding games, if you think about it. The hope would be that NX launches with something truly special that has that power to draw all gamers to it. Let's face it: A "fully optimized" sort of Pokemon Go game that would have launched, for the first time, on the NX, would've have been a MASSIVE success and exactly what the system needed to get on its feet. At first, just people like us would buy the system. But soon it would spread, and even our friends who don't typically game would be drawn into it. It's exactly how Wii Sports MADE the Wii. I would like the see the percentage of how many people who bought a Wii ended up ONLY owning Wii Sports. I bet it would be something crazy.

Does something like Breath of the Wild have this chance? Maybe. And I get that this strategy is totally a hail-Mary pass, but from what we know so far, it seems like NX is shaping up to be one big chance.

Pokémon Go would never have been as successful on a dedicated console.

Let's assume it was released on the 3ds, and the 3ds had all the features needed for it such as GPS and sim card. Would people start walking around with their 3ds in their pockets? Would people start paying data plans for it?

And "gamers" are the ones I see all the time in comment fields complaining about Pokémon Go. Would they suddenly start singing praises for it?

No it is as successful as it could ever be because it is accessible for everyone. And that would never happen on any other platform.

And here is the problem with going handheld only. Japan is not as strong market as it used to be, Europe and US are more important. I can't see myself buying an handheld at launch, if ever. This might mean of course, that NX isn't for me which is fine. Not every product can cater to everyone. It isn't like I would be offended by them going after another demographic, they are a business after all.

I suspect we'll hear something in the next three weeks as to a reveal date if it really is going to be revealed before the end of September.

But, something tells me Nintendo might be waiting for the last few major 3ds/wii u releases to drop first before unveiling the NX if it is going to replace both systems. That would be October 7th (Color Splash) and November 18th (Pokemon Sun/Moon*). So I'm starting to wonder if they'll go for an early december unveiling.

*if Pokemon Sun/Moon was going to come to the NX as well as rumoured then they would want to announce it before this to give people like myself the choice of whether I want it for the 3ds or the NX.

@dtjive Early December is the Playstation Experience though so Nintendo news would get completely overshadowed by that. If NX is not revealed in September it'll probably be revealed in 2017.

@dtjive That thinking would worry me personally. There's no way Nintendo are worried about hurting potential Wii U sales. They know there's going to be no real demand for it now and Colour Splash isn't a title that's going to sell big numbers anyway.

As for the 3DS, I do agree Sun & Moon is a system seller and if Pokemon Go is at all relevant still come November, could see a surge in sales higher than normal.

But if Nintendo really thinks an early December reveal is a good move then they really have big problems. Announcing a new system with only 3 months to hype it up, spread the word and iron out any questions that media will have etc is just not enough, even now days. But to then do it just before Christmas, is just worst timing.

@FragRed I agree. If they show it during December it will be clouded as everyones already decided what to get for the holidays and 3 months isnt enough time to build or save money for a console that could very well be another 300$ for a lot of people. They better reveal this thing in September cause the patience of people clamoring for this reveal is wearing thin. Its taking a lot of youtubers' videos to keep up hype at this point. Thats something Nintendo cant afford to let happen.

Which is why I think they'll make pokemon sun/moon available on the nx. Allows them to announce the nx without harming the sales of it as it will sell well on the nx instead (if people like me choose to wait and get it in march)

@Bluefiregamer I'm not too sure Nintendo realised the hype is well and truly dying down. I wouldn't be surprised if their way if thinking is "It's Nintendo - there's always mega hype no matter what we do" and that's not the case anymore. Especially with other consoles being announced and Nintendo no longer seen to be competing with Sony and Microsoft for specs.

@FragRed My hype for Zelda BotW has finally subsided. That took less than 3 months. I think 3 months in this day and age is actually more than enough time. Look how quickly pokemon Go took off. That was 2 weeks (ish). So, the blue ocean doesn't need 3 months of hammering home how good it is. They need to be able to buy it as soon as their imagination has been grabbed and Nintendo need to keep up momentum (hence why the games being ready is sooo important). Remember how hard it was to buy a Wii? Of course Nintendo fans will buy one regardless. The people that need 6 months hammering home they need it is the hardcore! Because they are the ones suffering anxiety about the Neo, the Scorpio, the Shield being discontinued, the AMD vs NVidia vs DMP M3000, the third party licences, blah blah living in their own bubble of the same 1000 (I'll be generous) names popping up on forums and chats across a small userbase of 200,000 people that loiter on YouTube, that is such a minority that anyone of them would not be missed by Nintendo if we did not buy an NX, because they are targeting 40 million people who at this time are oblivious to any of it!

@GrailUK And Nintendo can still do that with the "blue ocean", but for the rest of us who'll want to see lots of games, hear all our questions answered and read news sites every day - six months is totally acceptable for hype. The blue ocean won't know until nearer the time when Nintendo can hammer it home if that's what they want. But first of all Nintendo needs to excited it's own loyal fans whom are extremely divided right now.

@FragRed I would argue Nintendo doesn't need to do a lot to get it's fans excited. However what is clear is that Nintendo seems to have this form factor to cater to a predominantly mobile Japanese market whilst still trying to keep it's hand in the Western couch market. So it is not suprising that this device is getting criticism from some westerners. After all, if they are wanting the best possible solution for playing games sat on a couch, then the answer is no more intelligent than buy the biggest box possible and put as many chips and cards as you can fit inside it). That is the legacy the Xbox brought to couch gaming I fear (but that is an opinion for another topic lol). I wonder how the rumours have gone down in Japan. I would bet less diversive. Anyhoo, those that are happy with the device irrespective of power have probably bought in to the philosophy of the company including it's heavily rooted Japanese idiosyncrasies and ethos for game design. They are the true fans and again, I wouldn't suggest for a moment that is an audience large enough to succeed on it's own without trying to expand it through licensing.

Hype wears off quickly. I'd be surprised if nintendo could keep up more than 1.5 months of hype for potential buyers.

I fully expect the reveal to be as late as possible. Us few fans that follow nintendo around are about the only ones that feel like we're waiting for something, and most of us are buying anyway.