Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

That's just a sign the Switch is healthy. It's getting third party support. Nintendo CAN'T put out a AAA release every month. It's not possible. But unlike the Wii U days where we suffered long droughts because of that reality, there are dozens of games coming out a month. This year we've gotten Kirby and Mario Tennis, we're getting Super Mario Party and Smash, we're getting Pokemon which is second party... That's five big games from Nintendo or Nintendo owned companies PLUS we've gotten ports like Bayonetta and Bayo 2, DKC:TF, and we're getting Captain Toad. We got a new IP in Sushi Striker. Nintendo is supporting the Switch quite well. That averages to almost a game a month in fact, even if it didn't quite pan out that way. And then you bring the third parties in? Whoa nelly, my wallet can't take it. Of course there are more third parties than first parties... Nintendo is just one company. But Nintendo is no slouch this year either.

Every year can't be 2017. Every year can't release two contenders for GOAT. But those games (and Splatoon, Mario Kart, Rabbids, ARMS, etc) don't go away just because 2017 is over. There are more and more people picking up a Switch every day with its amazing library of AAA exclusives, its astounding third party support, and its vast indie library. If anything can rival the twins next gen*, it's the Switch.

*I feel next gen has already started with the Switch, but that's an argument for another day.

What games that will be announced during SDGQ Summer 2018 ?

@Anti-Matter None? It's a fan speedrunning event for charity, no one official will be there. I'll still be tuned in as much as possible once it kicks off though.

@Therad XB1 already seems to be breaking that trend. 2019 looks to be one of XB1's strongest years on the 1st party front yet Microsoft has already confirmed that next gen is 2020. Though maybe that says more about what the next gen Xbox will be like.

They can't afford to start over from scratch. Backward compatibility is a must for the next transition.

And it shouldn't be a problem with PC like consoles now. Heck, it shouldn't even be a problem for Switch with mobile-like hybrid consoles now (not that it was ever a problem for them anyways, but now it'll be all the more easy for them to do)

@Grumblevolcano Microsofts next gen maybe. They don't decide when the next gen starts.

And I still think gens as we know them are over. They were a forced necessity in the past. Now we have stable graphics hardware and game engines which are built to scale from mobile phones up to an high end PC. There is a good reason we have seen dual releases on PS3/PS4 and 360/one despite them having different hardware.

@thelobster while I agree Nintendo can't release heavy hitters all the time, they are usually not this bare. Remember Nintendo have historically had some slow periods on one of their hardware lines. At the moment they have a slow period on both switch and the 3ds.

Except smash, those are not what people call bigger games. And ports are usually handled by outside studios or not distracting too much from main development. Sushi striker isn't developed by Nintendo and it isn't what I would call a bigger title. I think my point still stands.

And the last rant you had in your post is not relevant at all on what I said.

Exactly. Unless they want to shake things up with new control schemes or VR or whatever, it shouldn't be a problem. But after Ms had to backtrack on the Kinect, I don't think they want to that. A shame really, I don't think people realize what they lost when they didn't include Kinect 2, it had some really cool features like being able to read emotional responses.

@TheLobster How you have that much time and money?!!

@Therad Wasn’t the Wii’s second year also a 1st party barren wasteland? I might remember that wrong.

I was thinking more regarding the fact games usually get saved for the next gen to convince people to buy that new console. Like the Wii having GC backwards compatibility didn't stop Twilight Princess from being delayed to be a Wii launch title. Yet rather than saving games like Gears 5 and Halo Infinite for next gen (343 have confirmed that Halo Infinite is current gen), Microsoft are going all out with XB1 which suggests the next gen launch lineup might be rather weak in terms of new games.

@Adnanilyas21 Ask Jaxon, he has way more preordered than I do!

@Anti-Matter SGDQ is a charity event. No games will be announced.

@Therad Just because you don't consider Kirby or Mario Party or Mario Tennis big, doesn't mean they are not. All have sold or will sell over a million copies easily. I don't know if you are not calling Pokemon big but if you are not, you're deluded. It's the biggest IP in the world. And I wasn't calling Sushi Striker a bigger title, I was calling it a new IP. You know, the thing Nintendo fans BEG Nintendo for constantly? As for the ports, they are a way to fill out the schedule for the five BIG games that Nintendo has coming this year, again, making it almost a release a month. Nintendo is not resting on its laurels (or should that be its yannys?). They have put out an impressive library of games this year. My "rant" as you called it, was merely to point out that not every year can be 2017. Just because we aren't getting another BotW and Odyssey this year is no cause for alarm. Yes, that definitely had something to do with what you posted!

A real shame we can't have a BOTW or Odyssey calibre game every year.

@TheLobster While the definition of whether games are “big” are subjective and thus opinion based, I think @Therad has a point. The games you mentioned are great and all, but they are not system sellers. Super Mario Party isn’t a game that would single handey convince someone to buy a Switch. Likewise for Kirby or Mario Tennis. They’re games that pad out the Switch catalog, so that once the system sellers attract people, these games show there is plenty in the Switch catalog to play after the system sellers. They definitely help convince someone to purchase a Switch, but do so indirectly (“there are other games on the Switch, not just Odyssey or BotW”). This year had too many non system sellers, although to the many gamers who didn’t buy a Wii U, Bayonetta and DK could’ve been system sellers. Pokémon and Smash are certainly system sellers, but having them both release in the last two months of the year and them being the only system sellers the entire year is a bit disappointing.

@JaxonH Jesus man, not only have you pre-ordered games that are years from release (MP4) but also games that many would consider vaporware(FFVII remake). You sir are a creature of great optimism

@shadow-wolf "Super Mario Party isn’t a game that would single handey convince someone to buy a Switch. Likewise for Kirby or Mario Tennis."

Who's to say what convinces someone to buy a Switch? I saw someone on Youtube who finally bought a Switch because Fortnite was on it and I never would have considered THAT a system seller. Maybe Kirby is somebody's favorite game! If you look at the Japan sales for the week Kirby came out, Switch sales were significantly up that week. So who's to say? Don't dismiss a game because it's not for you.

@TheLobster You make good points. I
should probably rephrase what I was saying. While those games will sell systems to people interested in them, they don’t have the system selling power of big hitters like BotW, Odyssey, Pokémon, or Smash. But I guess that is just my opinion at the end of the day and can be different depending on the person

@shadow-wolf Honestly we need more games in the industry that's more on the lines of AA games, games that don't necessarily need to be the best thing ever with reasonable budgets but are still super solid. Currently we have the industry sandwich of either a ton of indies or a ton of AAA games. We have very little AA games, and seeing more of that is a good thing. Supplementing the "exciting" AAA games (and even then Nintendo compared to the rest of the industry is pretty much AA, BotW being their only "AAA" game) is my ideal world, so we have more very solid games for people to attract a wide swath of people. Maybe BotW and Odyssey don't sell you on the system, but how about these other 5 games?

Not everything has to be some mega "system seller" every few months of the year. It's not like previous "system sellers" expire. People will still be buying Switch for Zelda years from now. Adding another 2 this year just keeps it rolling.

Besides, the game most people at my work are excited about isn't some "system seller", but Mario Tennis Aces!

So ya, the whole notion of "you need X amount of games I personally deem large enough system sellers or I pronounce the year a failure" is ludicrous.

An absolute metric ton of incredible games have released and are going to be released this year. That's what matters. Besides, there's only so many "system sellers" that exist. Really only enough to do 1 or 2 per year. Which is exactly what they're doing.

So just enjoy the games and forget the rest. And if you can't enjoy games that dont fall into "mega system seller" category, well that sucks for you. But I buy consoles for the 99% of games that's not "mega system sellers." I dont give a crap about system sellers, I already own the system! I just want games I like. And practically everything they're throwing at me is stuff I love to death. I leave sales to Nintendo. I'm not here to worry about their "strategic release schedules of system sellers". Switch is selling good enough to get games, that's all that matters. That's ALL that matters. Now it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy the games. And they dont need pop radio popularity either. In fact, most of the best games imo are the more niche, 0.5 - 3 million seller releases.

@Syndrome

There's no reason not to, really. I know for a fact I'm gonna buy Metroid Prime 4, day one. So why pretend otherwise?

Same for FFVII. The game will release. Nobody knows when, but it'll release. And when it does, there's no question I'm gonna buy it day one. So why not get it over with now and forget about it.

And if it changes platforms to next gen, the order gets cancelled anyways so, no harm done.

Nintendo published 7 new titles at retail for Switch last year (Zelda BotW, 1-2 Switch, ARMS, Splatoon 2, FE Warriors, Super Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade 2).

This year they'll have published... 7 new titles (Kirby Star Allies, Nintendo Labo, Sushi Striker, Mario Tennis Aces, Super Mario Party, Pokemon Let's Go, Smash Bros Ultimate).

According the whole 'system seller' topic I agree with @JaxonH. How many of these are out there really? Take Sony for example. Uncharted, Last of Us and God of War maybe? I don't think many people will buy a PS4 for Detroit Become Human f.e.
So, everybody(including MS) has 2-3 top notch exclusives that will sell consoles and the rest are titles that will essentially tell people: 'now that you bought the hardware there's also these great games you can play on it. Enjoy!'.