Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@subpopz good point, I may do the same

The only problem with that is the fact that a good chunk of Gamestop 3DS inventory are loose cartridges without game cases. Unless that sort of thing doesn't bother you?

I think there is about an 80% chance that the new hardware will be announced by the end of May.

@Magician
That was true for DS, but for 3DS I’ve always noticed they have cases at my GS. Idk if people have just become better about that sort of thing over time, or if they pay significantly less without a case, But there’s never been any loose copies of 3DS game carts at my GS

Mods, we have a spammer.

@WebHead What's golden week, some US sales drive or similar?

@gcunit its some big holiday week for japan, which for some reason japan based companies hold off on big announcements for.

@WebHead

Seems update 8.0 on the Switch added boost mode, which overclocks the CPU from 1Ghz to 1.75Ghz during load times. The recent updates to Zelda and Mario allowed them to take advantage of this.

Zelda load times have been reduced by roughly 33% (31 seconds loading save to 21 seconds, or 19 seconds fast travel to 11 seconds).

It’s brilliant.

@JaxonH Really?? So it wasn’t just my mind. Now that you mention it, Hyrule Warriors did seem to enable the “Start Battle” button much quicker after loading while docked last night.

@gcunit Golden Week is a major set of holidays in Japan, where most people have the entire week off because the holidays are in quick succession. This includes Children's Day, a major gift giving to kids holiday like Christmas, so sales tend to go through the roof.

@AlohaPizzaJack
Idk if it works for every game across the board by default, or only games updated to take advantage. We need data on this to prove one way or the other.

I would think games need to be updated and programmed to use higher clock speed during load times, and Hyrule Warriors hasn't been updated since 8.0 (to my knowledge). But, perhaps this works without updating the software? We need data

Well after nearly a year of having labo and only doing the piano I finally did the rc car since I saw it only took 10 min. Played for 2 min. That was that. The infared sensor was pretty cool though.

@JaxonH Do you know if the boost mode works in docked mode only, or does it also work in reducing load times in handheld as well?

@JaxonH true. It could have just been I was used to playing it handheld. I know that def affects load times for HW

Let’s talk console sales.

Not sure about MS, But PS4 is still pushing hard at just under 100 million sold, and will certainly surpass the Wii. The Switch is tracking exactly on course with PS4 after 2 years on the market (both of which tracked under the Wii at that time). The thing that has propelled the PS4 so far is sustained sales. They’ve done well each year but they’ve managed to keep that momentum going. If Switch can keep its momentum going, it can match PS4 all the way to end of life. The problem with that is Nintendo consoles tend to lose momentum after the 3rd year. It doesn’t mean that’s definitely going to happen this time though, and I have a feeling Nintendo knows this more than anyone, and will be taking necessary precautions to ensure momentum is maintained (such as the Switch Mini).

Let’s face it- Switch’s success thus far has been on the back of its appeal as a console hybrid, but not so much as a handheld. Sure, many of us use it as such, but the vast majority of the handheld market has not purchased a Switch yet, and I believe the Switch Mini is going to change that. The first 3 years were “Switch: Console Edition” and the next 3 years will be “Switch: Handheld Edition”. Especially with Pokémon, Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing and the inevitable Monster Hunter to follow.

Switch is just now surpassing the PS4 in Japan. And it’s done so on the back of its portable console appeal. But soon, we’re going to see Switch propel itself well beyond console-territory once a pocketable handheld version hits the market. This will ensure momentum continues for the following 3 years as much as the first 3 years. 130 million is likely the final destination for PS4, and if Switch can keep that momentum, I think 100+ million is a lock, and even potentially the same 130 million as PS4 (but that depends on how well they maintain momentum). Whether it hits 100m or 130m, I don’t think it’ll make much of a difference is in terms of support. When you sell that many units, developers want their games on your console.

Wii accomplished those kinds of numbers, but didn’t really see an equal increase in core game support as a result. But I think Switch is already seeing a much higher conversion of 3rd party support than any previous Nintendo console in the last few decades, and that will only continue as sales grow more. I’m not sure it’ll ever have the same full support like a proper power console that’s foundational to the modern AAA market, but I think as a portable gaming device, it can certainly break new ground not only in terms of quantity of support, but quality of handheld game support as well (just look at the types of games we’re getting compared to 3DS or Vita or PSP), which will be even more impressive on the handheld side once a Mini releases, and people see these games as being truly handheld.

Software attach ratio is cited as being higher on Switch than even the Wii at this point in its life (7.1 at the 50m milestone, which is the closest milestone I could find). But PS4 is important to compare to, as previous consoles did not offer so many cheap digital indie games. PS4 was at 7.5 at that milestone, and with Switch being 7.2 minimum, even if it slips a bit it should still be as high or higher. And PS4 was touted as having the highest attach ratio of all time at that milestone, meaning Switch could break the record for the highest attach rate ever. That’s equally important, because at the end of the day it’s game sales that matter. At the end of the day it’s not how many consoles you’ve sold, it’s how much games tend to sell on the platform. And even at 1/3 the install base, we routinely see Switch sales rival or even exceed those on PS4/X1, which bodes well for future software support. I’m sure that when it comes to graphical powerhouse AAA games the sales skew more in favor of the power consoles, but Mortal Kombat XI has shown, at least according to Amazon rankings, that the Switch version is holding its own, even outperforming the X1 version. And if AAA games on Switch can even outperform Xbox One, I expect a lot more support moving forward.

@NintendoByNature
I skipped out on the previous LABO kits. They seemed like they didn’t have longevity. Still could be fun for kids and stuff but not necessarily the best for a gamer looking for a proper gaming experience.

The LABO VR though had a lot more meat on the bones. More robust games, VR integration in Zelda, and a cheaper buy-in with the starter kit. Still not something you’ll play long term, but the blaster VR game is definitely something I’ll come back to from time to time.

@JaxonH yep exactly, it's nice for the first few minutes. If anything it just wows you at what the hardware is capable of. But the software isn't that tantalizing in my opinion to hold my attention

@shadow-wolf
I’m not sure. I suppose you could fire up Zelda and load a save file in handheld and compare the time to their results, or just fast travel in handheld and compare to fast traveling while docked...?

@JaxonH I'd guess it's a software problem like for example Nintendo put so much effort into making 2013 a fantastic year for 3DS that 2014 ended up a bad year. I'd guess Switch 2020 would be like Switch 2018 but with less 1st party games and more 3rd party games because of how much Nintendo's packed into this year.

@Grumblevolcano
I think Pikmin 3 and Metroid Prime Trilogy are being held for that very reason. That’s 2 to expect. Then Bayonetta 3 and SMTV, those are likely 2020 games. They can also cram a few more Wii U ports like Xenoblade X and while I would say Zelda port, I think we’re pretty sure something new using the BotW engine is coming.

They could have a decent year just off of that. Toss in a Pokémon remake, call it a day. Gear up for a monstrous 2021.